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Discover the Cheapest Cloud Servers for 2023: Our Top 10 Picks!

Discover the Cheapest Cloud Servers for 2023: Our Top 10 Picks!

Photo by MightyFineBros on Pixabay

Are you looking for the best and most affordable cloud servers for 2023? Look no further! In this article, we will be discussing the different types of cloud servers, their benefits, how to choose the best one, and our top 10 picks for the cheapest cloud servers of 2023. So, let’s get started!

Introduction

Cloud servers are becoming increasingly popular with businesses and individuals alike. With the rise of cloud computing, more and more people are turning to cloud servers to store their data and run their applications. Cloud servers offer a wide range of benefits and are an affordable way to store and manage data. However, with so many different cloud servers available on the market, it can be difficult to know which one is best for you. In this article, we will explore the different types of cloud servers and their benefits, as well as how to choose the best one for your needs. We will also provide our top 10 picks for the cheapest cloud servers of 2023.

What is a Cloud Server?

A cloud server is a virtual server that is hosted in a cloud computing environment. It is a type of server that is hosted remotely on the internet and is accessed via a secure connection. Cloud servers offer a wide range of benefits, including scalability, flexibility, reliability, and cost savings. Cloud servers are typically hosted in a shared environment, meaning that multiple users can access and use the same server at the same time. This type of server can be used for a variety of purposes, including web hosting, application hosting, and data storage.

Benefits of Cloud Servers

One of the main benefits of cloud servers is scalability. With a cloud server, you can easily scale up or down depending on your needs. This makes it ideal for businesses that have varying levels of demand. Additionally, cloud servers are highly flexible, meaning that you can quickly add or remove resources as needed. This makes it easy to adjust to changes in your business.

Another benefit of cloud servers is reliability. Cloud servers are hosted in a secure environment and are monitored by professionals. This means that your data is always secure and accessible. Additionally, cloud servers are typically backed up regularly, so you don’t have to worry about losing important data or applications.

Finally, cloud servers are cost-effective. Since cloud servers are hosted in a shared environment, you don’t have to worry about the high costs associated with maintaining an in-house server. Additionally, cloud servers are often billed on a pay-as-you-go basis, so you only pay for the resources that you use.

Different Types of Cloud Servers

There are several different types of cloud servers available on the market. The most common types include Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). Each of these types of cloud servers has its own unique set of benefits and features.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is a type of cloud server that provides businesses with the infrastructure they need to run their applications and store their data. This type of cloud server typically includes storage, networking, and virtualization services.

Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a type of cloud server that provides businesses with the platform they need to develop and run their applications. This type of cloud server typically includes web servers, databases, and application servers.

Software as a Service (SaaS) is a type of cloud server that provides businesses with the software they need to run their applications. This type of cloud server typically includes a variety of software applications, such as customer relationship management (CRM) software, enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, and accounting software.

How to Choose the Best Cloud Server

When choosing a cloud server, there are several factors to consider. The first factor is the type of cloud server that you need. As discussed above, there are several different types of cloud servers available on the market. You should choose a type of cloud server that best suits your needs.

The second factor to consider is the features offered by the cloud server. You should look for features that will help you run your applications and store your data efficiently. Additionally, you should look for features that will help you stay secure and protected from cyber threats.

The third factor to consider is the cost of the cloud server. You should compare the cost of different cloud servers to find the one that offers the best value for your money. Additionally, you should look for cloud servers that offer discounts or other cost-saving measures.

Finally, you should consider the customer service offered by the cloud server provider. You should look for a provider that offers reliable customer service and is willing to answer any of your questions or concerns in a timely manner.

The Best Cheap Cloud Servers of 2023

Now that you know what to look for in a cloud server, let’s take a look at the best cheap cloud servers of 2023.

10. Amazon Web Services (AWS)

The first cheap cloud server on our list is Amazon Web Services (AWS). AWS is a popular cloud server provider that offers a wide range of features and services at an affordable price. Additionally, AWS offers discounts for businesses that use their services for a long period of time.

9. Microsoft Azure

The second cheap cloud server on our list is Microsoft Azure. Microsoft Azure is a cloud server provider that offers a variety of features and services. Additionally, Microsoft Azure offers discounts for businesses that use their services for a long period of time.

8. Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

The third cheap cloud server on our list is Google Cloud Platform. Google Cloud Platform is a cloud server provider that offers a wide range of features and services. Additionally, Google Cloud Platform offers discounts for businesses that use their services for a long period of time.

