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Google Drive Tutorial: How to Use Google Drive on Desktop 2023

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How to Use Microsoft Teams Effectively | Your COMPLETE Guide

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Google Meet For Beginners! | How To Use Google Meet in 2021

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When to Test Your Internet Speed

If your Wi-Fi is lagging, while loading a website or streaming your favorite show, now is a good time to troubleshoot. The best starting point is to check your internet's speed.

What Is a Good Internet Speed?

A "good internet speed" depends on several factors, such as your daily internet usage, how many people in your home are utilizing the internet and what you are using the internet for (i.e., working from home, streaming Netflix or online gaming). Therefore, as a basic rule of thumb, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has set the minimum standard for broadband internet as 25 Mbps for download and 3 Mbps for upload. However, it is recommended that a good download speed is at least 100 Mbps, while a good upload speed is at least 10 Mbps.

Understanding an Internet Speed Test

Mbps

An internet speed test measures a few variables in Mbps including download speed, upload speed, and latency. Internet speed is assessed in bits per second, thus Mbps stands for megabits per second (a million bits per second). Gbps denotes a billion bits per second, so 1,000 Mbps equates to one Gbps.

Download Speed

Bandwidth, also known as download speed, assesses how quickly information travels from the internet to your device. This metric is important when streaming your favorite show or downloading a program.

Upload Speed

Upload speed measures how quickly your device can send information to another location online, like uploading photos to social media.

Latency

Lag, also known as latency, denotes the time it takes for a signal to be sent form your device to your internet service provider and come back. A higher latency warrants a higher rate of buffering when attempting to stream video.

Internet Speed 101

Internet Service Providers offer different tiers of service and different speeds depending on your needs. Generally, there are five different kinds of internet: dial-up, satellite, DSL, Cable and Fiber.

Dial-up internet is one of the cheapest options on the market, but it's also the slowest. You get what you pay for. It's not capable of online video streaming and tops out around 0.05 Mbps.

Satellite internet connects wirelessly to your home via a satellite signal and is capable of streaming Netflix. Generally speaking, it's expensive for what it is and runs slower than other kinds of internet with a high latency, ranging from 5 to 25 Mbps. The perk of satellite internet is that it provides service from any location, no matter how rural or remote.

DSL, a digital subscriber line, provides internet via phone networks, but it's more efficient than dial-up, ranging from 0.5 to 75 Mbps. The efficiency of DSL is impacted by your router's distance from your ISP's main office.

Cable internet employs copper wiring, similar to cable TV. Speeds run between 25 and 1,000 Mbps with higher download and upload speeds. In most scenarios, cable internet is shared between neighbors, so this option runs slow during peak hours of internet use.

Via fiber-optic cables, fiber internet runs the fastest and most reliable Wi-Fi ranging from 50 to 2,000 Mbps. With these options, your uploads run at the same speed as your downloads.

How to Test Your Internet Speed

1. Administer a Speed Test on Your Computer

The internet offers several websites that provide free Wi-Fi speed tests. We recommend Speedtest.net , , or CloudFlare . Each test should take 60 seconds or less, providing download and upload speeds. Conduct a few Wi-Fi tests for optimal results.

W-Fi usage varies from person to person and amongst households, thus so does the Wi-Fi speed you'll need. The Federal Communications Commission published a guide on broadband speeds depending on the number of people and devices on one network. Standard service, recommended for light usage, ranges from three to eight Mbps. Medium service, recommended for three users/devices, ranges from 12 to 25 Mbps. For any household with over four users/devices, a high service tier with over 25 Mbps is suggested.

Remember that your internet speed changes based on the time of day and the number of devices running on the router. In an ideal scenario, you'd run an Ethernet cord to your ISP's modem, but this may not be an option.

2. Administer a Speed Test On Your Phone or Tablet

Similar to administering a speed test on your computer, you can also administer a speed test on your phone or tablet using sites such as Speedtest.net , , or CloudFlare .

3. Administer a Speed Test on Your Wi-Fi Router's App

Some Wi-Fi routers have designated apps for speed tests. Google Nest, Eero, Linksys Velop, and Asus ZenWifi have this option. Typically, this is the most accurate test of Wi-Fi speed.

If your Wi-Fi speed is lower than expected or desired, buying a new router isn't necessarily the answer. But if your router is ancient, this may be the ultimate solution.

