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Fiber vs. 5G: Which is Better for Your Home Internet?

Fiber vs. 5G: Which is Better for Your Home Internet?

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The option of 5G home internet has grown in recent years. This can be confusing when deciding between fiber internet and 5G home internet. A look at the differences can help you determine which is the better option for your home.

The Unseen Limitations of 5G

The technology behind 5G home internet, which uses radio waves traveling through the air from 5G cellular network towers, is quite different from SRT Fiber Internet, which is delivered via fiber optic cables buried underground directly to the customer’s home. This core difference leads to a few potential issues for 5G users:

  • Unstable Service: Wireless signals are more apt to be disrupted by weather, physical obstructions, and distance from the cellular tower. This is especially true in rural areas where 5G towers are not as prominent as they are in larger cities. This can lead to frustratingly inconsistent speeds and buffering, unlike our Fiber network that brings a dedicated, fast Internet connection straight to your home.
  • Deprioritization During Peak Hours: Because 5G is a shared network, your connection competes with other 5G home internet users in your area. During busy times, your service may be “deprioritized,” which means your speeds are intentionally slowed down to ensure a baseline service for everyone on the 5G network. With SRT Fiber, your connection is yours alone, which means no sharing and no slowdown times during the day or evening.
  • Slower Than Advertised Speeds: 5G home internet promises top speeds, but the speeds a customer may experience in their home are different than those advertised due to network congestion and signal interference. With our Fiber network and a hardwired connection to your devices, you get the service you pay for with matching upload and download speeds, and an overall more reliable home internet experience.

The Advantage of SRT Fiber Internet

SRT invested in building the area’s only 100% Fiber network because we know how important fast, reliable Internet is to your everyday life Whether you work from home, are an avid gamer, or simply have multiple smart devices in your home, SRT Fiber Internet will support everything you do

The only potential downside to Fiber internet is that it’s not available in every corner of the United States. But don’t worry; SRT has you covered. We built our Fiber network to every business, home, school, and farm in our service area, making sure everyone has access to the fastest, most reliable Fiber Internet today.

Don’t settle for the unpredictable performance of a shared 5G wireless connection. Choose SRT Fiber for the stability, speed, and reliability you and your family deserve.

How to Spot a Phishing Email

How to Spot a Phishing Email

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Be on the lookout! A lot of phishing is going on (and not the fun kind involving North Dakota lakes in summer). Bad actors are better than ever at making emails seem realistic and tricking unsuspecting people into clicking malicious links or opening infected documents. Often, phishing emails will have a company logo, and at first glance, seem quite realistic. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has also made phishing scams more believable. However, there are some simple things to do when opening an email that can save you time and stress in the long run.
 

Check the Sender Address

Hover over the from address to see if the email is who it says it is. A quick Google search will often provide you with what the legitimate email address should be.

Look for Grammatical Errors

Legitimate companies are less likely to have grammatical errors as opposed to someone posing as a legitimate company.

Check the Salutation

If you receive an email with a generic salutation such as “hello sir/madam,” or “hi dear,” it is likely to be a scam. Reputable companies will have your name on file and are unlikely to address you in this manner.

Watch for Urgency

If an email is flagged or the subject line includes words like “urgent, time-sensitive, immediate action required,” it is likely not a legitimate email.  

Question the Need for Credentials or Personal Information

Rarely will a legitimate company or agency request personal information through an automated email. SRT will never ask you for sensitive information over email, so if you receive an email request supposedly from SRT to provide personal credentials, it is best to call our direct company phone number and confirm the request.

Don’t Click on Suspicious Documents or Links

If there are documents or links within a questionable and unexpected email, it is most likely a scam. When in doubt, it’s best not to click on any links or download documents until you have confirmed the legitimacy of an email.

Think Critically

Some bad actors are trying so hard to fool unsuspecting people that they don’t think to ensure you utilize the service or company they are pretending to be. For example, you receive an email from someone claiming to be from Netflix, you panic, and open the link. However, you didn’t stop to remember that you don’t have a Netflix account. Something as simple as knowing you do not use the service can save you from opening a bad link.

