MTCO Internet Support

If you are experiencing a slow Internet connection, follow these steps to troubleshoot:

1. Try another device

• If you’re experiencing slow internet, try using a different Internet-connected device to determine whether the issue is truly due to the Internet connection or if it is due to a particular device performing poorly.
• Whether due to age, outstanding software upgrades, or other variables, some Internet-connected devices simply don’t perform as well as others.
• If you believe the slow Internet is not due to a specific device, continue to Step 2.

2. Conduct a Speed Test

• There are two ways to conduct a speed test:

1. Direct-connect *recommended*
   • Using a device such as a laptop or PC, connect a CAT5/CAT6 Ethernet cable from the device to the back of your router.
   • To measure the true Internet connection to your home or business, it is essential that you connect directly to your router before conducting a speed test. Testing via Wi-Fi will always result in a slower test, as all Wi-Fi systems (even top-of-the-line options like our Premium Managed Wifi) experience some degree of throughput loss as data travels through the air.
   • Visit our speedtest page to conduct a speed test.
   • If your results are not within 10-20% of your chosen Internet speed package, continue to Step 3: Reboot your router.

2. Use Wi-Fi

   • If you choose this method, please be aware that this is the least reliable method. To measure your home or business's actual Internet connection speed, you must connect directly to your router before conducting a speed test. Testing via Wi-Fi will always result in a slower test, as all Wi-Fi systems (even top-of-the-line options like our Premium Managed Wifi) experience some degree of throughput loss as data travels through the air.
   • Position your device near your router with no physical barriers between the two.
   • · Visit our speedtest page to conduct a speed test.
   • · If your results are not within 20-30% of your chosen Internet speed package, continue to Step 3: Reboot your router.

3. Reboot your router

• Like many other electronic devices, sometimes “rebooting” or restarting a router is all that is needed to resolve issues.

1. Locate the power supply on the back of your router. The power supply is a thin cord with a round connector. You can also find the power supply by tracing the connected cord to the power outlet back to the router.
2. Unplug the power supply and keep it unplugged for ten seconds.
3. Plug the power supply back in and wait a few minutes for the router to restart.
4. If rebooting does not resolve the slow Internet issues, continue to Step 4.

4. Give us a call for further troubleshooting or try a faster speed

• Occasionally, some instances require additional troubleshooting. Contact us , and one of our professionals will take it from there.
• Sometimes, you simply need more speed. Contact us to upgrade to the next fastest Internet speed for 3 months at no extra charge – and no obligation to keep the faster speed at the end of the trial. The faster speed may be precisely what you need!

If you have no Internet connection (pages will not load, service is disconnected on your computer, smartphone, tablet, etc.), follow these steps to troubleshoot:

1. Try another device

• If it appears as though your Internet is out completely, try using a different Internet-connected device to determine whether the issue is truly due to the Internet connection or if it is due to a particular device performing poorly.
• Whether due to age, outstanding software upgrades, or other variables, some Internet-connected devices simply don’t perform as well as others.
• If you believe the Internet issue is not due to a specific device, continue to Step 2.

2. Reboot your router

• Like many other electronic devices, sometimes “rebooting” or restarting a router is all that is needed to resolve issues.

1. Locate the power supply on the back of your router. The power supply is a thin cord with a round connector. You can also find the power supply by tracing the connected cord to the power outlet back to the router.
2. Unplug the power supply and keep it unplugged for ten seconds.
3. Plug the power supply back in and wait a few minutes for the router to restart.
4. If rebooting does not resolve the slow Internet issues, continue to Step 3.

3. Contact Us

• Occasionally, some instances require additional troubleshooting. Contact us , and one of our professionals will take it from there.

If your Wi-Fi seems to drop intermittently, follow these steps to troubleshoot:

1. Try another device

• If you’re experiencing intermittent Wi-Fi, try using a different Wi-Fi-enabled device to determine whether the issue is truly due to the Wi-Fi connection or if it is due to a particular device performing poorly.
• Whether due to age, outstanding software upgrades, or other variables, some Internet-connected devices simply don’t perform as well as others.
• If you believe the intermittent Wi-Fi is not due to a specific device, continue to Step 2.

2. Reboot your router

• Like many other electronic devices, sometimes “rebooting” or restarting a router is all that is needed to resolve issues.

1. Locate the power supply on the back of your router. The power supply is a thin cord with a round connector. You can also find the power supply by tracing the connected cord to the power outlet back to the router.
2. Unplug the power supply and keep it unplugged for ten seconds.
3. Plug the power supply back in and wait a few minutes for the router to restart.
4. If rebooting does not resolve the Wi-Fi issues, continue to Step 3.

