How to Get Wi-Fi For An Apartment

Many apartment buildings have amenities, one being their own Internet service connection. If your apartment comes with free Wi-Fi, should you use that or pay a little extra for your own Internet service provider?

The answer is yes. You should have your own Internet provider! Most apartments that have Wi-Fi are lacking in several departments. While it’s OK to use the apartments’ own Internet when setting up your connection, or if there’s an outage, you shouldn’t rely on it as your primary way of connecting to the World Wide Web. Here’s why.

In many cases, the apartment building will have slow Internet access. Unless you have a fancy apartment with complimentary fiber Internet, you will have to deal with slow speeds, particularly during peak hours. Do you want to relax with your favorite shows after a long day of work? Well, so is everyone else, meaning that unless the complex has a lot of bandwidth, you’ll deal with laggy connections and low-quality video.

If an apartment has its own Internet, there’s a chance that it’s an open network. If this is the case, your privacy is at risk to hackers. We recommend using a VPN to add an extra protection layer if you need something personal when connected to an open Internet.

Of course, many complexes are password-protected, with the password only given to tenants. Even if that’s the case, you still cannot control their security measures. With your own Internet, you’re less likely to be the target of hackers.

Apartment buildings with Wi-Fi will have only one Internet speed and one ISP. Having your own ISP gives you choices, such as what speed you want and how much data you need, and you can easily change it if needed. You cannot do this using Internet in an apartment.

Depending on where you live, you have several options if you need Internet in an apartment. What you choose can depend on your budget, desired speeds, and what is available in the region and the apartment.

Yes, some apartment complexes will only have wiring that can support a specific connection. So, if you want Internet in an apartment, you need to research what is available in your area and ask the staff what Internet service provider they support. Let’s list several types of Internet offered by Internet service providers.

Fixed wireless internet is a high-speed, reliable internet service for rural and underserved communities. Internet is sent from a central access point to an individual receiver located at businesses, farms, and homes. The Internet is low-latency, unlike satellite networks, which means there is no interference from bad weather. This allows rural internet to provide excellent access to business and commuting services.

Fixed wireless networks enable low-cost network building and result in lower installation cost and faster installation times. The quicker you get the more efficient network, does not mean that the network is at risk. In fact, point-to-point fixed-wired networks are often better than fiber.

Fixed wireless internet is a great internet option for streaming videos, online gaming, video conferencing, downloading large files, sending large emails and other web-based tools. It’s available in rural areas and it does not require a direct telephone connection to your home, so it can often reach areas in which cable, satellite or DSL does not exist. There are no data caps with fixed wireless and it’s more affordable than fiber internet. If you live in a rural area, check with your local internet provider to see if it’s available!

Fiber optic Internet, referred to as just fiber Internet, uses glass cables to deliver incredible speeds. Because fiber Internet tends to have the fastest speeds in the area, and thus it can be the most expensive. If you work from home, want to stream movies at 4K, or game a lot, this service is for you. However, this Internet service is unavailable in all areas, particularly rural areas, and your apartment building may not have the proper cables installed. Therefore, we encourage you to do your research.

Cable Internet service is what most people have access to nowadays. While speeds aren’t the same as fixed wireless and fiber optic Internet, you can still get some impressive speeds. The only downside to cable Internet is that speeds may lower during peak hours. However, most fast speeds tend to perform well still. Therefore, we recommend cable Internet for general use.

DSL, or digital subscriber line, is what’s available almost everywhere, particularly in more rural areas. DSL uses telephone lines, meaning that it has similar reliability to cable. However, DSL is much slower. Therefore, we recommend DSL only if you’re on a small budget, it’s the only Internet available in your area, or you’re only going to use the Internet for less-demanding tasks.

As the name entails, satellite Internet service uses satellite signals. Because the satellite is universal, it’s helpful if you have no other options, such as living in highly rural areas. It’s slower, unreliable, and sometimes more expensive than fiber, but it’s better than nothing.

Wi-Fi can depend on the Internet provider you choose, what connection type and speeds you pick, and other factors, such as location, package deals, and more. How many devices you need also plays a part.

Researching the Internet providers in your area is the first step toward figuring out the exact prices. However, you can know what to expect by looking at averages.

In 2021, the average cost was the following a month:

• DSL: $51
• Cable: $51
• Fiber: $64 
• Satellite: $86

Your Internet plan you choose can depend on your needs. For example, do you love streaming 4K movies, playing and streaming online games, or have many devices you need to use? Do you work from home and need fast, reliable speeds? Then you may need faster Internet or more data. To determine how much speed or data you need, you can use a bandwidth monitor or look at your previous Internet usage if you’ve had a plan in the past.

Your Internet service provider (ISP) you choose can depend on what’s available and which company has the best Internet plan according to your needs. With ISPs, most of them will have their pros and cons, so you should do careful research on what’s available to determine what you want to choose.

When you pick an ISP, you then need to contact their customer service. You can do this either via the phone, by visiting a physical store, or by inquiring on a website.

When you subscribe to the ISP of your choice, they will let you rent or buy a modem or router for your connection. While you can also use your modem, having an official, up-to-date modem or router can ensure you get the best connection. In addition, you need to ensure the modem is compatible with the ISP.

Some ISPs will send a worker to install it, while others will have a self-install method. A worker can ensure that it’s installed correctly, but doing it yourself can prevent you from going through inconvenient scheduling. How the ISP does it can depend on which you choose. For example, you can easily install a cable Internet or DSL box, but you can’t exactly install a satellite in your backyard by yourself.

Most cable and DSL installation situations involve you putting the box near the area of your apartment that provides Internet. Usually, this is an area where you put a phone line or a coaxial cable. Next, you will usually have to connect the Wi-Fi router to the modem and set up a Wi-Fi password and network name.

Now, it’s time to connect your devices to the Internet. Almost every device nowadays, from your phone to your video game console to your TV, needs an Internet connection. With smart devices, your only option is usually Wi-Fi. However, something like a PC usually allows you to connect via Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

Wi-Fi can be more convenient due to requiring no cables, but consider Ethernet if you want fast reliable speeds. For example, your main PC may require an Ethernet connection. In addition, be sure you know how much data an Ethernet cable can carry. Cables are divided into categories (cat,) with a Cat8 line delivering the fastest speeds.

It would help if you had a secure connection. Always password-protect your Wi-Fi network, and be sure to configure your devices’ security settings. For example, having a firewall and an antivirus running on your PC is s a great idea.

You can configure security settings via your modem as well. But, again, consult your ISP to learn more.

In addition, you can set up a guest network through your Wi-Fi if you don’t want a person connecting to your main network. This idea works great for businesses or those who want a separate network from their professional and personal life.

Depending on your situation, you may have to wait a while for installation. So, what can you do in the meanwhile?

As we said, if your apartment has a Wi-Fi server for tenants, you can log into this. However, you may want to use extra security if the network is open.

Don’t have apartment Wi-Fi? No problem! What you can do is use your phone to create a wireless hotspot. Wireless hotspots can be slow and unreliable, but it’s better than nothing. You may not want to do this if you have a short data cap.

If you can’t do this, you may need to head to coffee shops such as Starbucks and use their Wi-Fi. Also, if you can, try scheduling an installation a week before you move in, so you don’t have to wait.

Once you’ve installed an Internet connection in your apartment, especially a fast, wireless connection, it can be wonderful. Have fun streaming, gaming, and even working! We hope you’ve found this article informative for your move.

Here at Broadlinc, we take great pride in offering affordable internet packages, including high speed internet to the rural corners of Kentucky. Our network is constantly expanding, so reach out to us to explore coverage options in your area.