4. Evaluate the Results of Your Wi-Fi Speed Test

The results of an internet speed test are useless if you're unable to interpret them. Review your download speeds to see how quickly files will download, your video streaming capabilities and how many devices your Wi-Fi can support. Naturally, DSL speeds will be slower. With cable internet, it could be running slow due to congestion from other homes also on cable.

If latency is lower than 20 milliseconds (ms), your Wi-Fi should be running fine. However, if latency is above 150 ms, there will be problems with lag. If you're having lag issues, your router could just be old and needs to be replaced, or try upgrading to fiber for a lower latency.

If you've followed the above steps and are still having Wi-Fi issues, malware, an old router, ISP problems, or broken hardware could be the culprit. Run an antivirus software to detect malware.

How to Get an Accurate Wi-Fi Speed

Turn off Automatic Downloads Temporarily

View the task manager on your computer to ensure large files aren't being downloaded or updated. Shut down all programs running on your computer.

Cut Unwanted Users

If an unwanted user is using a large portion of your internet's bandwidth, you're not going to get an accurate speed test. Ask users to pause their Netflix binge while your run a speed test. Change the Wi-Fi password if unrecognized users are on your network.

Check for Issues With Your Router

It's not a bad idea to plug your Wi-Fi router directly into an Ethernet cord when running an internet speed test. It's important to test your internet speed where you typically use your computer. If you plug your computer directly into your router and there's a significant increase in internet speed, then it might be time to upgrade your router.

What to Do if Your Wi-Fi Is Slow

Turn off your Wi-Fi modem for 30 seconds, then turn it back on. This is usually a quick fix for laggy internet speeds. If you're still struggling, check out this piece on how to increase your internet speed.

Calling your internet provider and complaining about the slow service isn't a solution if your provider is throttling your connection speed. Also, check your internet provider's website and see if they've noted an outage. If your provider has noted an issue, then there's no need for you to troubleshoot.

As a last effort, call your internet provider to determine whether your Wi-Fi modem supports your internet plan's speed, or if there's a promotion worthy of an upgrade for faster internet speeds.

What to Do if Your Wi-Fi Is Slower Than It Should Be

We all know the irritating feeling when your website takes too long to load, or an email takes too long to send. If your internet speed slows when you're in different locations in your home, it is a sign that your Wi-Fi signal is weak, and there must be a disruption to your signal (i.e., a concrete wall).

If you suspect this is your problem, a Wi-Fi booster should be able to help. You can plug a Wi-Fi booster into an outlet in the space where you need faster internet. If your problem with your slow internet speed continues, distance or obstacles may not be the issue. Then it is recommended to update or upgrade your router.

When to Call a Pro

If none of the above solutions work, it's time to switch to a new ISP. You should look for a reputable internet service provider in your area for the best solution.

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If your Wi-Fi is lagging, while loading a website or streaming your favorite show, now is a good time to troubleshoot. The best starting point is to check your internet's speed.

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Tip

Are you looking for information on how to install the Teams client on your PC or mobile device? Go here: Download Microsoft Teams.

Start here

Whether you're a small business or a multi-national, this is the place to start rolling out Teams. These articles will guide you through a small-scale Teams rollout, which may be all you need if you're a small business or if you're rolling out Teams quickly as your first Microsoft 365 workload to support remote workers.

If you're a larger organization, use these articles to pilot Teams with a small group of early adopters so you can learn about Teams and start planning your org-wide deployment. Later, use the guidance on the Microsoft Teams Adoption site to help you roll out Teams across your organization.

We recommend rolling out Teams in stages, workload by workload, as your organization is ready. You don't have to wait until you've completed one step before you move to the next. Some organizations may want to roll out all Teams features at once, while others may prefer a phased approach. Here are the Teams workloads, in the order we recommend rolling them out:

If you have a medium or large organization, use Advisor for Teams to help you roll out Microsoft Teams to help you plan the rollout of these workloads across your organization. The Advisor uses Teams itself to create a plan tasks and assign them to owners, share documents, and enable discussions amongst your deployment team.

Make sure you're ready

To get ready for your Teams rollout, here's what you need to do, whether Teams is your first workload ("Teams First") or the next workload in an existing Microsoft 365 or Office 365 deployment:

Get familiar with Teams

If you're new to Teams, the best way to get familiar with it is to start using it right away. The great thing about Teams is that what you set up now won't get in the way of any upgrades or migrations you might need to do later.