7. IBM Cloud

The fourth cheap cloud server on our list is IBM Cloud. IBM Cloud is a cloud server provider that offers a wide range of features and services. Additionally, IBM Cloud offers discounts for businesses that use their services for a long period of time.

6. Oracle Cloud

The fifth cheap cloud server on our list is Oracle Cloud. Oracle Cloud is a cloud server provider that offers a wide range of features and services. Additionally, Oracle Cloud offers discounts for businesses that use their services for a long period of time.

5. Rackspace Cloud

The sixth cheap cloud server on our list is Rackspace Cloud. Rackspace Cloud is a cloud server provider that offers a wide range of features and services. Additionally, Rackspace Cloud offers discounts for businesses that use their services for a long period of time.

4. Digital Ocean

The seventh cheap cloud server on our list is DigitalOcean. DigitalOcean is a cloud server provider that offers a wide range of features and services. Additionally, DigitalOcean offers discounts for businesses that use their services for a long period of time.

3. Linode

The eighth cheap cloud server on our list is Linode. Linode is a cloud server provider that offers a wide range of features and services. Additionally, Linode offers discounts for businesses that use their services for a long period of time.

2. Vultr

The second cheap cloud server on our list is Vultr. Vultr is a cloud server provider that offers a wide range of features and services. Additionally, Vultr offers discounts for businesses that use their services for a long period of time.

1. OVHCloud

The first cheap cloud server on our list is OVH. OVH is a cloud server provider that offers a wide range of features and services. Additionally, OVH offers discounts for businesses that use their services for a long period of time.

Cloud Server Pricing

Cloud server pricing can vary depending on the type of cloud server you choose and the features you need. Generally speaking, cloud servers are billed on a pay-as-you-go basis, so you only pay for the resources that you use. Additionally, some cloud server providers offer discounts for long-term customers or for businesses that use their services for a long period of time.

Cloud Server Security

When choosing a cloud server, it is important to consider security. Cloud server providers typically offer a variety of security features to ensure that your data is safe and secure. These features can include data encryption, data backup, and user authentication. Additionally, some cloud server providers offer additional security features such as firewalls, antivirus software, and intrusion detection systems.

Conclusion

Cloud servers are a great way to store and manage data and run applications. They offer a wide range of benefits and are an affordable way to store and manage data. In this article, we discussed the different types of cloud servers, their benefits, how to choose the best one, and our top 10 picks for the cheapest cloud servers of 2023. We also discussed cloud server pricing and security. We hope that this article has helped you find the best cloud server for your needs.

If you’re looking for the best and most affordable cloud servers for 2023, we recommend that you check out our top 10 picks for the cheapest cloud servers. These cloud servers offer a wide range of features and services at an affordable price. Additionally, some of these cloud servers offer discounts for businesses that use their services for a long period of time.

So, what are you waiting for? Start exploring the different types of cloud servers and find the best one for your needs!




UpCloud Review (2020): Best Vultr Alternative?

Today, I will provide an in-depth and honest UpCloud Review and tell you at the end of this discussion whether or not UpCloud is a good Vultr Alternative.

Other cloud hosting providers such as Digital Ocean, and Linode will not be included in this review as this will mainly focus on the strengths and weaknesses of UpCloud over Vultr.

UpCloud, similarly to other cloud hosting company which you might already be familiar with such as Digital Ocean, Linode, and Vultr, also offers on-demand cloud servers which can be turned off, deleted, restarted, upscaled, or downscaled, depending on your needs and requirements.

UpCloud started in their business for quite a while now, they launched their online cloud platform in 2011. UpCloud is a European cloud hosting company and their main quarters is located in the capital city of Finland, Helsinki.

UpCloud Review

The main points for evaluation here are the price, performance, and features offered by UpCloud.

By the end of this review, you will be able to know whether or not UpCloud fits in your budget, and if the performance of UpCloud is the right for your computing needs, lastly, the features that are UpCloud offers over Vultr and the key features that it lacks as a cloud hosting provider.

So, let’s take a look first at the pricing of UpCloud and compare it with Vultr pricing.


Pricing

Before we can say that UpCloud’s a good Vultr Alternative, it is important to determine whether or not UpCloud even deserves to be compared with Vultr’s competitive pricing for its cloud server plans.

Luckily, UpCloud’s pricing is as competitive as Vultr and other cloud hosting companies.

