Caleb Mercer

Articles

Starlink vs. Fiber vs. Cable: An Honest Comparison

Satellite, fiber and cable each suit different homes, and the right choice depends on where you live and what you do online. This guide compares Starlink-style satellite, fiber and cable internet on speed, reliability, latency and availability, and explains which connection type fits which household.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

23 Oct 2026 5 min

Guides

Internet for a Vacation Home or Rental

A vacation home or short-term rental has different internet needs from a primary residence, with part-time use and guests to consider. This guide explains the options, how to weigh a full plan against occasional use, what guests expect, and how to keep things secure and manageable from afar.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

9 Oct 2026 6 min

Articles

What Broadband Mergers Mean for You

When internet providers merge or acquire one another, it can affect pricing, service and the choices available at your address. This guide explains, neutrally, how consolidation works, what it can mean for your bill and options, and what to keep an eye on as a customer.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

6 Oct 2026 5 min

Guides

Internet for Home Security Cameras and Doorbells

Security cameras and video doorbells are popular, but they lean heavily on upload speed and raise questions about storage and reliability. This guide explains how they use your connection, how much upload they need, where footage is stored, and how to set them up to work dependably.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

18 Sep 2026 6 min

Articles

Multi-Gig Internet: Do You Really Need It?

Multi-gig plans offering 2 Gig, 5 Gig and beyond are increasingly available, but most homes cannot use that much speed. This guide explains what multi-gig means, who actually benefits, why upload and equipment matter, and how to tell whether a multi-gig plan is worth it for you.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

15 Sep 2026 5 min

Guides

Setting Up Reliable Internet for Working From Home

Working from home puts different demands on your connection than streaming does, especially on upload and reliability. This guide explains what a home-office connection really needs, how to reduce dropouts on calls, why a backup matters, and how to set up a dependable working-from-home setup.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

8 Sep 2026 5 min

Articles

Online Gaming: Latency, Ping and Connections

Good online gaming depends more on latency and stability than on raw download speed. This guide explains what really affects gaming performance, why ping matters more than the headline speed, how server location plays in, and what to look for in a connection for smooth, responsive play.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

28 Aug 2026 5 min

Articles

What Is CGNAT, and Why It Affects Some Apps

Carrier-grade NAT lets providers share scarce public addresses among many customers, but it can complicate gaming, remote access and hosting. This guide explains what CGNAT is in plain terms, how to tell if you are behind it, what it affects, and the options if you need a different setup.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

21 Aug 2026 5 min

Guides

Parental Controls and Kids' Internet at Home

Helping kids use the internet safely is part of every connected home. This guide explains how parental controls work at the network and device level, how to set sensible limits, why conversation matters as much as tools, and how to balance safety with trust as kids grow.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

11 Aug 2026 5 min

Articles

What Your Provider Can See, and How VPNs Work

Your internet provider can see more about your online activity than many people realize, though less than some fear. This guide explains what providers can and cannot see, how encryption protects you, what a VPN really does, and the honest pros and cons of using one at home.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

7 Aug 2026 6 min

Articles

Modem, Router and Gateway: What Each Does

Modem, router, gateway: the words get used interchangeably, but they describe different jobs. This guide explains what each term means, what the box on your wall actually does, how combined gateways work, and why knowing the difference helps when something goes wrong.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

28 Jul 2026 5 min

Articles

How to Lower Your Internet Bill Without Losing Speed

You can often reduce your internet bill without giving up the speed your household relies on, by trimming avoidable fees, matching your plan to your real usage, and reviewing charges that have crept up over time. This guide walks through practical steps to lower the cost while keeping the performance you need, so you pay for the service you use rather than extras you do not.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

20 Jul 2026 6 min

Guides

Mesh Wi-Fi, Extenders and Router Placement Explained

If your internet is fast in some rooms but weak in others, the fix is usually better Wi-Fi coverage rather than a faster plan. This guide explains how router placement, Wi-Fi extenders, and mesh systems each improve coverage, their trade-offs, and how to choose the right approach for your home so you get a stronger signal without paying for more speed.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

13 Jul 2026 6 min

Articles

How to Run an Accurate Internet Speed Test

An internet speed test measures your connection's download speed, upload speed, and latency, but the way you run it affects how accurate the result is. This guide explains how to test properly, why a wired test gives the clearest reading, and how to interpret download, upload, and latency figures so you understand what your connection is actually delivering.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

10 Jul 2026 6 min

Guides

Low-Income and Lifeline Internet Programs Explained

Several programs aim to make internet and phone service more affordable for eligible households, including the federal Lifeline program and low-income plans offered by some providers. This guide explains how these programs generally work, the kinds of eligibility they involve, and how to find out what you may qualify for, so cost is less of a barrier to staying connected.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

3 Jul 2026 6 min

Guides

Hidden Fees on Your Internet Bill, Explained

The advertised price of an internet plan is rarely the whole story, because equipment rental, installation, activation, and various recurring surcharges can raise your real monthly bill. This guide explains the common fees you may see, which ones are avoidable and which are not, and how to estimate your true total cost so the plan you choose matches what you actually pay.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

26 Jun 2026 5 min

Articles

Internet Speed for 4K Streaming, Video Calls and Gaming

4K streaming, video calls, and online gaming each place different demands on your internet connection, and none of them needs an extreme speed on its own. This guide breaks down what each activity actually requires, why latency matters more than raw speed for gaming, why uploads matter for calls, and how to size a plan when these activities happen at the same time in a busy household.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

17 Jun 2026 7 min

Guides

The BEAD Rural Broadband Buildout, Explained

BEAD is a federal program designed to expand reliable internet access in parts of the country that are unserved or underserved, especially rural areas. This guide explains what the program is, how it is meant to work through the states, what it could mean for hard-to-reach addresses, and why availability still needs to be confirmed locally as build-out progresses over time.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

15 Jun 2026 6 min

Guides

5G Fixed Wireless Home Internet: What It Is and When It Fits

5G fixed wireless home internet delivers broadband to your home over a cellular network instead of a wired line, using an indoor or outdoor receiver that connects to a nearby tower. This guide explains how it works, how it differs from fiber and cable, what affects its performance, and the kinds of households and locations where it tends to make the most sense.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

10 Jun 2026 9 min

Articles

How Many Devices Can One Internet Plan Really Handle?

There is no fixed limit to how many devices an internet plan can handle, because what matters is how many are actively demanding bandwidth at once, not how many are connected. This guide explains how devices share a connection, why idle gadgets barely count, how your router and Wi-Fi factor in, and how to judge whether your plan can keep up with a growing, device-filled home.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

10 Jun 2026 7 min

Guides

How to Check Whether Internet Is Available at Your Address

Internet availability is decided address by address, so the only reliable way to know your options is to check for your specific home rather than your city or ZIP code. This guide explains why availability varies so precisely, the dependable ways to confirm what serves your address, and how to interpret the results so you understand which connection types you can actually get.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

10 Jun 2026 5 min

Guides

Download vs. Upload Speed vs. Latency: What Matters When

Download speed, upload speed, and latency are three separate measures of an internet connection, and each one matters for different tasks. This guide explains what each measure means in plain language, which everyday activities depend on which, and how to read the numbers on a plan so you can match a connection to the way your household actually uses the internet.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

5 Jun 2026 6 min

Articles

Fiber vs cable vs 5G home internet vs DSL: how they differ

Compare fiber, cable, 5G home internet and DSL on speed, reliability, upload performance and availability to see which connection type fits your home.

By Caleb Mercer — Senior Internet Plans Analyst

29 May 2026 9 min