{"id":35698,"date":"2019-05-21T11:41:27","date_gmt":"2019-05-21T18:41:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valleycom.com\/?page_id=35698"},"modified":"2021-12-29T14:15:05","modified_gmt":"2021-12-29T22:15:05","slug":"frequently-asked-questions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/valleycom.com\/support\/frequently-asked-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Frequently Asked Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We want you to get the most out of your broadband Internet service, so our support team is ready to answer your questions. Call us at <a href=\"tel:+1-775-727-5312\">(775) 727\u20135312<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/valleycom.com\/about-vca\/contact-us\/\">drop us an email<\/a>. Before that, try checking out our Frequently Asked Questions \u2013 you might find the information you need.<\/p>\n<p>If you are still having Internet problems, feel free to give us a call at <a href=\"tel:+1-775-727-5312\">(775) 727\u20135312<\/a> and a friendly customer service representative will gladly assist you.<\/p>\n<h2>Broadband Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<div class=\"accordion\">\n\t<div id=\"accordion-3856653678\" class=\"accordion-item\">\n\t\t<a id=\"accordion-3856653678-label\" class=\"accordion-title plain\" href=\"#accordion-item-my-internet-is-not-working.-what-should-i-check?\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion-3856653678-content\" >\n\t\t\t<button class=\"toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle\"><i class=\"icon-angle-down\"><\/i><\/button>\n\t\t\t<span>My internet is not working. What should I check?<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div id=\"accordion-3856653678-content\" class=\"accordion-inner\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-3856653678-label\" >\n\t\t\t\n<p>If the connectivity issue is one device, versus all devices, the issue is likely that specific device.\u00a0 Please consult the manual or contact the manufacturer.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If all devices are affected, the most common problems revolve around the router. Check the router for power by checking the lights to see if the power LED is solid and the data LED\u2019s are blinking.<\/li>\n<li>If your internet is still not working, try \u201cre-booting\u201d the router. Disconnect the power cord, wait for at least 60 seconds, and then reconnect it. Make certain the power switch is in the on position.<\/li>\n<li>If you still have no internet connectivity, check whether the router has the most recent firmware? An upgrade can resolve connectivity issues. If you own your own router, log into your router-management console and click on update firmware.<\/li>\n<li>If you still have no Internet, and are a wireless customer, check your Power Over Ethernet (POE) device. The POE (shown below) should have a green or blue indicator light but if not check that the wall outlet has power. *Please do not unplug any of the cables connected to your POE.<\/li>\n<li>If the wall outlet has power, contact support at https:\/\/valleycom.com\/about-vca\/contact-us\/ or Call 775-727-5312 option 3. Agents are available Monday-Friday 7am-8pm and Saturday-Sunday 9:30am-8pm.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-35717 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/valleycom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/device.png\" alt=\"Electrical cord, Input Power LED, To Router, To Outdoor Radio, Output Power LED\" width=\"356\" height=\"332\" srcset=\"https:\/\/valleycom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/device.png 356w, https:\/\/valleycom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/device-340x317.png 340w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 356px) 100vw, 356px\" \/><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div id=\"accordion-1297772166\" class=\"accordion-item\">\n\t\t<a id=\"accordion-1297772166-label\" class=\"accordion-title plain\" href=\"#accordion-item-does-vea\/vca-throttle-bandwidth?\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion-1297772166-content\" >\n\t\t\t<button class=\"toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle\"><i class=\"icon-angle-down\"><\/i><\/button>\n\t\t\t<span>Does VEA\/VCA throttle bandwidth?<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div id=\"accordion-1297772166-content\" class=\"accordion-inner\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-1297772166-label\" >\n\t\t\t\n<ul>\n<li>No, there are no systems or processes in place to throttle bandwidth utilization for subscribers other than the speed tier that was selected.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div id=\"accordion-2203334624\" class=\"accordion-item\">\n\t\t<a id=\"accordion-2203334624-label\" class=\"accordion-title plain\" href=\"#accordion-item-has-vea\/vca-oversubscribed-the-network?\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion-2203334624-content\" >\n\t\t\t<button class=\"toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle\"><i class=\"icon-angle-down\"><\/i><\/button>\n\t\t\t<span>Has VEA\/VCA oversubscribed the network?<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div id=\"accordion-2203334624-content\" class=\"accordion-inner\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-2203334624-label\" >\n\t\t\t\n<ul>\n<li>No, the network is not oversubscribed and we have been very careful to avoid that.\n<ul>\n<li>The backhaul service provider connections, where VCA gets its internet connectivity, are operating at about 70% total capacity during peak hours.<\/li>\n<li>The mid-mile connections, the feeds to the towers and residential fiber systems, are operating at about 35% capacity at peak hours.<\/li>\n<li>The last mile connections, specifically the wireless service to the residence, are operating at 25-30% of total capacity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-36144\" src=\"https:\/\/valleycom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oversubscribed-800x260.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/valleycom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oversubscribed-800x260.png 800w, https:\/\/valleycom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oversubscribed-340x110.png 340w, https:\/\/valleycom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oversubscribed.png 1119w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div id=\"accordion-1929867235\" class=\"accordion-item\">\n\t\t<a id=\"accordion-1929867235-label\" class=\"accordion-title plain\" href=\"#accordion-item-why-is-my-broadband-speed-less-than-what-i-am-paying-for?