Latest News Archives | Page 2 of 8 | All West Communications

Author: builtbygcommerce
January 19, 2021

Wondering about apps and how to use them on your mobile devices and smart TV? We'll show you the in's and out's of apps and how to use them

What Is An App?

It’s a type of software that can be installed onto a variety of mobile devices and smart TVs. There are also computer desktop and web apps. Apps appear on your mobile devices as a small square or circle with a name or logo.

For example, All West.tv’s app looks like this:

On a smart TV, the All West.tv app looks like this:

Mobile apps may or may not require internet connectivity—as most can be used via your phone’s data plan or a Wi-Fi hot spot. Smart TV apps do require an internet connection.

What Kinds of Apps Can I Download?

Mobile apps were originally created to help keep personal and business information organized—through email, calendars, contact databases, phone lists, and the like. As consumers demanded more from their mobile devices, app development expanded into other areas such as gaming, shopping, order-tracking, and GPS and location-based services. There are now millions of apps out there—in an endless array of categories. Here are just a few categories and available apps:

TV/Entertainment All West.tv, HBO Max, Netflix
Health/Wellness Ten Percent Happier, Google Fit, Peloton
Music Music Choice, Spotify, Pandora
Food/Dining Open Table, DoorDash, GrubHub
Travel/Adventure Fly Delta, AllTrails, Visit a City

Apps for social sites, stores, and useful tools can all be found in app stores.

Do Apps Cost Money?

Most apps are free, but some require a small purchase price. Some apps also require a subscription to run. For example, the All West.tv app will only work if you have an All West.tv subscription.

Where Can Find Apps?

For Android devices, go to the Google Play Store or the Amazon Appstore. For Apple devices, check out the App Store.

Did You Know You Get Several Apps With Your All West.tv Subscription?

Yes, you read that right. With your All West.tv subscription you can also use network provider apps to watch your favorite content. Simply download the app on your device, log in using your All West.tv username and password and start streaming.

Apps are a great, convenient way to access entertainment—at home or on the go. Apps let you directly connect to the channel, content or subscription you want without having to go to a website or logging in each time.

If you have questions about how to download the All West.tv app to your mobile device or smart TV, contact our Customer Service team at 866.255.9378 or help@allwest.com.

Author: builtbygcommerce
January 15, 2021

There are a lot of components that make up your internet connection, including your internet speed and bandwidth. It’s easy to see how this can be confusing, and they are often talked about together, so let’s break down what they are and how it is important to your internet connection.

Internet speed

The number associated with your internet plan is your internet speed and is usually displayed in either Mbps or Gig speeds. This number refers to the speed at which data can be uploaded or downloaded from your internet connected device(s).

(What is the difference between upload and download speeds?)

Bandwidth

We usually refer to bandwidth as a water pipeline because it is the amount of data that can be uploaded or downloaded from your internet connecting device(s). Bandwidth controls the amount of data that can flow from your internet service provider (ISP) and your devices simultaneously.

How does your internet speed and bandwidth affect your internet?

The more speed you have, the bigger your bandwidth pipeline is going to be. This is important because the size of your pipe and the number of devices you use will influence your internet speed. The more devices you have connected at the same time equals more data trying to be pushed through your pipeline, and if your pipeline isn’t big enough, your data will be funneled through more slowly.

For example, if you are on an internet plan with lower speeds, your bandwidth pipeline is going to be smaller. If you try to push a lot of data through the pipeline with multiple devices, your speed is going to slow down because the data can’t fit through the pipeline at the same time.

Our friends at ArvingHQ have an excellent example of how this works:

Do you still have questions about your internet speed or do you want to upgrade your speed for more bandwidth? Talk to one of our experts by either calling us at 866-255-9378 or emailing help@allwest.com.

Author: builtbygcommerce
December 29, 2020

Did you know the average person has more than ten internet connecting devices in their home, and this number is projected to gown to 13.6 by the year 2022? We are using more technology than ever, and by bringing more technology into the home, your chance of being exposed to a cyber threat increases.

