The best WiFi spots on campus

William Hollon, Staff Writer|October 27, 2017

Students+working+in+the+library%2C+where+the+WiFi+connection+is+the+fastest.

Students working in the library, where the WiFi connection is the fastest.

Because​ ​wifi​ ​has​ ​become​ ​a​ ​necessity​ ​to​ ​get​ ​work​ ​done​ ​and​ ​stay​ ​connected​ ​in​ ​today’s world,​ ​I​ ​decided​ ​to​ ​report on where the wifi connection is the most efficient and secure on campus.

To​ ​determine​ ​where​ ​the​ ​wifi​ ​connection​ ​is​ ​strongest​ ​on​ ​campus,​ ​one​ ​must​ ​first understand​ ​the​ ​term​ ​“megabits​ ​per​ ​second​ ​(mbps).”​ ​A​ ​bit​ ​is​ ​the​ ​smallest​ ​unit​ ​of​ ​data​ ​in​ ​a computer,​ ​and​ ​one​ ​megabit​ ​is​ ​equal​ ​to​ ​one​ ​million​ ​bits.​ ​Simply​ ​put,​ ​the​ ​higher​ ​the​ ​number​ ​of Mbps,​ ​the​ ​faster​ ​your​ ​online​ ​activity​ ​and​ ​browsing​ ​is.

Using the Google Speed Test on my school issued Chromebook, ​the​ ​library​ ​is​ ​the​ ​best​ ​place​ ​for​ ​getting​ ​the​ ​most​ ​work​ ​done​ ​in​ ​the​ ​least amount​ ​of​ ​time​, ​as​ ​the​ ​library​ ​has​ ​the​ ​strongest​ ​connection.​

​The​ ​library​ ​wifi​ ​connection​ ​has​ ​a download​ ​speed​ ​of​ ​39.8​ ​Mbps​ ​and​ ​an​ ​upload​ ​of​ ​63.9​ ​Mbps,​ ​meaning​ ​you​ ​can​ ​stream​ ​multiple devices.

A student at the lunch tables on his chromebook.

In contrast,​ ​the​ ​Quad, the most central part of the school where many activities occur, has the​ ​slowest​ ​wifi​ ​at​ ​2.36​ ​Mbps​ ​download​ ​and 19.7​ ​Mbps​ ​upload.​ ​This​ ​means​ ​the​ ​internet​ ​is​ ​accessible,​ ​but​ ​at​ ​an​ ​extremely​ ​slow​ ​speed.

The​ ​other​ ​places​ ​with​ ​fast​ ​connection​ that ​can​ ​stream​ ​multiple​ ​devices​ ​are:​ ​the​ ​lunch tables,​ ​inside​ ​classrooms in the Science 1 building,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​hallway​ ​by​ ​the​ ​English​ ​building.

The bathrooms and tennis courts have typical internet connection speeds that can handle streaming on one device.

While​ ​the​ ​test​ ​result​ ​numbers​ ​may​ ​differ​ ​depending​ ​on​ ​the​ ​time​ ​of​ ​day​ ​of​ ​connection,​ ​the overall​ ​result​ ​should​ ​be​ ​about​ ​the​ ​same.

With​ ​our​ ​Chromebooks​ ​and​ ​the​ ​growing​ ​number​ ​of​ ​online​ ​assignments,​ ​it​ ​has​ ​become​ ​a necessity​ ​to​ ​have​ ​an​ ​exceptional​ ​and​ ​fast​ ​wifi​ ​connection.​

​Now​ ​you​ ​know​ ​the​ ​best​ locations on campus ​to work​ ​and​ ​which​ ​places​ ​you​ ​should​ ​avoid!