FIXED PLANS UpCloud Price Vultr Price
1 CORE/ 10GB SSD / 512MB MEMORY 3.5$
1 CORE/ 25GB SSD / 1 GB MEMORY 5$ 5$
1 CORE/ 50GB SSD / 2GB MEMORY 10$ 10$
2 CORES/ 80GB SSD / 4GB MEMORY 20$ 20$
4 CORES/ 160GB SSD / 8GB MEMORY 40$ 40$
6 CORES/ 320GB SSD / 16GB MEMORY 80$ 80$
8 CORES/ 640GB SSD / 32GB MEMORY 160$ 160$
12 CORES/ 960GB SSD/ 48GB MEMORY 240$
16 CORES/ 1280GB SSD/ 64GB MEMORY 320$
20 CORES/ 1920GB SSD/ 96GB MEMORY 480$
20 CORES/ 2048GB SSD/ 128GB MEMORY 640$
*The pricing on this table is last updated September 2020.

Looking at the pricing both providers offer, UpCloud offers big cloud packages over Vultr.

Vultr’s bare metal servers are sold out during the writing of this article.

UpCloud allows you to also customize your server using the “flexible plan” which would cost a little bit higher compared to the fixed plans.

UpCloud Flexible Plan

So far, when it comes to pricing, UpCloud is highly competitive with Vultr.

The pricing used on the comparison above is the cloud compute servers and not the high-frequency servers.

UpCloud allows you to customize your plan, add cores and memory if you prefer to have a custom setup, however using the flexible plan over the simple plan would cost you more.

When it comes to pricing, I can say that UpCloud can be a pretty decent if not a good Vultr alternative especially if you want flexibility of upscaling or downscaling your projects.


Performance

As for the performance, we will look at the response times, CPU performance, and Disk I/O Performance of UpCloud plans over Vultr plans. The data that is used here are from VPSBenchmarks tests and runs.

Response Times

The cloud server response times measures the responsiveness of a website/server when it is put under load.

For this test, a database intensive application was used to put each setup on a load to determine the average response times of each server.



With regards to the response times, it is shocking that UpCloud performs at par with Vultr here! The response times difference between the two is not that significant however the response times of 1GB Vultr Plan is extremely poor. At the same price bracket of 5$ plan, UpCloud outperforms Vultr’s 5$ plan when it comes to response times. Upgrading the server specs reduced their differences however making their response times right just near of each other with difference of 3-10 milliseconds.

The data that is used here are from VPSBenchmarks tests and runs.

CPU Performance

The CPU performance measures the rate of operations that each server configuration is able to sustainably operate given a CPU stress load.

The higher operations per second the better as the CPU is able to process more operations and instructions at a time.



Again, looking at the CPU performance benchmarks between UpCloud and Vultr, UpCloud dominates the performance over price ratio as it performs much more operations per second when compared to Vultr plans.

The data that is used here are from VPSBenchmarks tests and runs.

Disk I/O Performance

The Disk I/O performance tests the amount of system input and output operations that each cloud server plans is able to perform using the random read tests in MiB.



One of the main feature of UpCloud that it confidently compares with its competitor is the fastest disk I/O performance. They have called this MaxIOPS as their technology is able to surpass common average ssd speeds offered by Vultr, Digital Ocean, Linode, and is even being compared with Amazon and Google Cloud storage performances.

Looking at the results, it is indeed true what UpCloud claims that it obviously outperforms Vultr when it comes to Disk I/O performance. UpCloud shown up to 2x more transfer operations per second when compared to Vultr cloud instances.

Higher Disk I/O Performance is important especially when transferring files and media exchanges between users and the cloud instance. The faster the disk I/O performance, the bigger and the more files you are able to send and receive during peak operations / load.

The full technical details with the benchmarks performed by VPSBenchmarks can be found here.


Features

When it comes to features, we will compare the essential features that is expected to be available when using cloud servers and the additional features that one might offer compared to the other.

Features UpCloud Vultr
Backup Available Available
Cloning Instances Available Available
+ Cloning as Template Available (Paid per hour of storage) Available (Snapshots, Free; Price subject to change anytime)
Storage
+ Attach additional SSD Available Available
+ Attach additional HDD Available
+ Ready ISOs Available Available
+ Custom ISO Manual Available
Locations 9 Locations 17 Locations
Support
+ Email Available Available
+ Ticket / Live Chat No Ticket; 24/7 Live Chat Ticket Only; No Live Chat
Billing
+ Credit Card / Debit Card Available Available
+ Paypal Accepted Accepted
Uptime 100% Uptime SLA 100% Uptime SLA

Verdict: Is UpCloud a good Vultr alternative?

