Support

We all need a little support sometimes. Our support team works in our offices in San Marcos California and play a key role in making sure equipment is ready for each new installation. Below we've gathered our most Frequently Asked Questions to help you, but we are here if you need a little help now and then.

SUPPORT FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Internet Speed and Troubleshooting

FAQs to help provide a better Internet connectivity experience at San Diego Broadband

What’s the difference between Upload and Download speed?

Streaming a video is primarily a download type of activity while a Zoom call requires both download and upload of video data. Since the majority of residential customers will download more than they upload, networks are generally tweaked for faster download speeds. Internet speeds are measured by how much data your internet connection can transfer per second, which is megabits of data per second (Mbps). Let us know if you need higher upload speeds and we’ll see if your coverage area supports this.

What are good download speeds?

Download speeds of about 25 megabits per second are sufficient for streaming high-definition video. But even 6-10 Mbps delivers an excellent Web surfing experience. However, to stream 4K content and play competitive online games you’ll want 40-100 Mbps. Check with Tech Support; as we are continually upgrading our network and our faster 100 Mbps speeds may now be available in your area.

What are good upload speeds?

Typically upload speeds of 3-4 Mbps are considered good. However, if you or anyone in your household regularly uploads videos from home, you may need a plan with higher upload speeds. Please check with our tech support team, to see if your location is eligible for one of our faster plans.

Is latency important for gamers?

Latency is a measurement of the amount of time it takes for data to be transmitted from one point to another. The lower the latency, the better. Good latency for gaming is generally less than 50 milliseconds (ms). Low latency is good for online gamers while high latency can present lagging. Check your latency speed at Fast.com. Remember if you’re using Wi-fi in your home, the closer to your router will be better. A wired connection to the router of course is ideal for serious gamers.

Can a newer router improve Internet speed?

Having a good router can improve your Internet experience. The router sends and receives Internet traffic to all the devices in your home. We recommend purchasing a new router every 2-3 years. For example, newer routers come with a 5Ghz frequency Wi-fi capability and Mesh extensions. Confirm the placement of your router and that any mesh satellite units hit the most used Internet traffic zones.

Is the Internet down?

San Diego Broadband monitors all our Relay sites closely to provide you the best Internet service you can get. Sometimes issues beyond our control such as an unplanned power outage at a relay site may occur. If the outage is planned, we usually have time to place a generator on-site to keep the Internet flowing. A quick phone call to our tech support team may help identify a power outage issue. If that’s not the case, we have other Internet troubleshooting steps that may help identify or solve your unique problem.

Internet is down should I reboot my router?

It is possible the Internet outage is NOT isolated to just your house. First, check your router. Is it still on? Make sure the Wi-Fi portion of the router is still running. This may be a good time to power cycle your router by unplugging the power cord and waiting 5-10 seconds and then plugging it back in again. Give your router and devices a couple minutes to get back online and then check if your problem is resolved. DO NOT grab a paperclip to RESET your router – that will wipe your router Wifi and password settings to Factory Defaults. To test your router and Wifi, put your phone in Airplane mode (this turns off cellular) and go to Fast.com and check your connection speed. If you have no Internet, contact us a call and we can confirm and troubleshoot for you. You’ll simply need to provide us your address and we can check if the equipment outside is providing Internet to your Router.

How do I check that the Antenna/dish outside is still working?

Our support team can detect the status of the equipment outside your home. Give them a call if you think it is offline or it was bumped. However, the antenna outside itself is usually not the problem, but checking the outdoor antenna may still be helpful. Check that a tree or plant is not blocking the antenna and make sure an animal has not altered the equipment’s aim, or chewed on the Internet cable.

Locate our Power over Ethernet adapter (PoE) and confirm it still has power from a wall socket. This PoE adapter is how the equipment outside gets power to send/receive your data to your router. The PoE adapter’s LAN port should also have a Cat5 cable plugged into it which connects to your router. If any cable has been chewed, or you still can’t isolate the issue, give our support team a call and we’ll help you sort it out.

Which Wires Go Where?

The Cat5 Ethernet cable from outside your home or business plugs into our PoE adapter. There should be a port labeled PoE (the red one). This sends power to the device/s mounted outside. Make sure the Ethernet cable is fully inserted into the correct port. The other port on the adapter labeled LAN should have a Cat5 Ethernet cable plugged into it which goes directly to your home router to provide you Internet. Your router should be a typical network router. It can be a Mesh router with satellite WiFi extenders – in fact many of our customers use mesh routers when their home is large or has several floors with thick ceilings and walls. Need router suggestions. We can provide you a list. Note: Our service doesn’t use a “cable modem” type of device you might rent with other Internet service providers.

My Internet is slower than normal. How can I fix it?

