Basic Home Internet Setup For Outdoor Modems
The image depicted above shows the breakdown of a basic setup for a home internet connection.
The modem mounted on the outside of your home, is what brings the internet from the cell tower to your home.
From the modem, the cables that come into your home include the power supply for the outside modem and the ethernet cable that brings the internet connection inside the home to the WiFi Device.
The Wifi Device then distributes the internet wirelessly throughout your home to bring the internet to your devices (phones, tablets, computers, Smart Tvs, Etc.)
Connectivity
How To Reboot Your Outdoor Modem
In the event that you lose your connection to the internet or experience slower than normal speeds, the first thing you should do is reboot the outdoor unit. A simple reboot will typically resolve most connectivity/speed issues. Keep in mind these units run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We recommend rebooting the unit once per week.
To Reboot The Outdoor Modem:
1. Locate the power supply that powers the outdoor unit. This will be located inside your home, somewhere in the vicinity of where the cabling from the outdoor modem comes inside.
2. Pull the POWER ONLY from this box. It is very important NOT to unplug the other cables connected to this box.
2a. The power cord can be disconnected from two different locations. It can be disconnected from the electrical outlet…..
2b. OR at the supply box itself.
3. The power supply will need to stay unplugged for a MINIMUM of 5 minutes. It takes about that long for the internal components inside the modem to reset.
4. Reconnect the power cord and wait approximately 10 minutes for the connection to restore.
Testing Speeds
How To Test Your Speeds
As long as your modem is connected to the internet, you can check your internet speed by two different methods. Please note that the devices using the internet during testing will impact the speeds, such as TVs streaming, files downloading, etc.
Through A Hardwired Connection
The first method is through a hardwired connection to the modem. You will need a computer/laptop and a network/ethernet cable for this method. Make sure to turn the WiFi off on the computer so that it will pick up the direct connection. This method bypasses the WiFi and will get speeds directly from the modem.
1. Locate the power supply for the Outdoor Modem. This will be located somewhere in the vicinity of where the cables come into your home. The box will look like this:
2. On one end of the power supply box, there should be two cables connected.
One cable is connected to the port labeled “Data” and one cable is connected to the port labeled “Data + Power”.
(The color of these cables may vary.)
3. Follow the cable that is connected to the port labeled “Data”.
The other end of this cable should be connected to your WiFi device.
4. Disconnect the cable from the back of the WiFi device.
Your WiFi device may not look exactly like what’s pictured.
5. Connect the cable that was disconnected from the WiFi device to a network port on a laptop/computer.
6. From the laptop/computer, go to the following website: https://www.speedtest.net
Once you get to the website, click “Go” and wait for the test to complete.
7. When the test completes, it will give you the results of your download and upload speed.
Example Of Results:
Testing is now Complete. Follow the remaining steps to reconnect your WiFi device.
8. Disconnect the cable from the computer.
9. Reconnect the cable to the WiFi device.
10. The WiFi device should now be connected back to the power supply for the outdoor modem.
Through The WiFi
The second method is through the WiFi. You will need a mobile phone, tablet or computer connected to your home WiFi for this method.
1. Verify the device you will be testing from is connected to your home WiFi.
*If you are testing with a mobile phone and the phone is not connected to your home WiFi, you will be testing the speeds of your mobile phone’s service provider.
2. Go to the following website: https://www.speedtest.net/ OR download the “Speedtest by Ookla” App.
*If you are using an Apple device, the app is available in the APP Store. If you are using an android device, the app is available in the Google Play Store.
3. Once you are on the website or in the App, click “GO” and wait for the test to complete.
4. When the test completes, it will give you the results of your download speed and upload speed.
Example Test Result:
WiFi
If you experience a lag in speed or connectivity issues on the devices connected to your WiFi but are getting good speeds via the speed test:
(We always recommend rebooting the outdoor modem as the first step, but if the speed issue remains the same after rebooting the modem, checking the WiFi Device is next.)
1. Make sure the device (phone, tablet, TV) is within range of the WiFi Device.
2. A reboot of the WiFi Device may be needed. If you purchased the WiFi Device through us, it is important to NEVER press the reset button on the WiFi device. To reboot the device, disconnect the power from it and leave it unplugged for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, reconnect the power.
3. Check for software updates on the WiFi device. Most WiFi Devices are accessible through an app. This is where you would need to look for the update.
*If you purchased the WiFi Device through us, a technician can walk you through the steps of checking for updates and installing updates. Please contact us for assistance if needed.
**We can only support/assist with WiFi Devices that are purchased from Miles Out Internet.