Use the steps below to set up a couple teams and onboard a few early adopters to help you get familiar with Teams.

Upgrade or migrate from Skype for Business

If you're coming to Teams from Skype for Business (online or on premises), or if you need a hybrid configuration, you still want to follow the recommended path above for a Teams deployment, but first you need to do some extra planning. Start by reviewing the guidance in the table below that applies to your organization's profile.

Your organization's profile

Guidance

I'm currently using Skype for Business Online, and I'm ready to move to Teams.

Go to Upgrade to Teams.

My organization is running Skype for Business Server, and I want to roll out Teams.

For a full-scale Teams rollout, first you need to configure hybrid connectivity between your on-premises environment and Microsoft 365. Start by reading Plan hybrid connectivity between Skype for Business Server and Microsoft 365 or Office 365.

You should also review Upgrade to Teams.

I don't have Skype for Business Server, but I do have an on-premises Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) solution. I want to roll out Teams, but I want to keep my on-premises PSTN solution.

Roll out Teams following the suggestions in this article.

Then read Plan Direct Routing to learn about using Phone System Direct Routing to hook up your on-premises PSTN solution with Teams.

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Get started with Microsoft Teams - Microsoft Teams

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Tip Are you looking for information on how to install the Teams client on your PC or mobile device? Go here: Download Microsoft Teams. Whether you're a small business or a multi-national, this is the place to start rolling out Teams. These articles will guide you through a small-scale Teams rollout, which may be all you need if you're a small business or if you're rolling out Teams quickly as your first Microsoft 365 workload to support remote workers.

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Official Google Meet Help Center where you can find tips and tutorials on using Google Meet and other answers to frequently asked questions.

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Zoom consistently updates how-to-videos, guides, learning courses, etc.

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To view this page, you must upgrade or replace your current browser. We suggest to use one of the following:

Still having troubles? Contact your platform administrator.

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We use the most advanced technology in order to offer the fastest and best experience. Unfortunately, your browser is outdated and doesn't support this technology. To view this page, you must upgrade or replace your current browser. We suggest to use one of the following: Still having troubles? Contact your platform administrator.

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The term bandwidth has a number of technical meanings but since the popularization of the internet, it has generally referred to the volume of information per unit of time that a transmission medium (like an internet connection) can handle.

An internet connection with a larger bandwidth can move a set amount of data (say, a video file) much faster than an internet connection with a lower bandwidth.

Bandwidth is typically expressed in bits per second, like 60 Mbps or 60 Mb/s, to explain a data transfer rate of 60 million bits (megabits) every second.

Why Bandwidth Is Important to Understand

It's easy to dismiss bandwidth as a technology term that doesn't really apply to you unless you like to play around with tech products or set up internet hardware. In reality, learning what bandwidth means and how it applies to your own network can help you tweak your setup to get a faster internet connection when you need it.

You might be curious about bandwidth if your internet connection is suddenly slower than it is most days. Maybe you suspect that you should buy more bandwidth or that you're not getting what you're paying for.

Or, maybe you're about to buy a gaming console or video streaming service and need an accurate understanding of whether or not you can do so without it negatively impacting the rest of your network. For most people, those two activities are by far the biggest bandwidth hoggers.

How Much Bandwidth Do You Have? (& How Much Do You Need?)

How much bandwidth you need depends on what you plan on doing with your internet connection. For the most part, more is better, constrained, of course, by your budget.

In general, if you plan on doing nothing but Facebook and the occasional video watching, a low-end high-speed plan is probably just fine.

If you have a few TVs that will be streaming Netflix, and more than a few computers, tablets, and other devices that might be doing who-knows-what, I'd go with as much as you can afford. You won't be sorry.

Bandwidth Is a Lot Like Plumbing

Plumbing provides a great analogy for bandwidth... seriously!
Data is to available bandwidth as water is to the size of the pipe.
In other words, as the bandwidth increases so does the amount of data that can flow through in a given amount of time, just like as the diameter of the pipe increases, so does the amount of water that can flow through during a period of time.

Say you're streaming a movie, someone else is playing an online multiplayer video game, and a couple others on your same network are downloading files or using their phones to watch online videos. It's likely that everyone will feel that things are a bit sluggish if not constantly starting and stopping. This has to do with bandwidth.

