Holidays with HolstonConnect

The holidays are just around the corner, and while the season brings joy to many, it also brings the struggle of the shopping list. Instead of toiling over the selection of a gift for loved ones this year, take HolstonConnect’s advice and consider new Gigabit-ready electronics! It is time to wrap up some new technology to go along with a new way to power your home, life and community.

HolstonConnect is bringing Gigabit broadband speeds to rural Hawkins and Hamblen counties – something previously reserved for only the largest and most state of the art cities. Our fiber infrastructure will offer ultra-fast service, creating internet envy by your out-of-town guests this holiday season, but are your devices ready for the upgrade to Gigabit capability?

Very few service providers throughout the state offer residential consumers Gigabit facilities. Our new HolstonConnect service is definitely worth the excitement it is creating, especially since nearly 40% of the territory was without service in 2017. But it is very important to make sure you understand how internet speeds are determined and prepare your devices to take full advantage of the new momentum offered by fiber-based services.

First, the router installed in your home must be proficient enough to handle Gigabit performance benchmarks. Additionally, wired Ethernet connections are generally better for Gigabit speeds because of reliability and lack of interference. The bad news is that if you have an older router, it may be using an older type of Ethernet connection, incapable of supporting your new, exciting speeds. If so, the router will bottleneck your entire home network. That is why HolstonConnect is offering our subscribing customers a simple solution by installing and managing Comtrend WR-6895 Ethernet 400mW Routers. These wireless routers avoid long buffer times and take advantage of the latest high-bandwidth applications and services such as streaming of HD and UHD IPTV, home-automation, and online gaming.

If you plan to go wireless, your devices must support the official Gigabit-compatible Wi-Fi standard of 802.11 ac. Older devices, including your router, should support the “ac” wireless standard. Even some mobile devices do not support the standard, and these will not be able to benefit from your new Gigabit service either. If not, then it is time for an upgrade. Even if you are using a wired connection, your devices must have a Gigabit, or 1000 megabit, compatibility. Don’t forget your network Ethernet cable either. To benefit from the remarkable speeds offered by HolstonConnect, you should select Cat6 Ethernet cable.

This shopping season, there is a host of options in the electronics department to put in the ole’ stocking. With a few quick standards, your home and family can take advantage of the lightning fast speeds being launched throughout Holston Electric Cooperative’s entire service territory. Whether a new MacBook, laptop, or notebook is on order, Saint Nick and HolstonConnect can guide you toward the right present for under the tree this year.