To end this review, I believe that UpCloud deserves to be recognized. Having a live chat support which is lacking in Vultr and other companies like DO provides a good impression that the company is up for the competition. UpCloud also delivers unique features which I personally find useful such as adding additional hdd (lesser cost per hour) if you need a hefty amount of storage just for backups and less frequently accessed files. It offers more flexibility in setup, configuration and at the same time provides better performance/price ratio.

One thing that needs to be improved in UpCloud is the custom ISO upload feature. Uploading custom ISO’s in your instances in Vultr is as simple as pasting the ISO link and Vultr will automatically grab the ISO file and store it for you. UpCloud on the other hand, you’ll have to create a separate drive, download it using wget or a tool using command line, and then mount it on the system.

Also, cloning a server instance from one location to another needs to be improved in UpCloud. It took 2-4 hours to clone a 10$ server hosted in Singapore to US while in Vultr it took only around 30-1 hour tops.

However despite these additional feature flaws, what matters is the performance you get with the price you pay, reliability and support.

Vultr support system only relies on ticket submission while UpCloud gives you a free 24/7 support that you can contact anytime to help and assist you with your cloud instances.

Overall, UpCloud is a no-brainer the best Vultr alternative and if not also a good alternative for big cloud providers such as Digital Ocean, Linode, AWS, Google Cloud.

If you decide to give UpCloud a try, you can signup and get 25$ free credit for you to try the service. Credit card is required as proof and to prevent trial abuse.

UPDATE:

September 14: As of September 14, the URL import function is already available in UpCloud! I believe they really do listen to customer feedback. You need to deploy a server first however then go to your server > resize > under storage you’ll see “Add from URL”. This will allow you to import ISO files remotely and store it in a hdd drive or maxiops drive.




How much space does Windows 10 take

Ever wondered how much space does Windows 10 take on your laptop or desktop computers? In this article, I’ll be detailing every aspect of how much storage does Windows 10 take upon a fresh installation, and the ideal storage consumed by Windows after using and installing programs on it.

You might probably have hard disk drives (HDD) or solid-state drives (SSD) as your primary storage on your computers. Regardless of which type of technology you are using, you still want to end up minimizing the amount of unnecessary files stored inside these drives for optimal performance! Let’s go ahead and analyze the storage consumed by Windows 10 in detail!

How much space does Windows 10 take?

The storage capacity consumed by Windows 10 has a lot of factors affecting it. Starting from the device drivers, software updates, pre-installed software installations, and so on. However, generally speaking, we will look into the actual HDD or SSD capacity needed by Windows 10 given the most “general” kind of Windows 10 setup.

#1: Fresh Installation

Windows 10 Folder Size

On a fresh Windows 10 installation, the Windows folder itself already consumed a hefty 27.2 GB of storage alone. This storage does not include the Program Files and other user data folders that could also consume a few gigabytes of storage. Microsoft’s minimum free disk requirements when installing Windows 10 Operating System is at least 32 GB of free disk capacity.

Windows updates could also increase the storage consumption of Windows upon initial installation. Thus, the minimum requirement of at least 32 GB of free disk capacity is quite reasonable.

#2: Actual Usage

The actual storage capacity usage of Windows 10 will definitely increase over time as you will have to store your documents, files and folders as well as software installations such as productivity and office, photo and video editors, document processor, or even games on your computer.

However, there’s actually no definitive amount of “enough” storage as the actual storage consumption varies depending on user activity. In my case, having all the software and programs installed on my device, Program and Files alone already consumes 48 GB of storage! That 48 Gigabytes of storage already includes the entire collection of Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Premiere, After Effects, Audition, Illustrator) along with other productivity software such as Microsoft Office, etc.

It is advisable to have at least 50 GB of free storage space if you’re a minimal user that doesn’t do heavy tasks on Windows 10. Take note also that the storage consumption doesn’t include any games on my computer as typically, modern games nowadays use 20 GB up to even 150 GB of storage space or even more! It is advisable to keep these games on a hard drive as it’s much more cost-effective and only keep the frequently used apps and programs on your system drive that’s hopefully already on a solid-state drive (SSD).

