Education & Technology Online Learning Solutions For The School Year Monday, August 28, 2023 (NAPSI)—During the back-to-school season, a seamless and affordable online experience is more critical than ever. Here’s how to optimize your digital ecosystem to enhance productivity and convenience for every member of your family. Beware Bandwidth Bottlenecks To ensure a fair distribution of bandwidth: • Optimize Network Settings: Prioritize devices that require higher bandwidth, such as laptops for video conferencing or online learning platforms. Limit the bandwidth for non-critical devices• Upgrade Your Internet Plan: A higher-speed Internet plan may be able to handle multiple users and bandwidth-intensive tasks simultaneously.• Use Wired Connections: For devices that require a stable connection, such as desktop computers or gaming consoles, use Ethernet cables instead of WiFi to reduce strain on your network.• Schedule High-Bandwidth Activities: Coordinate with family members to schedule high-bandwidth activities (large file downloads and streaming, say) during off-peak hours. Network Congestion Heavy Internet use during peak hours can cause congestion, especially with 5G. Fortunately, most broadband Internet service providers (ISPs) offer reliable, high-speed Internet packages to keep your family connected. In addition, to safeguard speeds for every member of your household: • Ensure devices aren’t running unnecessary background processes or updates that consume bandwidth.• Use network monitoring tools to identify devices or applications that consume excessive bandwidth. • Set time limits on devices. • Reposition the router.• Switch between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, as each has different strengths in terms of coverage and speed.• Get regular updates and patches for all devices and software.• Employ collaboration tools that support auto-save and real-time syncing Learn More For more suggestions, including privacy and safety tips, visit www.smartmove.us/back-to-school-internet.