According to the 2020 Comcast Cyber Health report, the most vulnerable devices in your home include laptops, computers, smartphones, and tablets, networked cameras, networked storage devices, and streaming video devices. Here are a few things you can do to make sure you and your family are protected:

Use a router with AI Security

The landscape for cybersecurity services for the consumer is very focused on anti-virus, but technology has evolved so much that it’s not enough. The average home has so many more types of devices now, and each device has many attack surfaces, so securing the home requires new thinking. This is why All West trusts the Plume Superpod and app system.

Plume managed wi-fi is designed to adapt to all the different types of devices and threats, making it smarter than other security options.

(How Plume keeps you safe)

Keep your router’s software updated

We all live busy lives, and sometimes the last thing you think about is the last time you updated your router software. Updates are important because it prevents hackers and new evolving threats from compromising your online security. An easy way to stay on top of updates is to choose a router with automatic updates. This way, your router can update and evolve as new online security threats arise.

Create strong passwords and use multifactor authentication

When was the last time you changed or updated your password? Do you use the same password for everything? A few things you can do to make your passwords more secure include:

-Don’t use personal information in your password or information used in security questions.

-Don’t make your password all the same case. Passwords varied with uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters are much harder to guess.

-Don’t use the same password for multiple logins. If you do this, it makes it easier for hackers to access more of your accounts.

In addition to a strong password, we recommend using multifactor authentications to strengthen your online security.

Don’t open links that look suspicious

You may have heard this before, but it one of the most common ways hackers can gain access to your information, don’t click suspicious links even if it is from someone you know. If a link looks suspicious, and you know the person who sent it, double check with them to make sure their account hasn’t been hacked.

Do you still have questions about your wi-fi security? Talk to one of our experts to make sure you are protected at 866.255.9378 or email help@allwest.com.

Author: builtbygcommerce
December 18, 2020

This year wasn't for naught. Like you, we had a laundry list of projects, travel plans, and goals that went flying out the window faster than toilet paper in mid-March. But, as we reflect on the new year, we are reminded of all the good things that did happen in 2020. And we bet if you look back on this weird year, you've got something to be proud of too.

This is our 2020 year of good things:

Author: builtbygcommerce
November 30, 2020

Did you know that more than 4.57 billion people use the internet every day? With the growing popularity and demand for a fast, reliable connection, having smart technology in your home will make your internet safer and easier to use. This is why we recommend pairing your internet service with Plume, All West’s managed wi-fi network solution.

What is an unmanaged wi-fi network?

An unmanaged wi-fi network is when an individual purchases and sets up their wi-fi network on their own. This type of network typically has low bandwidth speeds and can only handle a few devices connected to it at any given time. (How to choose the right router for your home)

What is a managed wi-fi network?

A managed wi-fi network allows both the individual and internet provider to view, manage, and troubleshooting an individual’s wireless network. This type of network gives the homeowner more control over their internet with better device management.

What are the benefits of managed wi-fi?

Increased reliability and connectivity in your home

Plume SuperPods use what is called a dual-band system. A dual-band system means your router can simultaneously use both 2.4GHz and 5GHz signals, limiting connection issues and offering more stability. Plume also has built in mesh system, which extends your internet signal to every corner of your home so you never have to worry about moving too far away from your router.

(Top 5 Plume features our staff raves about)

Device Management

With device management, you know what devices are connected to your network and control how that device uses your internet network, including guest access, parental controls, internet freezes, online security, and more. Plume also makes it easy to know what’s happening on your home network through the Plume app, which is compatible with iOS and Android devices.