Conclusion

There is no definitive way of answering how much storage space is practically enough for you or for someone as again, it depends on the user activity. However, having an idea on how much storage space does Windows 10 take is crucial to have a baseline on the minimum system storage space do you really need to have on your laptop or desktop computers. Ideally, in the terms of storage, the more the better.

Hopefully this article will help you better understand the usage consumption of your operating system specifically Windows 10! Share this article or leave your comments, feedbacks or questions down below.




How to Improve Your Google Meet Video Quality

In this article, I’ll be showing you the ultimate guide that you’ll ever need to improve Google Meet video quality.

I will be giving you practical and useful tips to improve, diagnose and provide a solution when experiencing bad video quality when using Google Meet.

Video Tutorial

1. Change Send & Receive Quality to improve Google Meet Video Quality

If you are seeing blurry pixels, choppy audio even if you have a good internet connection, one possible cause for this terrible Google Meet video quality is that you or the people connected on your Google Meet session might have set their send and receive quality to 360p.

To change this video quality setting, it is very simple. If you’re not yet inside a Google Meet room, click on the option on the right bottom-portion of your window that says “More Options”.

Change Google Meet Video Options

Once opened click on Settings > Go to the Video Tab where you will be able to see the send resolution and receive resolution which refers to the video quality that you are uploading and video quality you are receiving from users connected on your Google Meet room.

To improve Google Meet video quality make sure that the setting is set to the highest supported resolution (eg. 720p, 1080p, etc.) depending on your hardware.

Change Google Meet Video Quality

Additional note, you must also ask the people inside your Google Meet room to change their corresponding setting (send quality) to improve the video quality that you are receiving for example from your professor.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Google Meet video quality settings as of this writing automatically resets itself back to the lowest quality (360p) so in each room / meeting you’d have to reconfigure the Google Meet video quality settings to make sure that you are receiving and sending the best video quality.

2. Update Camera/Webcam Drivers

Another practical method that you can try to address Google Meet bad video quality is to update your camera drivers.

Go to your Start Menu and search for Device Manager and then open it up.

Expand the Cameras and then right click your webcam or camera connected on your laptop/desktop then click on the Update driver.

Device Manager Update Webcam

Wait for it to finish updating, the time depends on the size of the update / driver and your internet speed.

3. Configure your Webcam Settings

After making sure that you have the updated driver for your Camera device, next thing that you can do is to configure your webcam settings.

Out of the box, webcams and low-mid range stock cameras tend to have a pretty generic configuration hence manually adjusting them could improve Google Meet video quality.

Go ahead and download OBS Studio and install the app. Open the OBS Studio once launched click on the + icon under the Sources and select “Video capture device”

OBS Studio Preview

Then give it any name and hit ok once you’ve decided what to name your webcam/camera device.

OBS Studio Setup Source

Under the Device select your webcam / camera device, click on the configure video and you’ll be shown a window to change Brightness, Contrast, Hue, Saturation, Sharpness, Gamma, and White balance. You can play around with these settings to have the best picture quality depending on your setup and lighting environment.

OBS Studio Configure Camera

Recommendation for the Video Proc Amp: If you are using a laptop webcam turning up the sharpness could improve clarity of your webcam.

After adjusting the image settings, go to the Camera Control tab. You’ll be able to see “Low Light Compensation”. If you have this option available, you can turn this one off to improve the webcam / camera frames per second (FPS) to avoid stuttering or motion blurring when moving.

Camera Control Disable Low Light Compensation

Disabling the Low Light Compensation reduces the amount of work put into your camera device. Although this might cause some darker image quality, it is better to just compensate this by getting a lamp or a small source of light facing towards your window (eg. natural light from windows).

After adjusting the camera properties, hit the apply and ok button and change the following settings:

Set the resolution / fps type -> Custom, Resolution -> Highest Resolution supported by your camera (eg. 720p or 1280×720), FPS -> Highest frame rate supported by your camera (eg. 30), Video Format -> MJPEG.

This will further improve the fps and reduce the “webcammy” feels where your picture creates massive amounts of motion blur when moving due to the lack of FPS.

4. Pause Windows Updates or System Updates

Additionally, you can also try pausing Windows Updates or System Updates on your computer / device to improve google meet bad video quality.

Updates can sometimes hog your speed and bandwidth on your home network.

