A Good Connection

Connecting To The Internet When You Have An Older Computer

by Leo Wiita

Internet plans now have fantastic amounts of data that you could only dream of a decade ago. The larger amounts allow you to stream movies, participate in games, and do pretty much everything on the internet and Web. If you're using a much older computer, however, connecting to the internet brings some changes. You can still connect, but your operating system could require some adjustment.

Connection and Support Are Different Things

You'll find a lot of internet service providers do not support older versions of operating systems past a certain point, but supporting is not the same as connecting. If you have an older computer running an operating system that is no longer supported by the ISP, you can still connect to the internet as long as your computer allows a connection. You just won't get a lot of help from customer service and tech support if you have trouble with the connection that appears to be linked to the operating system.

The ISP Should Provide a Secure Connection, but Watch Out

The internet service provider you use should provide a secure connection. However, your use of an older computer and possibly an older operating system mean that you have to take a lot of steps to shore up your own computer's security. Use the most recent version of the operating system that you can, and update your browsers whenever a new version is released. Use add-ons that automatically turn all http addresses into https addresses, and install a good antivirus program. Run scans regularly.

Limit or Turn Off Background Apps

Using an older computer or operating system isn't going to change the amount of data that a file takes to download, and the speed is determined mainly by the connection you have. However, your computer may not be equipped to handle large downloads while you're also simultaneously watching videos and checking animaed weather radar; all that could slow things down a bit. To speed things up, turn off background applications and don't try to do three things at once while downloading large files or streaming films. Also look out for bloatware and unnecessary programs on your computer as those can slow down the system's operation as a whole.

Internet plans just need the ability to connect to the internet in order to provide you with the speed and access you need. If you're still using an older computer, you'll have to keep security and program updates in mind, but you can still access the internet easily.

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