High Speed Internet FAQ

I am currently running a 56k connection and it's working fine. Do I really need something faster?: That depends. There are quite a few people that are content with a simple connection. Ask yourself: what do I really need high speed internet for? Your answer is the right answer because that is, at best, all you need. I know people that really overdue it and have gone out of their way to get the fastest DSL or FIOS they can get, but is that necessary if all you are doing is checking email and surfing the web? I would argue that depending on your line of work, your home entertainment needs then yes you should consider getting high speed internet.

I am currently thinking of working from home and bumping up my dial-up to something more robust. What do you think?: Well that depends on what you do for a living. If you are planning on working from home as a IT network trouble-shooter, then yes I would suggest that you get your hands on a Internet connection that will actually be able to handle the amount of workload you are putting on it. On the other hand if you are a professional seamstress then I would argue that you really don't need it.

What it comes down to is whether or not you think you need to bump up your connectivity rate based on your current demands. Are you happy with what you have or do you honestly think you need more? Take into account how much you use it now and how much more you'll be using it for work day to day. You might also want to make sure that you are with a good provider - the last thing you want when you are working from home online is your connection sputtering out when you need it most.

I'm a competitive gamer and I've been experiencing a lot of lag in games like World of Warcraft and Counter Strike. Should I upgrade?: As a fellow gamer I have to admit the improved Internet speed has definitely helped my game. In certain games you're going to need the higher speeds - especially in first person shooters like Counter Strike or Quake Arena. If you're in a frag fest, the last thing you want to is to be lagging behind the competition.

In games like World of Warcraft, Everquest II and Warhammer Online you are literally always going to run into lag. No. Matter. What. Battlegrounds will always lag because of the stress you are putting on the servers, not necessarily the connection speed you enjoy. Especially when you go to cities like Ironforge or Stormwind AKA "Lag-Wind". The best thing you can do in those situations is upgrade your video card. Or, in my case, stop playing a game that is slowly devaluing your life and making you sad and pudgy.