When is the Right Time to Order Internet When Moving or Purchasing a New Home?

If you're planning a relocation, whether you're switching providers or transferring service to your new location, find out the best time for setting up internet

Moving Soon? Here's the Best Time for Setting up Internet Services

If you're moving soon and are experiencing a little stress on how to pack up and start relocating, you're far from alone. According to recent statistics, about 35.5 million Americans pack their bags and move to a new house each year.

One of the most stressful and essential things about moving to a new home is knowing how and when to start setting up internet there. Several factors go into deciding when internet installation needs to take place, including knowing the specific situation that you're in, the options available to you in your new location, and what providers work best for your individual needs.

Here, we're going to take an in-depth look at some of these essential factors so that you get a clearer picture of when you need to begin installing internet in your new home. Read on to make your moving experience as seamless and stress-free as possible!

Knowing Your Situation

The first thing that you need to consider when deciding when to set up an internet connection is the specific situation and circumstances of your move. Internet options are going to differ based on your location and point that you're at in the moving process. Read on to begin thinking about some aspects of relocation that you'll need to consider!

What Internet Options Are There?

Generally, you have two options when it comes to internet: satellite and cable.

Satellite internet can be accessed from anywhere in the US. It's basically a communications service that's provided through a series of three wireless satellites that work together to bring a connection to your home. In rural areas, this may be your only option since there aren't internet lines everywhere. It's slower and performs fewer functions than cable internet does, but it's something, and it works. It also takes a bit of time to set up, so you'll need to call a provider a few weeks before moving.

In more populated areas, you're likely to have internet options via cable. These are often of superior quality because they connect to a series of digital lines closer to your home than the satellites are. Cable is faster and more efficient, but it costs more than satellite internet does. It also isn't available in many areas of the US.

Cable internet can be set up much faster than satellite can. It will likely only take a couple of days to get it up and running at home. As a result, you can worry about this while you relocate rather than before you do so.

Where Are You Relocating To?

Because cable internet isn't offered everywhere, you're going to need to do specific research on the place that you're moving to. If you're headed to a less populated area, you're unlikely to have as many options as you would in a big city.

If you live in an area that has satellite internet exclusively, you're going to need to set it up sooner rather than later. It takes about two weeks to install these services, so you'll want to plan accordingly. If you wait until the later steps of your move, you're likely to find yourself without internet for a few weeks.

Other Factors to Consider in Setting Up Internet

In addition to considering the location you're moving to, you'll need to think about your lifestyle and the urgency of your need for an online connection. Read on to get some ideas of what lifestyle factors may cause you to need an internet connection more quickly than you otherwise would.

Do You Need to Work at Home?

If you work at home, you'll need to set up your internet immediately. Not doing so can cause a huge financial strain on you at one of the worst possible times. Moving costs can be pretty high, and you'll need a way to pay them off.

Make sure that you contact an internet provider early- possibly before you even begin to move- and ask them to set up WiFi at your new place. If you wait a long time, you're also more likely to forget to contact them. This could be detrimental to your work life, so get on top of your internet now!

Is Online Communication Essential to You?

According to psychologists, feeling isolated has incredibly adverse effects on both mental and physical health. In addition to making the risk of depression go up, it also makes you 30% more likely to suffer from a stroke later in life.

If you don't rely on online communications to talk with friends and relatives, you probably could bear to spend a few days waiting for it to get set up. However, most people do require an internet connection to communicate with those they love. If you have friends that live far away from you or are in a long-distance relationship, having internet from the moment you move into your home is essential.

You're going to be stressed out because of the move- don't isolate yourself on top of that!

Do You Have Children While Moving?

Keeping children occupied during a move is difficult, and it's even harder if you don't have a TV set up for them to watch.

If you have children, it's essential that you get the internet up and running quickly regardless of your lifestyle. While you unbox your things and organize your new home, setting your child up with a TV show or iPad is a good way to keep them occupied and out of your way.