3. Contact Us

• Occasionally, some instances require additional troubleshooting. Contact us , and one of our professionals will take it from there.

A dead zone is simply an area within your house, apartment, office, or any other area that's supposed to be covered by Wi-Fi. For example, if you walk into a room with a phone or tablet and that room is in a dead zone, you'll stop getting a Wi-Fi signal.

Anything that interferes with Wi-Fi radio waves produces a dead zone. If you have a large house or office and have your wireless router in one corner of the building, there may be a dead zone in the opposite corner of the building where the Wi-Fi signal can't reach if you can move your router to a more centralized location. The closer you can put your router to the center of your coverage area, the better reception will be throughout your house.

Most houses were built before Wi-Fi was developed, so the floorplan and building materials may interfere with Wi-Fi. Old homes may have thick plaster walls that contain chicken wire for support, and this metal wiring can block Wi-Fi signals. Large metal objects like filing cabinets, ductwork, or metal walls may also block a Wi-Fi connection.

Other devices can also interfere with your connection. Old cordless phones create Wi-Fi dead spots while in use, and a microwave oven blocks Wi-Fi signals while running. Baby monitors, wireless security systems, and wireless sound systems have also been known to cause Wi-Fi issues.

If you live in an area dense with other wireless broadcasts, your Wi-Fi coverage may also be hurt by interference. For example, if you live in an apartment block where every unit has its own wireless router, their signals may "fight”.

Similarly, if your nearby neighbors have their Wi-Fi networks configured on the same wireless channel as yours, this may result in interference, reducing your network's signal strength.

Occasionally, there are instances like this that require additional troubleshooting. Contact us , and one of our professionals will take it from there.

If your Wi-Fi is not working at all, follow these steps to troubleshoot:

1. Try another device

• If it appears as though your Wi-Fi is out, try using a different Wi-Fi-enabled device to determine whether the issue is truly due to the Wi-Fi connection or if it is due to a particular device performing poorly.
• Whether due to age, outstanding software upgrades, or other variables, some Wi-Fi-enabled devices simply don’t perform as well as others.
• If you believe the Wi-Fi issue is not due to a specific device, continue to Step 2.

2. Reboot your router

• Like many other electronic devices, sometimes “rebooting” or restarting a router is all that is needed to resolve issues.

1. Locate the power supply on the back of your router. The power supply is a thin cord with a round connector. You can also find the power supply by tracing the connected cord to the power outlet back to the router.
2. Unplug the power supply and keep it unplugged for ten seconds.
3. Plug the power supply back in and wait a few minutes for the router to restart.
4. If rebooting does not resolve the Wi-Fi issues, continue to Step 3

3. Contact Us

• Occasionally, some instances require additional troubleshooting. Contact us , and one of our professionals will take it from there.

MTCO base Internet service does include a data plan as detailed below, however, some bundled service plans include unlimited data at no extra cost. Contact MTCO Customer Service for details regarding unlimited data options.

The base MTCO data plan includes up to 1.5 TB (1,500 GB) of usage. This plan allows for a significant volume of Internet activity. For those who need more data, there is the option of upgrading to a higher data plan of 2 TB or Unlimited at a discounted rate. We’ve provided some usage examples in the following chart.

MTCO DATA PLAN OPTIONS	1.5TB	2TB	Unlimited	*
	$0	$15/mo.	$35/mo.	$14/mo.
Hours of streaming online music	24,855 hours	33,140 hours	Unlimited	Unlimited
Stream one-minute YouTube videos (standard quality)	3,426 videos	4,568 videos	Unlimited	Unlimited
Watch hour-long TV shows online (high quaility)	1,500 shows	2,000 shows	Unlimited	Unlimited
Stream full-length movies (standard definition)	750 SD movies	1,000 SD movies	Unlimited	Unlimited
Stream full-length movies (high definition)	495 HD movies	660 HD movies	Unlimited	Unlimited

A gigabyte (GB) and a terabyte (TB) are both units of measurement of the amount of data that is transmitted over the Internet. A terabyte (TB) is equal to 1,000 gigabytes (GB). A typical standard definition one-hour TV show will consume around 1 GB of data while an HD quality, two-hour movie streamed over the Internet uses approximately 3 GBs. It is important to remember that a GB and a TB represent the amount of data sent over the network, and not the amount of time spent using the Internet.

Time alone is not the determining factor; it is the activity that matters. You could spend several hours reading emails, for example, and use less than 1 GB of data. On the other hand, you could spend 30 minutes downloading a movie and use 2 GB of data. It is important to remember that it is what you are doing on the Internet, not how long you do it, that determines the amount of data that you use.

Usage includes all of the data you have received (downloaded) or sent (uploaded). In addition, we take into account the standard network protocols (such as Ethernet and IP activity) that are used to transmit content via the Internet.