Safer home with AI Security

The landscape for cybersecurity services for consumers is very focused on anti-virus, but technology has evolved so much that it’s not enough. The average home has so many more types of devices now, and each device has many attack surfaces, so securing the home requires new thinking. Plume uses artificial intelligence to monitor threats across a growing scale with adaptive wi-fi deployments at more than 15 million homes and half a billion devices. It allows Plume to understand device behavior and spot new threats faster.

(How secure is your home?)

Internet Service Provider insight for better troubleshooting

If issues with your internet arise, a managed wi-fi network allows All West to troubleshoot your connection from our offices. This will enable us to fix the issue faster, and you save money because we don’t have to send a technician to your home to troubleshoot your service.

Learn more about how Plume can make your internet easy.

Author: builtbygcommerce
November 12, 2020

To bring our customers the best in TV entertainment, All West goes into contract negotiations once a year with channel network providers. In these negotiations, All West works hard to bring you the channels you want at a reasonable price.

Eight giant corporations own most of the networks you watch, as well as many of those you don’t. To continue increasing their revenue, they require us, your TV provider, to carry their less-popular networks as a condition of providing the most popular ones.

In addition, they use their size and market power to continually demand higher fees for their programming.

Since All West is considered a “small fish”, compared to major TV providers such as DirectTV, we have partnered with a third party that brings small telecoms together, which gives us more power when going into negotiations. Sometimes negotiations go smoothly and sometimes they don’t.

What happens when we don’t reach an agreement?

When networks demand higher fees, local cable operators like All West are forced to pass along some of these costs to customers. Our goal is to bring you affordable TV and limit price increases. If fees are too high we sometimes we have to put our foot down and say “no” to programmers.

When disputes occur, programmers will often take high-visibility TV programs off the air to negotiate deals in their favor. For All West and our customers, the impact can temporarily make channels unavailable or go dark. By doing this, they’re using you to put pressure on us to carry the channel but that can lead to higher fees, which only increases your TV bill. Our goal is to come to an agreement before this happens. All West has never had to go dark on a channel before but as the TV landscape changes, it could be a possibility.

We want you to know that our customers will always come first and we will do everything we can to bring you the best in TV entertainment. For more information on how we’re keeping channels on and pricing in check, please visit TVonmyside.com.

Author: builtbygcommerce
October 20, 2020

Amazon’s Fire TV Stick is All West’s #1 choice for watching All West.tv. The user-friendly remote and HDMI stick system allows All West.tv subscribers to effortlessly access and watch their favorite tv entertainment.

Here’s how to use your Amazon Fire TV Stick:

Installing

All West.tv works with Amazon Fire TV 2nd Generation and newer, including Fire TV Stick and Cube. To get started you’ll need:

- an internet connection

- an Amazon account (Don’t have one? Sign up here.)

- a TV or other display with an HDMI port

- an HDMI cable (on 4K capable devices you need an HDMI 2.0 or later)

To install:

Plug the power adapter into an electrical outlet, and the Fire TV device into your TV’s HDMI port.
Use the USB cable to connect the power adapter and Fire TV device.
Install the batteries in the remote. If the remote doesn’t automatically pair with your Fire TV, press and hold the Home button for 10 seconds.
Use the Source/Input button on your TV remote to locate the HDMI signal for your Fire TV device.
Follow the prompts on the Fire TV startup screen to finish set-up. To install All West.tv, select the Search icon (left of Home at top of screen) and search for All West.tv. Highlight and select Download. Once finished, select Open to launch All West.tv.

User Guide

Download Guide

Remote Buttons

Voice Button: Control your TV with your voice. No more having to click buttons or filtering through multiple screens to watch your favorite TV.

Navigation: Use the outer circle button to navigate menus and options on your Fire Stick. Hit the area on the circle of where you would like the TV curser to move. For example, hit the top of the circle to move up, etc.

Select: Use the middle circle button to select items on your TV screen.

Back: Move to previous screen.

Home: Go to the main app menu on your Fire TV Stick.

Menu: Open more options, based on the item or function selected.

Fast forward, play/pause and rewind.