Does your internet seem slow, or do you experience times where your internet connection seems to ‘drop’ or ‘buffer’ while streaming a video? First, this is not the online experience we have in mind for any of our customers. There are a few factors which can cause a network slowdown:

  • Are multiple people using Wi-Fi in your home? How far away from the router are they? Evaluate your speed in different locations of the home by running a speed test at Fast.com. This will tell you the network speed in your home.
  • Also connect a computer straight into an open port on your router using a Cat5 Ethernet cable. If you see a major improvement in speed, then you may want to expand your Wi-Fi signal in your home by buying a MESH NETWORK type of router instead. Larger homes may need Mesh Wi-Fi extensions placed near areas where you use Wi-Fi the most.
  • Is the speed always slow at a certain time of day? Network congestion can degrade network performance. Evenings, weekends, and popular relaxation times can be challenging for active networks. Run a speed-test at Fast.com. If the speed is fine, then the provider of your streaming entertainment might be dealing with a “prime time” network congestion issue.
  • If this still doesn’t solve your problem, our in-house Tech Support staff is able to confirm our equipment is functioning optimally.

Do I need a router and what would be a good router to use for our home?

San Diego Broadband expects you to have a traditional router inside your home to service your devices with a Wi-fi access point and sometimes a few extra ports so you may connect devices directly to the router. Choosing a new router can be a daunting task, as there are thousands of brands and models of routers to choose from. Which is why we are supplying you some suggestions (see below) organized by size of your home and expected use.

Router Suggestions

Below is a list of possible router selections known to have worked well for other customers. Links and sample pricing are visible for each. Please consider the size of your home when choosing your router.

View Router Suggestions

ENTRY LEVEL ROUTERS –
BASIC FUNCTIONALITY, MINIMAL STREAMING, FEW DEVICES
TRUSTED UP TO 1,000SQFT Pricing fluctuates. Pricing below is only for rough reference
Brand Model WIFI TYPE Product Page Current Price
Netgear Nighthawk RAX35 WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $44.99
Asus RT-AX55 WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $99.99
MID LEVEL ROUTERS –
GENERAL FUNCTIONALITY, GAMING, 4K STREAMING, UP TO 20 DEVICES
TRUSTED UP TO 1,500SQFT
Brand Model WIFI TYPE Product Page Current Price
Netgear Nighthawk RAX40 WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $120.00
Asus RT-AX56U WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $132.99
ADV LEVEL ROUTERS –
ADVANCED FUNCTIONALITY, 4K STREAMING, PRO GAMING
CAN HANDLE OVER 50 DEVICES
TRUSTED UP TO 2600SQFT
Brand Model WIFI TYPE Product Page Current Price
Netgear Nighthawk RAX70 WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $299.99
Netgear Nighthawk RAX120 WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $388.97
Netgear Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR1000 WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $349.92
Netgear Nighthawk RAX200 WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $494.79
Asus ROG Rapture WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $442.00
Asus RT-AX88U WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $294.00
FULL HOME MESH SYSTEMS –
TRUSTED UP TO 3000SQFT
ADDONS ADDED INCREASE AREA BY 1500SQFT EACH
Brand Model WIFI TYPE Product Page Current Price
Netgear Nighthawk MK62 – 2 PACK WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $199.99
Netgear Nighthawk MS60 – ADDON FOR MK62&63 SERIES ONLY WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $129.99
TRUSTED UP TO 4500SQFT
ADDONS ADDED INCREASE AREA BY 1500SQFT EACH
Netgear Nighthawk MK63S – 3 PACK WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $249.99
Netgear Nighthawk MS60 – ADDON FOR MK62&63 SERIES ONLY WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $129.99
TRUSTED UP TO 6750SQFT
ADDONS ADDED INCREASE AREA BY 2250SQFT EACH
Netgear Nighthawk MK83 – 3 PACK WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $399.99
Netgear Nighthawk MS80 – ADDON FOR MK82&MK83 SERIES ONLY WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $179.99
TRUSTED UP TO 9000SQFT
Netgear Nighthawk MK84 – 3 PACK WIFI 6 Official Page From Official Page – $539.99
TRUSTED UP TO 4800SQFT
Asus ZenWIFI XD4 – 3 PACK WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $279.99
TRUSTED UP TO 5500SQFT
ADDONS ADDED INCREASE AREA BY 2000SQFT EACH
Asus Zen WIFI XT8 – 2 PACK WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $412.00
Asus Zen WIFI XT8 – 3 PACK WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $643.16
Asus Zen WIFI XT8 – ADDON WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $249.00
TRUSTED UP TO 5500SQFT
Asus ZenWIFI ET8 – 2 PACK WIFI 6E Official Page Amazon – $529.99
TRUSTED UP TO 4000SQFT
ADDONS ADDED INCREASE AREA BY 1500SQFT EACH
Asus RT-AX92U – 2 PACK WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $366.13
Asus RT-AX92U ADDON WIFI 6 Official Page Amazon – $210.89

Support Downloads

Below are file/s which our Support staff may ask you to download to help troubleshoot your particular issue:

      • Winmtr.exe  | WinMTR is a free MS Windows visual application that combines the functionality of the traceroute and ping in a single network diagnostic tool.