Using AT&T is a great idea if you have the option to do so. They have a new streaming service, AT&T TV, which is a great alternative to DirecTV. It's faster and has more options so that you don't need to worry about kids getting antsy while their favorite shows are loading.

Searching for Providers

After you have a rough idea of when you need to start setting up internet in your new home, you'll need to look into the providers that cater to your area. This means doing your research to ensure that your specific needs are met by the provider that you select. Read on for some information on how to find the perfect internet provider to suit your lifestyle and needs!

Research Your Options

The first thing that you'll need to do when looking for an internet provider is to research the options that are out there to you. This can become a pretty overwhelming process when you have no assistance- after all, there are so many providers out there, and each one has its own unique features! Luckily, we're here to help, so we've compiled a short list of internet providers that you may be interested in using as well as the features that make each one of them unique.

• AT&T. We've already talked a bit about AT&T's new streaming service and why it's a great alternative to DirecTV, but there are many other features of AT&T internet that we have yet to brush on. It has some of the highest bandwidth and speed of all internet services on the market. Additionally, the customer service at AT&T is stellar- you'll always get an answer to your questions, and associates are more than happy to help you fix any connectivity issues you may face.
• Centurylink. Customer speeds will vary with this provider, and in many locations, you won't be able to choose the speed of internet you want. However, it's an inexpensive cable alternative that you may want to look into.
• Viasat. If you live outside a cable zone, Viasat is by far the best internet option for you. Rather than connecting to cable, Viasat is a satellite brand that specializes in delivering high-speed internet at a low price. There are also no monthly data caps on Viasat plans, which is an awesome feature for large families.
• Hughesnet. This brand is widely available to everyone in all areas of the nation, so for those of you who are moving out to a rural area it may be a good choice. It's a more expensive alternative than Viasat, but the connection is a bit faster. It does, however, have a monthly data cap, which can be annoying for bigger households.

Choose a Full Package

When choosing an internet service for your home, you can do yourself a huge favor by choosing a full bundle that includes internet, TV, and streaming services. Some packages even offer phone service and data, which is a great way to save on an additional phone bill! When you choose a bundle package, you'll only be paying one price for all the entertainment services that you and your family will use on a daily basis.

This not only means that you'll be saving money, but it also means that you won't need to worry about keeping track of and paying multiple bills. Life is busy and it's easy to get disorganized, especially when you're frantically moving items and unboxing your belongings during relocation. You won't need to worry about logging into many websites to pay your bills when you have a bundle- you'll simply only need to set a reminder and pay once.

The Speed You Need

When choosing an internet package, one of the most important things to keep in mind is the speed of internet that you need. If you have the luxury of living in a place where you can choose between various cable or satellite providers, you'll need to look into the bandwidth of the internet connection for each provider. You may also want to read reviews of other customers who have chosen different internet services to see which of them are happy (or unhappy) with the speed of their service.

If you have a larger family or you work from home/spend hours out of your day online, you're going to need a faster connection. This is also the case if you stream a lot of video or make many Skype calls. Consider these factors and be realistic about the connection speed that you require.

Stay Within Your Budget

However, staying within the budget you set is just as important as getting a high-speed connection. If you spend too much money on internet, you may find yourself under a lot of financial strain when paying the other bills you need in your new location. Until the bills come in for the first month of water, electricity, etc, you don't truly know how much these amenities are going to cost you in your new home.

That's why it's important that you stick to your budget when purchasing your first internet plan. If you decide that you have more money than you thought, awesome! You can change things around later. But don't strain yourself right away, especially when you have to deal with immediate moving costs.

Begin the Internet Installation Search Today

There are many factors that go into deciding when to begin setting up internet in your new home. From knowing your situation to considering your lifestyle to researching the providers that cater to your area, there's a lot to think about.

Now that you have an idea of when you need to begin internet installation while relocating, it's time to start researching some of the packages that you can buy. Click here to get more information on internet/TV bundles that you can choose from after moving to your new location. You can also call us at (888) 376-0763 to discuss internet packages with an expert. This is a great way to get help deciding on the right bundle for you.

Have a smooth move!