Disabling these updates temporarily will assure you that this is not the cause of terrible video quality when attending an important meeting on Google Meet.

To disable Windows Updates, go to the Start Menu and search for Windows Update Settings, scroll down and you’ll be able to see the option “Pause updates for 7 days

Pause Windows Updates for 7 Days

To confirm that your windows updates have been successfully paused, scroll up and you’ll be able to see a notification that the updates has been paused.

Paused Windows Updates

Alternatively, you can also set your active hours to make sure that Windows will not conduct any updates during these period or time of the day.

To change the active hours, click on the Change Active Hours and set your preferred time.

Change Active Hours

5. Change your DNS Server to Cloudflare / Google DNS

Although it is uncommon for your DNS server to be the cause of the issue with regards to bad video quality on Google meet, however it is not impossible.

To change your dns server to a more reliable DNS server such as Cloudflare, Google DNS, OpenDNs, etc. look for your network icon on your task bar and right click on it and click on Open Network & Internet Settings.

Network Icon on Taskbar

Click on the Change Adapter Options under the Change Network Settings.

Change Adapter Options Setting

Locate your network adapter (WiFi / Ethernet Adapter) and right click on it and click on Properties.

Network Adapter Panel

Look for the Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) entry and click on it and then click the Properties button. Select the Use the following DNS Server addresses option and enter the following.

Change Network Adapter IPV4 DNS

Once done, go ahead and restart your computer to apply all the recent DNS changes you’ve made.

6. Try to use modern web browsers

Consider also using modern web browsers if you haven’t just yet. Google Meet mostly runs through web browsers thus having a modern and up-to-date browser will improve video and audio clarity of calls or meetings inside Google Meet.

Some examples of modern web browsers are Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge (Chromium), Firefox, Opera, and many more! Here are the their respective download pages.

If you’re already using one of the many modern web browsers, you can try checking if you have the latest version / updated version of the browser.

For Microsoft Edge go the top-right portion of your screen and you’ll be able to see a Settings Menu icon expand that one go Help and Feedback and click on About Microsoft Edge.

About Microsoft Edge

Typically, it will automatically check for updates that says “Checking for updates” when opening this window.

Check for Updates Microsoft Edge

If you’re browser is up=to=date it will show you a message that your browser is up-to-date.

7. Check your internet speed / connection

After doing all the optimization possible, yet you still experience terrible video quality on Google Meet, I suggest you to check your internet connection.

To check your internet speed, you can run a download and upload speed tests that will show you the current speed of your network as well as it’s latency.

Go to speedtest.net, then click on the Go button. Once the tests are finished (typically 1-3 minutes) it will show you three things. Ping (Latency), Download Speed and Upload Speed.

Speed Test Preview

To interpret this, a good quality internet connection must have low Ping or latency and have both high download and upload speeds.

In the snapshot of my speed test, the ping / latency is 361ms which is higher than normal hence it will cause delays / lags / stuttering when receiving and sending video during a Google Meet conference.

Typically a Fiber connection must only have 10-60 ms, a wired DSL/Cable internet must have only less than 100ms and wireless LTE networks are typically at around 120ms and below.

The download speed will affect the quality that you RECEIVE from the people talking / broadcasting their video inside a Google Meeting.

The upload speed will affect the quality of your video and audio being sent to the people connecting inside your Google Meeting.

The photo / snapshot above shows you a slow network since the ping is higher than normal (should only be around 10-40ms) and the upload speed is lower than normal (fibr must have symmetrical upload and download speeds).

8. Upgrade your internet connection

So you’ve reached the end of this list, and yet still you haven’t improved your Google Meet video quality, my last suggestion is to find a better internet service provider or upgrade from your existing plan.

If you are offered between Fiber, DSL/Cable, and Wireless LTE plans always choose Fiber plan over any other as it is the latest technology that offers high quality internet connection.

An emerging technology called 5G service is also another possible option however due to the fact that it is not yet widely available, your best option is to choose Fiber internet or if no facilities can accommodate you try Cable internet, or LTE Wireless internet and least recommended is the DSL internet.

You can check the 5G coverage in this OOKLA 5G Map if you’re area is already 5G ready then you can start inquiring for this newest technology that allows you to connect at fiber fast speeds wirelessly.

OOKLA 5G Map

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Ultimate Guide: How to fix Wifi / Packet Loss / Slow Internet

In this article, I’ll show you the ultimate guide in fixing common wifi problems such as packet loss, intermittent Wifi connection and overall slow internet speed. There could be a number of possible common fixes or solution for this broad area of concern hopefully one will help fix your wifi network to get back up and running as optimal as possible.