However, if you do have an account with the company that you received an email from, like SRT, it is always best to call the number on their official website and verify. We are always happy to clear up any misconceptions and set your mind at ease. Keeping your personal information secure is our top priority!

TUTORIAL/FAQ

TUTORIAL/FAQ

Short Tutorial/FAQ – How Can I Manage What Ads I See on Facebook?

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Question: Sometimes I get irritated by the ads that show up in my Facebook feed. What can I do to manage them?

Answer: Below is information from the Facebook Help Center.

View and adjust your Ad preferences:
  1. Click your profile picture in the top right of Facebook.
  2. Select Settings & privacy, then click Settings.
  3. Click Accounts Center, then click Ad preferences.
Note: Not everyone will be able to access this setting in Accounts Center at this time. If these steps don’t work for you, try updating your app or go to accountscenter.facebook.com on your web browser.

From here, you can select Customize ads or Manage info. In the Customize ads tab you can:
  • See your ad activity
  • Manage your ad topics
  • See the ads you’ve saved
  • Review advertisers you saw ads from
In the Manage info tab you can:
  • Manage information from your profile used to show you ads
  • Personalize ads based on your Activity information from ad partners
  • Choose if you get ads shown by Meta in other apps
  • Choose who can see your social interactions alongside ads.
Note: Changing your ad preferences influences which ads you see, but it won’t change the total number of ads you see.

Hide ads from an advertiser:
  • Click in the top right of the ad and choose Why am I seeing this ad?
  • Next to Hide all ads from this advertiser, click Hide.

CUSTOMER ALERT

CUSTOMER ALERT

Stay Alert – Fake Gift Card Balance-Checking Sites

Watch Out For Charity Scams Can’t remember the balance on one of your gift cards? Make sure you don’t accidentally go to a fake gift card balance-checking site!

As part of their customer service, many legitimate companies provide sites for customers to check their gift card balances. Unfortunately, scammers have become increasingly skilled at creating deceptive balance-checking sites with fake URLs. If you want to check your card balance and do a Google search, among the top results may be a link that seems perfectly legit — even endorsed by Google Ads — but the whole thing is just a facade. Should you end up on one of these fake sites and enter your gift card number and PIN, you’ll unknowingly give scammers direct access to the funds on your card.

Keep this in mind: Just because a site to check your gift card balance appears at the top of a search, it does not mean it’s legitimate. Search results can be filled with fake gift card balance-checking sites, and scammers are constantly finding new ways to get their pages to show up at the top of results.

The safest way to check the balance of a gift card is to refer to the back of the card for a web address or phone number. If this information is not provided, proceed with caution. Avoid entering your gift card details into any search result labeled as “Sponsored” or “Ad.” In addition, be cautious of any site title that appears in wacky fonts or next to odd emojis. Scammers often use this tactic to make their fake sites both visually pop and appear towards the top.

TUTORIAL/FAQ

TUTORIAL/FAQ

Short Tutorial/FAQ – What Are the Downsides of 5G Home Internet?

Download Graphics to View Question: I’m hearing big promises from 5G home internet. What are the downsides?

Answer: As the saying goes, “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.” Some customers who switched to 5G home internet are feeling buyer’s remorse for these reasons:
  1. Service is less stable. Signals for 5G travel through the air rather than in cables underground, and speeds tend to fluctuate more often.

  2. Actual speeds are often slower than advertised ones. Factors such as network congestion, buildings and other obstructions, and inclement weather can slow down speeds.

  3. During peak usage times, your connection may be deprioritized. This is because 5G home internet is a connection shared by many users.

  4. The farther you are from the radio towers, the weaker your internet signal will be. Since 5G home internet uses radio frequencies, the travel distances of the signals are limited.

  5. 5G home internet isn’t as good as fiber internet. Fiber is the fastest, most reliable internet available.