A whopping 6% of the US population relies on satellite internet to gain access to the world wide web. The majority of these people live in rural areas where laying the cable required for higher-speed internet services is cost-prohibitive to companies.
While satellites have done wonders for rural internet in making connections accessible, unfortunately, satellite is not without its problems.
If you’re leveraging satellite internet services and are running into connection issues, this guide is for you. In it, our team breaks down simple internet service troubleshooting steps you can put into motion to try and get back online.
1. Confirm You Have Satellite Internet
The steps we’re going to walk you through to repair your rural internet connection assume that you’re using satellite internet. If you’re unsure as to what mode of internet transmission your business/home relies on, please confirm that before proceeding.
Satellites are not the only means of internet transmission that service rural areas. For example, several people are starting to use direct wireless 5g towers to power their needs.
You can confirm the internet technology you’re leveraging usually by checking your most recent bill and certainly by calling your ISP and asking.
2. Ensure Other Devices Are Experiencing Similar Problems
If your laptop isn’t able to connect via your satellite internet service, before you put any more effort into improving your connection, check to see if your other devices are experiencing similar issues. By confirming that your other devices also can’t connect to the internet, you eliminate the possibility that your connectivity issues lie with your device, not your connection.
Your ISP likely won’t be able to fix any device-specific connection issues you’re experiencing.
3. Restart Your Device
Are you only experiencing connectivity issues with a single device? If you are, the best cure-all we can suggest is restarting that device.
This trick is especially potent if your device was connecting to your internet services until recently.
Occasionally, issues with IP addresses, gateways, and similar internet identifiers get confused as devices run through a litany of background processes that take place to make your device functions as it should. By restarting, hopefully, those issues will correct and you’ll be back online.
4. Consider Using Your Device From a Less Obstructed Location
Satellite internet beams down from the sky to your device. The fewer obstructions that sit between you and your satellite, the more reliable your connection will be.
That makes accessing your internet connection from your yard or the upper floor of your house more effective than accessing the internet from a basement or a similarly obstructed area.
If you can get a clear connection from one area of a space but not another, your issues lie with obstructions. You’ll have to address those by rearranging your home/business or being more tactful as to where you access the internet from.
5. Check the Weather
One huge factor when it comes to satellite-powered rural internet connections that are outside of everyone’s control is the weather. Similar to how your home’s layout can obstruct your connection from the ground, thick cloud layers can obstruct your connections from the sky.
This is why, unless there’s no other way to gain connectivity, it is inadvisable to rely on satellite internet in areas that are plagued by poor weather.
6. Call Your Internet Provider
Still scratching your head as to what could be affecting your internet service? At this point, our recommendation would be to call your internet service provider. They should be able to check to make sure the satellite you’re using isn’t experiencing trouble.
If they can’t find any issues on their end, you’ll need to have them send down a technician as the last thing you want to do is pay for a service you can’t use.
7. Upgrade Your Bandwidth
Your internet service provider will likely share this option with you if they think bandwidth throttling is causing your problems. By upgrading your bandwidth, caps on speed that are being put on your connection due to how much you pay for service can be lifted and may immediately boost your success interfacing online.
Before you sign up for an internet upgrade, get reassured by your ISP that this is indeed the problem you’re having. That’ll keep you from throwing money at your connectivity issues in vain.
8. Consider Other internet Solutions
As we mentioned in this post’s introduction, satellite internet isn’t the only means of getting online that rural customers have. In some cases, fixed wireless internet is a faster, more reliable solution that could be available to you.
Note that fixed-wireless availability relies on whether or not a tower has been installed nearby your home or business. Fortunately, rural internet providers are investing in erecting additional towers constantly. That investment improves your chances of connecting via this speedy technology.
Talk to your ISP and competing ISPs to find out more about satellite and other options.
We Wish You Luck Improving Your Satellite Rural Internet
Using satellite rural internet has been a solution to many isolated family’s web needs. Given the number of problems satellite can have though, for some, the technology can feel like more of a curse than a blessing.
We’re hopeful that with the tips we’ve shared, you’ll be able to make the most out of your satellite-based connection. That way, you can spend more time surfing and less time stressing. If you find yourself in need of more help to that end, our team is here to assist!
We invite you to explore more of our connectivity-focused content in our blog.