1. Slow Wifi / Slow Internet

Devices connected on your wifi router share the same so called bandwidth/speed on your network. Each users that browse a website, stream a video on YouTube or watch Netflix consume download and upload speed.

To check your current download and upload speed to diagnose this issue, you can conduct a speed test using these popular sites:

In the article of Nicole George “Frequently asked questions on internet speeds — What speed do you need?“, the recommended speed by the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) recommends speeds of 12-25 Mbps for families that have multiple internet users or for frequent online streaming.

With that being said, after running the speedtests by either from OOkla or Fast.com tests, you can check whether you are getting sufficient internet speeds. If you’re not getting the recommended wifi speed try the following:

The Quick Fix for Slow Wi-Fi Internet Speeds:

  • Try disconnecting all devices first connected on your Wi-Fi network.
  • Restart your modem for (15-30 seconds) to refresh the IP configuration.
  • Close any downloads, updates, or disable smartphone updates.
  • Check if there are any unauthorized devices connected on your router (typically routers have a webpage interface where you can check the connected list of devices)
ASUS RTN18-U Dashboard
All Connected Clients on a ASUS RTN18-U Router

If all above fails, you can try contacting your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and ask them if they are conducting any maintenance, or having network issues that may be the cause of your slow Wi-Fi speed issue.

2. DNS Server is Not Responding

Two common things may cause this issue that pops up on your Windows computer “DNS Server is not responding” either your ISP network default DNS server went offline or you have a misconfigured custom DNS server set on your network.

To fix this: You can go to your taskbar, right-click your Network Icon > Open Network & Internet Settings, click on Change Adapter Options and locate your network adapter / wifi adapter then right click on it and click on Properties. Look for the Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) and click on properties. If you have the “Obtain DNS server address automatically” checked, try choosing the “Use the following DNS Server addresses” and enter the following:

Preferred DNS: Cloudflare Alternate DNS: Google DNS

And hit the ok button and restart your computer. However if you have an existing records under that particular option and you get the DNS Server is Not Responding error, try the other way around and select the “Obtain DNS Server address automatically” and restart your computer.

3. Wifi Keeps Disconnecting

One common cause of this particular wifi issue is an overlapping wifi channel on your area. Having overlapping Wi-Fi channels can result to intermittent wifi connection hence there are three common ways to fix this issue.

To fix this: First, you can try simple restarting your router. Turn off your router for at least 1 minute before turning it back up. Restarting your router will result to a configuration “refresh” wherein your router may try to find a different wifi channel to broadcast your wifi ssid to prevent interference between networks.

If that didn’t work, you can try manually moving your wifi router if that permits you to move your router and see if that fixes the issue.

Otherwise, you can configure manually your wifi network (2.4Ghz or 5Ghz) wifi to use a specific channel only either 1,6 or 11 channel to prevent any overlapping frequency with other networks. Also, if you are in a congested area try keeping the frequency bandwidth to only 20 MHz.

Wifi Frenquency Channel Configuration – AN5506-04-FA ONU Fibr Router

4. Some Websites Don’t Load

Websites can sometimes fail to load due to various limitations set by your ISP, system configuration or country-wide restrictions.

Quick Fix: To quickly troubleshoot and fix this wifi problem, try changing first the DNS settings on your computer as shown in the 2nd step on this article. Go to your taskbar, right-click your Network Icon > Open Network & Internet Settings, click on Change Adapter Options and locate your network adapter / wifi adapter then right click on it and click on Properties. Look for the Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) and click on properties. If you have the “Obtain DNS server address automatically” checked, try choosing the “Use the following DNS Server addresses” and enter the following:

Preferred DNS: Cloudflare Alternate DNS: Google DNS

Once done, close everything up and open up a command prompt by going to your start menu and search for Command Prompt and right click on it and run it as administrator.

Type in the command:

ipconfig /flushdns

Restart your computer, and see if that fixes your problem. If that wouldn’t still fix websites not loading up on your network, another thing that you can try is to use free VPN services. VPN or Virtual Private Networks masks your IP address to prevent internet censorship (eg. Website blocking, and ISP site monitoring, etc) and see if that fixes your problem.

If none fixed your problem, you can check if the website itself is offline for everyone using the this tool.