Fiber 1 Gig FAQs

 1.     What is Fiber 1 Gig?

 1 Gig speed is the fastest broadband Internet connection available in Hawaii. This speed allows you to browse the web and upload/download files faster than ever before.  This same Fiber connection will also now carry your Hawaiian Telcom phone and TV service directly to your home.  

 2.     What’s a gigabit?

 One gigabit per second (Gbps) is a 1000 megabits per second (Mbps) connection – which is 100 times faster than the Internet connection that most American households have today!  With Fiber 1 Gig Internet service, you get what you want instantaneously without buffering or waiting. Just click and you’re there.

 3.     How can I test the Internet speed that I’m getting at my home or business?

 We recommend that you use the Ookla site: speedtest.net since the network connection to the server for this site has been engineered to handle many users at the same time.

 4.     What type of cable should I use between the Hawaiian Telcom router and my computer?

We recommend either Cat 5e or Cat 6 cabling between the Hawaiian Telcom router and your computer.

 5.     What are the minimum requirements for my computer?

Your computer’s processing speed has the  greatest impact on the actual speed you’ll experience in your home or business.

Please refer to the following information:

6.     What other factors will affect the Internet speed in my home or business?

• Network & technology restrictions. Due to network restrictions, no Internet service provider can guarantee 1 gigabit per second to a single device all the time, every time. So if you run a speed test, the results are likely to vary depending on the time of day, Internet and network congestion, and other factors.
• Device restrictions. With Hawaiian Telcom Fiber 1 Gig Internet service, you’ll receive up to 1 gigabit per second Internet speed to your home – however, each device may not receive speed that fast. The number of devices and the capabilities of the devices you use will impact the speed you achieve on each device.  As you increase the number of devices that are connected to your Internet service, the available download speed for each device will decrease.
• Wireless (WiFi) vs. wired connection. For optimal speeds, consider a wired connection. This entails plugging an Ethernet cable from the router directly to your computer. A direct wired connection will guarantee you speed much higher than a wireless connection. You can still use Fiber 1 Gig Internet service through a wireless connection, but you won’t be able to take full advantage of the lightning-fast speed that Fiber 1 Gig Internet service provides. If you use a wireless connection, you can expect speeds up to 75 Mbps. Most current-generation routers used today lack the technology necessary to provide a 1 Gbps-speed wireless connection. To ensure your wireless speeds are as fast as possible, position yourself as close to the router as you can, eliminating any barriers that may weaken or slow the signal down.
• Home or building wiring. The wiring that distributes communication throughout your home or building will determine the speeds available to you. Older homes are more likely to experience some loss in speed. Cat 5e or Cat 6 wiring is the industry-standard cabling used for 1 Gbps speeds today – Cat 5 and below may only be able to achieve 100 Mbps speeds.

7.     So what’s the actual speed can I expect?

If you purchase Hawaiian Telcom Fiber 1 Gig Internet service, you can expect to see speeds of up to 940 Mbps with most online speed tests including Hawaiian Telcom’s (speedtest.hawaiiantel.net). Please keep the factors above in mind when running a speed test and always remember that an online speed test is a short, one-time event to the single device being tested and does not account for bursts of speed or actual speed over the course of multiple Internet activities. A single speed test also does not account for the total bandwidth being delivered within your home or used in multiple simultaneous Internet transactions from one or more devices. 

• Actual speeds may vary depending on the number, performance and configuration of the following:
• Connected PC or connecting PCs
• Hardware Processor (Single Core, Multi Core), RAM, Hard Drive (write speed capabilities)
• Router and connecting adapters (Gigabit Ethernet required for speeds greater than 100 Mbps)
• Software applications running in the background on the device
• Web Browser/Browser Plug-ins (Flash/Java)
• Website/Server Limitations (Not all speed test sites are capable of testing speeds greater than 100 Mbps)
• For optimal performance, consult your equipment manufacturer/software developer for required upgrades, configuration updates or troubleshooting guides.

If you’re not sure whether your computer or laptop supports these speeds, consult your computer documentation and look for the following terms:

• 1000BaseTx
• 1000Mbps
• 1 Gbps