If you access the Internet through your wireless home network using any type of device (including smartphones and tablets), that access will be included. However, if you access the Internet via a public or commercial Wi-Fi hotspot or your cellular provider’s 3G/4G/5G network, that access is not counted toward your usage.

If you have not secured your home wireless gateway/router with a password, someone nearby with a computer or Wi-Fi enabled device could access your home network and use your High-Speed Internet Service, which could increase your monthly usage. MTCO recommends that you secure your wireless router/gateway to prevent others from using your connection. We suggest that you use Wireless Protected Access 2 (WPA2) for Wi-Fi security. Call 800-859-6826 for support in securing MTCO provided devices or your manufacturer’s website for help with securing your wireless router/gateway.

If you exceed your data plan, you will begin incurring overage fees at the rate indicated in the chart below.

DATA PLAN	MONTHLY RATE	OVERAGE FEES
1.5TB	Included	$10 per 50GB
2TB	$15	$7 per 50GB
Unlimited	$35	No Overage Fees
*	$14	No Overage Fees

If at any time throughout your data usage cycle (the 25th of the previous month through the 24th of the current month) you find you are exceeding your data plan, you have the option to upgrade to a data plan that will better fit your needs. Contact our Customer Service at 800-859-6826 for assistance in determining if an upgrade would be the most cost-effective solution for you.

To help you track and manage your usage, contact Customer Service at 800-859-6826 to enroll in text message alerts. Once you are enrolled, MTCO’s billing system will automatically issue a proactive notification at 80% of your usage and again when you have reached 90% and 100%. Alert messages will be issued to your enrolled email address, and you may also sign up to receive alert messages via SMS text message depending on your communication preferences.

MTCO’s online billing system (eBill) does provide your current usage up to the last hour. You can access your eBill portal at https://ebill.mtco.com. After logging in, select your Internet username on the lower portion of your eBill homepage and your current usage will be displayed. The Usage Indicator will reset at 12:01 a.m. on the 25th of each month to begin tracking your new cycle. Your previous month’s usage will be available after the billing cycle closes. For usage history, select Usage on the Dashboard which will give you the ability to look at various usage periods using the dropdown. In addition, your usage and Data Plan will also print on your monthly invoice in the MTCO Internet Usage section.

One step is to only watch HD video when the screen size requires it. For example, you would want to watch an HD streaming video on your flat-screen TV but SD video will look just fine on a tablet or cell phone. All the major Internet video providers provide options to stream either standard definition (SD) or high definition (HD) video. If you tend to binge-watch Netflix video series, be sure to stop the video stream when you are finished watching. Otherwise, this is akin to “leaving the water running” and your usage will increase due to the constant streaming even though you are no longer watching the video. This also relates to the streaming of YouTube videos, so it is wise to turn off the Auto Play feature. If you are a Bit Torrent user, then you may want to limit the ability of other people to access the content on your computer as this can accumulate a high volume of usage on your connection as well. See question #8: 'How can I reduce my data usage?' on our Interent Support page for strategies to reduce your data usage.

Overall, it's in MTCO's and our user's best interest to focus support efforts on operating systems (Microsoft) that developers (Microsoft) actively maintain and support. Specifically, we have dropped support due to:

1. Security risks: Unsupported operating systems are more susceptible to security vulnerabilities and exploits since they no longer receive security updates and patches from the developer. Providing support for such systems could expose users to potential security breaches.
2. Compatibility issues: Unsupported operating systems may not be compatible with the MTCO's network infrastructure, hardware, or software updates, leading to functionality issues and potential service disruptions.
3. Legal and regulatory compliance: Supporting outdated operating systems may pose legal and regulatory compliance risks for customers, especially in industries where data security and privacy are highly regulated.
4. Resource allocation: Offering support for unsupported operating systems can be resource-intensive and may divert resources away from supporting more widely used and current systems, impacting overall service quality for most users.

By focusing technical support efforts on operating systems that are actively supported by Microsoft, MTCO can help ensure the security, stability, and optimal performance of our services for all users.

Microsoft no longer supports the following Operating Systems due to *EOL, and as a result, MTCO will no longer support:

Windows XP
EOL April 14th, 2009
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-xp

Windows Vista
EOL April 11th, 2017
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-vista

Windows 7
EOL January 14th, 2020
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-7

Windows 8
EOL January 12th, 2016
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-8

Windows 8.1
EOL January 10th, 2023
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-81

*EOL stands for End of Life, which means that Microsoft will no longer provide any updates or support for the device, which includes security updates and technical support. It is recommended to upgrade to a newer device or operating system to ensure that you have the latest security updates and support.