\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion-1929867235-content\" >\n\t\t\t<button class=\"toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle\"><i class=\"icon-angle-down\"><\/i><\/button>\n\t\t\t<span>Why is my broadband speed less than what I am paying for?<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div id=\"accordion-1929867235-content\" class=\"accordion-inner\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-1929867235-label\" >\n\t\t\t\n<ul>\n<li>The speed tier you selected is the <u>maximum<\/u> bandwidth, of which approximately 10% is needed for normal network overhead. Depending on the number of devices active in the residence a 40 Mbps service will typically return a 35-36 Mbps speed test.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div id=\"accordion-3555346581\" class=\"accordion-item\">\n\t\t<a id=\"accordion-3555346581-label\" class=\"accordion-title plain\" href=\"#accordion-item-why-does-my-broadband-speed-(bandwidth)-fluctuate?\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion-3555346581-content\" >\n\t\t\t<button class=\"toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle\"><i class=\"icon-angle-down\"><\/i><\/button>\n\t\t\t<span>Why does my broadband speed (bandwidth) fluctuate?<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div id=\"accordion-3555346581-content\" class=\"accordion-inner\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-3555346581-label\" >\n\t\t\t\n<p>Speeds fluctuate for several reasons:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>As equipment uses the broadband service each one consumes a portion of the total bandwidth. If there are many pieces of equipment (smart phones, streaming services, appliances) it is possible that the total bandwidth at a location is entirely consumed.<\/li>\n<li>In-home WiFi connectivity is highly dependent upon how far your device is from the router, how many walls are in the way, and how many other WiFi devices exist. A wired device connected to the router works best for testing speed (bandwidth).<\/li>\n<li>The speed test server can greatly affect the results. If you are testing with a server in Northern California, for example, there are a lot of service providers than can be in the mix.\u00a0 There is a chance for bandwidth throughput bottlenecks and higher trip time, also referred to as latency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div id=\"accordion-3121148192\" class=\"accordion-item\">\n\t\t<a id=\"accordion-3121148192-label\" class=\"accordion-title plain\" href=\"#accordion-item-what-speed-test-server-should-i-be-using?\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion-3121148192-content\" >\n\t\t\t<button class=\"toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle\"><i class=\"icon-angle-down\"><\/i><\/button>\n\t\t\t<span>What speed test server should I be using?<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div id=\"accordion-3121148192-content\" class=\"accordion-inner\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-3121148192-label\" >\n\t\t\t\n<ul>\n<li>VCA has an Ookla speed test server. By using the Ookla smart phone application or by browsing <a href=\"http:\/\/www.speedtest.net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">speedtest.net<\/a> your equipment will find the appropriate server, which typically will be the VCA server.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div id=\"accordion-3166732763\" class=\"accordion-item\">\n\t\t<a id=\"accordion-3166732763-label\" class=\"accordion-title plain\" href=\"#accordion-item-what-is-the-best-way-to-perform-a-speed-test?\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion-3166732763-content\" >\n\t\t\t<button class=\"toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle\"><i class=\"icon-angle-down\"><\/i><\/button>\n\t\t\t<span>What is the best way to perform a speed test?<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div id=\"accordion-3166732763-content\" class=\"accordion-inner\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-3166732763-label\" >\n\t\t\t\n<p><em>The Pure Speed Test &#8211; from <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@tenenbaum\/how-to-properly-test-your-internet-speed-34ca177bfdc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>https:\/\/medium.com<\/em><\/a><em> (click link for more in depth information)<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The objective of this test is to remove as many variables as possible, in order to obtain results that reflect your true connection capacity to your provider\n<ul>\n<li>Disable the WiFi on your router (you will need to be able to login into your router to do this, see manufacturer&#8217;s instructions.) *<\/li>\n<li>Disconnect all hardwired devices from the router, such as printers and switches.<\/li>\n<li>Connect just your computer with a network cable, aka cat5, cat6 or ethernet, to your router\u2019s LAN ports. **<\/li>\n<li>Disable any background activities such as Apple Photos, Dropbox, or Google Drive sync.<\/li>\n<li>Head to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.speedtest.net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">speedtest.net<\/a> and test your speed 3 times.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36143 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/valleycom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/speedtest.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"529\" height=\"279\" srcset=\"https:\/\/valleycom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/speedtest.png 529w, https:\/\/valleycom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/speedtest-340x179.png 340w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em>* If you can\u2019t disable the WiFi on the router, make sure you are logged into it with the network cable, then temporarily change the Network Name (aka SSID) which will cause all wireless devices to disconnect. Don\u2019t forget to change that back when you are done testing.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>** If you do not have a network cable or a wired network connection on your computer, try to make sure that during the tests, the only device that connects to your router is your computer. However, the speed test may reflect your WiFi negotiations speeds, and not your provider, and because many variables impact your WiFi connectivity, this can drastically change from test to test. Just walking to another room can lower your speed by 50% or more&#8230; so when possible, hard-wire to the router to run this test.