To return to the plumbing analogy, assuming the water pipe to a home (the bandwidth) remains the same size, as the home's faucets and showers are turned on (data downloads to the devices being used), the water pressure at each point (the perceived "speed" at each device) will reduce - again, because there's only so much water (bandwidth) available to the home (your network).

Put another way: the bandwidth is a fixed amount based on what you pay for. While one person may be able to stream a high-def video without any lag whatsoever, the moment you begin adding other download requests to the network, each one will get just their portion of the full capacity.

For example, if a speed test identifies my download speed as 7.85 Mbps, it means that given no interruptions or other bandwidth-hogging applications, I could download a 7.85 megabit (or 0.98 megabytes) file in one second. A little math would tell you that at this allowed bandwidth, I could download about 60 MB of information in one minute, or 3,528 MB in an hour, which is equivalent to a 3.5 GB file...pretty close to a full-length, DVD-quality movie.

So, while I could theoretically download a 3.5 GB video file in an hour, if someone else on my network tries to download a similar file at the same time, it would now take two hours to complete the download because, again, the network only permits x amount of data to be downloaded at any given time, so it now must allow the other download to use some of that bandwidth, too.

Technically, the network would now see 3.5 GB + 3.5 GB, for 7 GB of total data that needs to be downloaded. The bandwidth capacity doesn't change because that's a level you pay your ISP for, so the same concept applies: a 7.85 Mbps network is going to now take two hours to download the 7 GB file just like it would take just one hour to download half that amount.

The Difference in Mbps and MBps

It's important to understand that bandwidth can be expressed in any unit (bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabits, etc.). Your ISP might use one term, a testing service another, and a video streaming service yet another. You'll need to understand how these terms are all related and how to convert between them if you want to avoid paying for too much internet service or, maybe worse, ordering too little for what you want to do with it.

For example, 15 MBs is not the same as 15 Mbs (note the lower case b). The first reads as 15 megaBYTES while the second is 15 megaBITS. These two values are different by a factor of 8 since there are 8 bits in a byte.

If these two bandwidth readings were written in megabytes (MB), they'd be 15 MBs and 1.875 MBs (since 15/8 is 1.875). However, when written in megabits (Mb), the first would be 120 Mbs (15x8 is 120) and the second 15 Mbps.

More Information on Bandwidth

Some software lets you limit the amount of bandwidth that the program is allowed to use, which is really helpful if you still want the program to function but it doesn't necessarily need to be running at full speed. This intentional bandwidth limitation is often called bandwidth control.

As an example, say you want to download a really large 10 GB file. Instead of having it download for hours, sucking away all the available bandwidth, you could use a download manager and instruct the program to limit the download to use only 10% of the available bandwidth. This would, of course, drastically add time to the total download time but it would also free up a lot more bandwidth for other time-sensitive activities like live video streams.

Something similar to bandwidth control is bandwidth throttling. This is also a deliberate bandwidth control that's sometimes set by internet service providers to either limit certain types of traffic (like Netflix streaming or file sharing) or to limit all traffic during particular periods of time during the day in order to reduce congestion.

Network performance is determined by more than just how much bandwidth you have available. There are also factors like latency, jitter, and packet loss that could be contributing to less-than-desirable performance in any given network. Some other elements at play that can cause sluggish internet include old hardware, viruses, browser add-ons, and a weak Wi-Fi connection.

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Definition of Bandwidth and How to Tell How Much You Have

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The term bandwidth has a number of technical meanings but since the popularization of the internet, it has generally referred to the volume of information per unit of time that a transmission medium (like an internet connection) can handle.

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Supporting participants in low bandwidth areas

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Supporting participants in low bandwidth areas

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Online meetings and trainings connect people across geographical distances and engage people who might otherwise be excluded. However, access to reliable, high-speed internet varies widely. To lead inclusive and powerful online spaces, we must treat technology as an equity issue. As facilitators, we can't control participants' internet access, but we can use strategies to support connection and learning regardless of bandwidth.

Supporting low-bandwidth participants increases accessibility overall. These strategies also support people who are new or have limited access to technology, low literacy, and/or with visual impairment.

Here are some principles for equitable online spaces and examples of each in action:

Provide options for how to engage

When inviting participants to engage using higher tech tools, provide low-bandwidth options too. For best results, offer options people have to ask for them.

