Frequently Asked Questions
Our fixed wireless service is based on a line-of-sight signal from our base stations and our fiber service is based on where we have underground service. View our coverage area map here to see approximate locations. The best way to find out if you can receive IGL TeleConnect service is calling our office 800-281-1072.
Yes, you can! Keep in mind for a single device streaming Netflix, the requirements are a minimum of 5Mbps for HD video and 15Mbps for 4K or Ultra HD. Hulu requires the following: 3Mbps for Hulu's streaming library in HD, 8Mbps for live streams and 16Mbps for 4K content. However, these are minimum viewing speeds, which don't make for an ideal viewing experience. For an ideal viewing experience on one device, it is recommended you opt for 10Mbps for SD, 25Mbps for HD and as much as 100Mbps for 4K.
Bills are due on the 25th of every month.
Bills can be paid by calling our office, paying online, setting up automatic payments here or paying in person by going to 1501 35th Avenue West Spencer, IA 51301.
Please call us at 800-281-1072 to request to set up an alternative payment arrangement.
No, please don’t ever hit the reset button on your router. If the internet is not working, unplug the router power cord from the outlet or power strip.
From your wireless device, find your network name and click connect. If the network is protected by a password, enter the password when prompted and click connect. Password is case sensitive.
Your network name is typically your last name.
You must call us at 800-281-1072 to change your password.
If you don’t have a computer or laptop that can be directly connected to the router with a cable, you can run a speedtest but the results will not be accurate. Only computers or laptops that directly connect to your router will show accurate results.
Testing your speed inside the residence:
With a computer/laptop that plugs directly into the router with a cable:
- Unplug any other devices plugged into the router EXCEPT the cable from the router to the wall and the computer or laptop you are performing the test with.
- On the computer, browse out to fast.com and run a speed test. Note the results.
Your service is an “up to” service, which means that you will get anywhere from 80% “up to” 100% of the service that you subscribe to. If your speedtest is within this range, service is fine and we need to look elsewhere for the trouble.
- 1.5 Mbps link should see speeds above 1.2 Mbps.
- 3 Mbps link should see speeds above 2.4 Mbps.
- 4 Mbps link should see speeds above 3.2 Mbps.
- 6 Mbps link should see speeds above 4.8 Mbps.
- 8 Mbps link should see speeds above 6.4 Mbps.
- 15 Mbps link should see speeds above 12 Mbps.
If your speed test indicates that you are not within the 80% range please contact technical support at 1-800-281-1072.
Routers are provided at no extra charge by IGL TeleConnect, however if a customer does choose to purchase their own router, our technical support may be limited.
Diagnosis is needed to determine if the problem is caused by your device or router.
- To test the wireless network, try another device that uses WiFi, such as a smartphone or tablet. If that other device can access your WiFi, the problem is with your device. Make sure that the device's WiFi is turned on. If it is an older laptop/device, it may not support the latest wireless encryption (WPA2).
- Try to reboot your device.
That didn’t fix it either? Okay, time to make sure you’re connecting to the correct wireless network and using the correct password.
- Click the WiFi icon in the notification area on your laptop for a list of available networks.
- Attempt to connect to your wireless network, making sure you have the correct password.
- Your wireless network name is typically your last name.
- When typing the password, be careful about letters and numbers that look alike. It’s easy to mistake the number 1 with a lowercase L or an uppercase I . And an uppercase O can be mistaken for the number 0.
A few other things you can try:
- Look at the bars next to the network’s name to make sure you have a strong signal from the router. If you don’t, try moving to a room near the router.
- Make sure you have the latest wireless network card drivers loaded. (Windows update or manufacturers driver support site).
- Use Windows’ diagnostics. Right-click the network icon in notification area and select Troubleshoot Problems. Then go through the wizard.
- Turn off your firewall—temporarily, of course—and try again. If it works, figure out what’s wrong with your firewall settings.
Please call our office at 1-800-281-1072
For the most part, weather does not affect our internet signal, except the phenomenon, RF Ducting, which can weaken the fixed wireless internet signal for a period of time while it is occurring
RF Ducting and your internet signal
IGL TeleConnect's fixed wireless internet allows transfer of information to point A to point B without any physical medium, using something called “radio waves.” Radio waves, or Radio Frequency (RF) can be affected by certain weather.
During early morning, and early evening, atmospheric temperatures are changing and the cooler air stays close to ground and the warmer air stays higher. When radio waves enter the cooler air zone, they get reflected. This causes the radio waves to ‘over-shoot’ and go longer distances which causes a weaker signal. This phenomenon, called RF Ducting, is even more pronounced in summer and autumn and even more so for customers by rivers, lakes, and streams.
Many elements can affect what speed you get. Here are a few things to consider:
- The distance from your router
- The type of internet connection you have, such as fixed wireless or fiber
- The number of people using the same network at the same time
- The type of device you're using
- The type of website or online service you're using, such as streaming video or playing online games
When understanding internet speeds and how they work, it's helpful to arm yourself with some handy definitions:
- Bandwidth - Bandwidth measures the total number of frequencies, or capacity, a network connection can handle at any moment. With more bandwidth, more data can be transferred through a specific network. This is significant for determining how many devices can connect to the network at a time.
- Bit - Internet speed is measured in bits per second (bps). This is the smallest unit of computer information, so you'll often see internet speeds referred to as megabits per second (Mpbs).
- Mbps - "Megabits per second" is how we gauge internet speeds. This number represents the bandwidth of an internet connection, which is how much data can be transferred each second.
- Download - Download speed tells you how quickly information from external sources is received by your router.
- Upload - This tells you how quickly information from your network is sent to external networks.
- Latency - Latency measures the delay in data transfer, telling you how fast data gets from a source to its destination. Internet connection types vary considerably when it comes to latency. For instance, 100Mbps with a fiber optic connection will have far fewer delays for tasks like Zoom meetings than 100Mbps with a satellite connection.
- Wi-Fi - Wi-Fi offers a wireless internet connection, negating the need for devices to connect via hardware, such as an Ethernet cable.