<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div id=\"accordion-278292937\" class=\"accordion-item\">\n\t\t<a id=\"accordion-278292937-label\" class=\"accordion-title plain\" href=\"#accordion-item-what-makes-my-ping-times-increase?\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion-278292937-content\" >\n\t\t\t<button class=\"toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle\"><i class=\"icon-angle-down\"><\/i><\/button>\n\t\t\t<span>What makes my ping times increase?<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div id=\"accordion-278292937-content\" class=\"accordion-inner\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-278292937-label\" >\n\t\t\t\n<ul>\n<li>Higher ping times, or higher latency, are the result of the network traffic having to queue up similar to waiting at an on ramp to the freeway. If the freeway is completely full of vehicles you have to wait to enter into traffic.\u00a0 There are several factors that increase the round trip ping time, or latency.\u00a0 Many devices in the home that are consuming the entirety of your available bandwidth, noisy WiFi environment (a lot of wireless devices), high usage of the streaming or gaming server you are using, and extremely high usage of the network as a whole can increase the wait time and latency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div id=\"accordion-1559678654\" class=\"accordion-item\">\n\t\t<a id=\"accordion-1559678654-label\" class=\"accordion-title plain\" href=\"#accordion-item-why-did-my-residential-voip-telephone-rate-change?\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion-1559678654-content\" >\n\t\t\t<button class=\"toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle\"><i class=\"icon-angle-down\"><\/i><\/button>\n\t\t\t<span>Why did my residential VoIP telephone rate change?<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div id=\"accordion-1559678654-content\" class=\"accordion-inner\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-1559678654-label\" >\n\t\t\t\n<ul>\n<li>VCA was able to negotiate a better rate for these services and we are happy to pass this savings on to our subscribers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div id=\"accordion-3597253791\" class=\"accordion-item\">\n\t\t<a id=\"accordion-3597253791-label\" class=\"accordion-title plain\" href=\"#accordion-item-is-there-any-work-being-done-on-the-system-to-improve-performance?\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion-3597253791-content\" >\n\t\t\t<button class=\"toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle\"><i class=\"icon-angle-down\"><\/i><\/button>\n\t\t\t<span>Is there any work being done on the system to improve performance?<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div id=\"accordion-3597253791-content\" class=\"accordion-inner\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-3597253791-label\" >\n\t\t\t\n<ul>\n<li>As with all technology based systems VCA continually monitors the operation of the network and performs ongoing maintenance to optimize the performance of the individual segments of the network. The Broadband Engineers are strategizing changes to the basic network structure, or architecture, of the WiMAX network.\u00a0 These changes are intended to make the system perform more efficiently while also preparing for future growth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div id=\"accordion-3309457174\" class=\"accordion-item\">\n\t\t<a id=\"accordion-3309457174-label\" class=\"accordion-title plain\" href=\"#accordion-item-with-many-people-working-and-schooling-remotely,-has-there-been-any-impact-on-the-broadband-system?\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion-3309457174-content\" >\n\t\t\t<button class=\"toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle\"><i class=\"icon-angle-down\"><\/i><\/button>\n\t\t\t<span>With many people working and schooling remotely, has there been any impact on the broadband system?<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div id=\"accordion-3309457174-content\" class=\"accordion-inner\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-3309457174-label\" >\n\t\t\t\n<ul>\n<li>Broadband activity increased significantly as people began working and schooling from home. Broadband usage increased by about 20% over the course of a few days.<\/li>\n<li>The overall bandwidth usage on the service provider connections, where VCA gets its internet connectivity, is only 70% of the total capacity. We are watching these connections closely and should it be needed additional bandwidth is available within a few days.<\/li>\n<li>The rapid increase in usage prompted emergency maintenance windows on March 20<sup>th<\/sup> and March 27<sup>th<\/sup> to add hardware for the purpose of increasing the core network\u2019s ability to process traffic requests, work that was being scheduled to alleviate the high latency issues on the network that have been experienced over the past few months.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We want you to get the most out of your broadband Internet service, so our support team is ready to answer your questions. Call us at (775) 727\u20135312 or drop us an email. Before that, try checking out our Frequently Asked Questions \u2013 you might find the information you need. If you are still having&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":35404,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2024-04-10 16:15:06","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/valleycom.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/35698"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/valleycom.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/valleycom.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valleycom.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valleycom.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35698"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/valleycom.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/35698\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36213,"href":"https:\/\/valleycom.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/35698\/revisions\/36213"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valleycom.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/35404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/valleycom.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}