Volume up or down: Control how loud or quiet your TV program plays.

Mute button: Stop the sound on your TV.

How to use remotes with Alexa

Using the microphone button on your Fire TV Stick you can navigate your TV with your voice. To use this feature, hold down the voice button and ask Alexa a question. She gives helpful information about topics related to your viewing or listening content.

To get started, give some of these a try:

"Alexa, watch [movie title]"
“Alexa, pause"
"Alexa, fast forward [x] minutes"
"Alexa, rewind [x] seconds."
"Alexa, next/next Episode."
"Alexa, turn it down on Fire TV."
"Alexa, show me movies with [actor's name]"
"Alexa, open All West.tv”
"Alexa, show me popular show on [app]"
"Alexa, go to [channel / network] on [app]"

See the full list of what you can ask Alexa

Author: builtbygcommerce
October 19, 2020

Your internet connection brings the world to your fingertips, and having reliable high-speed internet is more valuable than ever. This is why All West is continuously investing in your connection by upgrading and expanding its fiber-optic network daily.

Why fiber?

Fiber is the most advanced internet technology in existence today. By using light to transfer information, fiber makes your internet 10 x faster and more reliable than the average internet connection. Here’s how All West fiber is making a difference in your community:

We’re Neighbors Serving Neighbors

All West Communications is locally owned. We believe in serving our communities where our employees live and work.

Our fiber-optic network brings you the most advanced internet technology and the fastest speeds around. Businesses and residents can get speeds up to 1 Gig, which is 10x faster than the average internet connection.

Locally owned means our services are local too. By being local, not only do we help create jobs in the community, but you can reach us via phone, chat, email, or by coming into any of our office locations.

We Use Our Expertise To Create Opportunities For Our Community

Not only does fiber allow you to adapt your business to the changing economy, but it also attracts more businesses to the area. Access to fiber internet is a major factor when businesses look for a new location, and high speeds help more businesses move into rural areas.

Fiber brings more businesses, which means more jobs too. In some instances, fiber has shown increased jobs by more than 17%.

Fiber can make your community a more attractive place to live, and studies have shown it can raise the value of homes by 3.1%.

People Trust All West For Entertainment, Information, And Communications

Having access to video conferences and online school is more important than ever for getting an education. Fiber gives you faster access to these resources with no lagging or buffering.

Having a dedicated line means you don’t share a connection with your neighbors. This is our way of making sure there aren’t any slowdowns at peak times of use.

Fiber brings enough speed for your whole family so everyone can play, watch, send and search all at the same time.

See where we’re expanding next!

Author: builtbygcommerce
September 23, 2020

For many of us, having a stable and reliable internet connection is a necessity. We rely on it for surfing the web, working from home, streaming our favorite movies and shows, and so much more. Because it’s such an essential aspect of our lives, we asked our customer service team about the most common mistakes people make with their home wi-fi network.

Not having enough speed

2020 has dramatically changed the way we use our internet. With parents working from home and kids having online learning, households are using the internet more than ever! One of the things people forget about is how this affects their internet speed and have not adjusted it to their new internet usage needs.

Think of your internet as a water pipe. Before the added use, you had enough water moving through the pipeline. However, with your new internet needs, it’s like turning on additional faucets, and you may see less water pressure than usual.

The same thing happens with your wi-fi speed. When the whole family is home, your wi-fi gets divided between all the devices connected to your router resulting in a slower connection.

If you are experiencing this, we recommend upgrading your speed.

(What internet speed is right for you?)

Not placing your router in the center of the home

Your router is the heart of your connection to the internet, which sends wi-fi signals throughout your home like ripples in water. When you don’t place your router in the center of your home, you reduce your coverage and wi-fi capacity because the ripples are most likely not reaching every corner of your home.

We recommend placing your router in the center of your home, so your wi-fi signal is spread throughout your whole home. If you have a large home or a home with multiple levels, you may need a wi-fi extender.