Write or print out a list of your participants and mark off next to each person when they share. At a glance you can see if someone hasn't been heard from or if someone is dominating the space.

As well as tracking participation, it can help to track who is participating from what format: computer, mobile app, phone only. This helps you know whether every type of connection is being engaged and who might need extra support.

Invite the group to track with you using participation formats like "choose who is next," where you ask one person to share on a topic, then they choose someone else who hasn't shared and so on until everyone has spoken. Track on paper so you can let them know who hasn't shared yet if they lose track.

Make people feel "seen" and help them see each other

When you have a low tech connection to a meeting (like being on the phone only) or are having problems (like your internet cutting out) it can feel like you are on the margins of the group looking in. It's easy to disengage and end up watching from the sidelines. A perfect antidote to this is feeling like you are "seen" and your input is valued by the facilitator and the group.

Check in with people by name, appreciating or responding to their contributions, or inviting them into a discussion.

Offer options directly to people who you know might need them. "Sandra, since you're on the phone would you like to share out loud about this? I'll read out for you what has already been shared in the chat."

Early on in the call, name out loud who is in the "room," despite connection format or bandwidth.

Use tools like a "go-around" that remind everyone who is connected and give them a chance to hear from everyone.

Verbalize what you are tracking about the group's participation. "I notice I'm hearing more from the folks who are on camera," or "We've heard from almost everyone on this point.

Verbalize what you are seeing

If you want to create accessible online spaces, it's great to give voice to what you are noticing in the room and in your meeting visuals. This helps engage participants who can't see what's going on in the room for any reason and puts them on more equal footing to participate. It also helps people to feel seen and to see each other.

Describe visuals during screen sharing. "Right now I'm showing a diagram. It's like a pyramid and the top level says..."

Describe what you notice about activity or nonverbal signals from the group. "Everyone I can see on camera is smiling and nodding right now along with your story, Anne!" or "That burst of laughter was because Marco's baby pulled his glasses off while he was talking!"

Verbalize chat activity. You can read out messages shared in the chat box, including who shared them. Sometimes summarizing instead of reading every comment will make more sense. At other times you might say "There's a side conversation happening in the chat box about last night's ball game - I'm not going to read that out, but I'll send the chat transcript after if you want to hear it!"

Use low bandwidth visuals/tools

There are lots of amazing tools for online gatherings. When choosing what to use, think about your group and your goals. Consider the bandwidth required for a tool and how easy they are to use from a mobile device or for those with less comfort with technology.

For shared note-taking, a shared text document may work better for your group than shared slides.

The facilitator and one other person can scribe while the group shares in chat or out loud only.

Videos or animated graphics may be frustrating or totally ineffective for low-bandwidth participants.

Complicated charts or visuals with small text may be impossible to read on mobile devices.

Use asynchronous ("different time") approaches

Using the time before and after your group gets together can help maximize the engagement for your participants. These "asynchronous" strategies include preparing for those who you know will have low bandwidth and also helping those who unexpectedly had intermittent access to the call.

If using visuals or shared notes documents, email or print and mail out in advance.

You can invite people to add their input to brainstorms or other discussions before and/or after your call. This can especially help those who may have bandwidth or tech access intermittently and also supports participants who need more time or quiet to process and think.

Offer options of how to participate asynchronously as well. "You can add your ideas to our note document, or send me an email or give me a call."

After your session, email or mail out the finished notes and chat transcripts.

Check in with your group ahead of time to find out how people will be connecting and to share options and support.

Check in afterwards with group members who had low connectivity. Do they want to check in with you or a buddy about a part they missed? Would having a recording they could watch be helpful and accessible?

Co-facilitate or have a team member provide tech support

When leading a group with low-bandwidth participants, it's helpful to have a team member who can pay attention to specific individuals who might be having trouble.

While one person facilitates, the other can offer more individualized support to people whose call is dropping constantly, or who are having trouble getting the information being shared.

The co-facilitator can offer options for connecting such as dialing in, stopping video streaming, connecting from a weblink, so their experience is more fruitful.

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Online meetings and trainings connect people across geographical distances and engage people who might otherwise be excluded. However, access to reliable, high-speed internet varies widely. To lead inclusive and powerful online spaces, we must treat technology as an equity issue.