(How to choose the right router for your home)

Not having wi-fi security set-up

One of the most important elements of your home wi-fi network is having security set-up. Would you want a stranger breaking into your home? Most likely, no. It’s an invasion of privacy and safety for your family. To make sure your home is safe your Security should be both physically and digitally sound. At a minimum, we recommend:

Access Control: Having password-protected access to your home wi-fi network prevents your network from being hacked and your neighbors stealing your wi-fi.
Anti-virus and Malware: The internet can be a dangerous place when it comes to scammers, hackers, and viruses. To combat these attacks and keep you and your family safe, we recommend having anti-virus and malware on all your internet connecting devices.

You will also want to make sure the security on your home network will be able to update, so as new threats arise, your security will be able to adapt and remain protected.

(How strong is your wi-fi password?)

Having too many devices connected at the same time

Did you know that having too many devices connected to your network at the same time can slow down your internet? From smart thermostats to doorbells and even lights, you may be connecting more devices to your network than you think.

Your router has an antenna or antennas that work as a highway for your devices. When you connect too many devices to the same network, overcrowding can occur, and your devices compete against each other to connect to your router’s antenna. The result of this can be buffering, slow browser speeds, and latency.

To help solve this and get all your connected devices up and running, we recommend a router with either multi-band or tri-band signal. When you have a router with multiple bands, it’s like adding a lane to the highway, which allows for more devices to connect.

(Top 5 favorite features of Plume our staff raves about)

Using an outdated router, or internet connecting devices

Is your router or internet connecting device five years or older? The technology landscape is always evolving, and your older equipment or internet connecting device can interfere with your internet experience.

Older routers are often not made to handle higher internet speeds. It might max out at a lower speed resulting in blocking the bandwidth distributed throughout your home.

Also, when you use older internet connecting devices, they are not designed to handle higher internet speeds, resulting in a slower internet experience.

We recommend updating your router every three to four years, so you know you are getting as much internet speed as possible. It is also a good idea to keep an eye on your older technology and replace it when you start experiencing connectivity issues.

If you have other questions on avoiding common mistakes with your wi-fi network, our customer service team is standing by.

Author: builtbygcommerce
September 15, 2020

The internet can sometimes feel like a language all on its own. Between internet lingo, new and unfamiliar equipment, and trying to understand how your internet works, things get confusing quickly. That’s why we’re here to help make things easier on how to select an essential component to your internet connection, your router.

What is a router?

The router is a piece of equipment that takes the signal from your modem and distributes it to both wired devices and wireless (wi-fi) devices. The router also controls the range in which you can receive a wireless signal. (Learn more about how the internet gets to your digital device)

The first step in selecting a router is making sure it can handle the speed of your internet plan. Not all routers can handle all internet speeds. If your internet plan has 300 Mbps and your router can only handle 100 Mbps, you will be missing out on 200 Mbps of speed. (What internet speed is right for you?)

Another element you will want to look for if you live in a large home or a home with multiple levels is your router's wi-fi signal range. Every router has a specific signal range, and it may not be strong enough to reach every corner of your home. On occasion, walls, appliances, and sometimes furniture can disrupt your signal or stop it from going into the room next door. If your router is not strong enough, we recommend pairing it with a wi-fi extender to expand the signal into every corner of your home.

The last feature to look for in a router is built in security. To keep you and your family safe from digital threats and someone else using your network, your router should come with a password security option. Along with a password security option, you want to make sure that your router is able to make automatic updates when the manufacture makes changes to their software.

Want a router that checks off all of these boxes and more? All West trusts the Plume SuperPod system for all your router needs. Plume is a cloud-based system that provides you with full-strength, uninterrupted connectivity where and when you need it. The Plume app delivers an enhanced experience through custom guest access, parental controls, and AI Security™ for added protection. SuperPods™ are beautiful, small and plug straight into the wall.