Earthlink is among the oldest and leading ISPs that have been serving customers in the United States of America. It was established in 1994 and has provided dial-up, DSL, fiber optic, and wireless internet connection products to customers in the country. But how accurate is this internet service provider of Earthlink as it is portrayed by the company? Is Earthlink reliable and what makes this Internet Service Provider dependable are the questions that I will answer in this blog post.
Earthlink’s Reliability Reputation
Altogether, Earthlink has a positive result in terms of internet connection with more than 25 years of experience. It generally performs admirably in meeting the given internet speed with little interruption or disconnection among other large-scale ISPs in the country.
According to BroadbandNow, Earthlink’s internet reliability index rating stood at 854 out of 1,000 in 2020. This ranking looks into aspects such as average speeds against promised speeds, latency, and outages among top ISPs. An 854 indicates that Earthlink is performing at an industry-average level and comparable to dependable DSL providers.
FCC data also reveals that Earthlink offers customers above 90% of the advertised speeds during peak hours, which means that connectivity can be expected to be fast when it is needed most. With features such as network redundancy and well-trained support staff, Earthlink has shown its ability to prevent interruption of the Internet.
However, no Internet Service Provider is perfect all the time and the percentiles do suggest that Earthlink does provide a reasonably fast Internet connection and is more consistent with minimal downtime over the recent past.
Parameters that have led to Earthlink’s dependability.
Own Network Redundancy
Network redundancy is another critical element that has helped Earthlink to offer stable connectivity to clients. This means they have standby equipment, data centers, and network pathways that can immediately switch to handling the load should any segment of the primary system break down.
This way Earthlink can ensure that there is always backup or spare capacity built into the network architecture so that data can be rerouted in the event of a server outage, fiber cut, or other damages without bringing down the system. While most major ISPs have implemented redundancy technologies, the scope and sophistication of these reserve systems are still not uniform.
Data Center and Equipment Quality
Further, the redundancy failover is one of the ways that is also used in Earthlink for its professional data centers and modern networking hardware extensively implemented in its systems. Their servers are equipped with backup power supply, cooling systems, and security measures to ensure that the equipment does not fail.
This means that, unlike most other internet service providers that struggle with aging or incompatible equipment across networks, Earthlink has very few problems with routers, switches, and fiber optic lines wearing out or being incompatible with new technologies. This coupled with round-the-clock IT support and maintenance, means their strong infrastructure incurs very few technical faults that cause disruptions to customers.
Smaller Subscriber Network
While mega-ISPs such as AOL with millions of subscribers all over the country are becoming an integral part of internet access, Earthlink is still a relatively young company with a relatively small number of subscribers for such a long time of its existence. Currently, Earthlink has approximately one million Internet customers, and their networks are not as crowded and overburdened as Comcast or Charter with tens of millions of users each.
The advantage of having fewer subscribers is that each user in some way receives more of the bandwidth resources that are provided by Earthlink during high traffic. Thus, even with a smaller overall network capacity compared to Comcast or Spectrum, Earthlink can provide stable speeds to its customers while experiencing less load on its infrastructure.
Dedicated Support Resources
Last but not least, Earthlink has large customer support departments that are always on the lookout for reliability problems or any service interruption that may be quite rare. Technical support services are available 24/7 across the U.S. with appropriate training in identifying connection issues or any damage to infrastructure within their region.
While using both the automated monitoring software and having specific employees to constantly monitor the internet, Earthlink is usually able to identify when there is a power failure and call the field technicians when necessary. Due to their customer-oriented attitude, most issues are sorted out within 24 hours for service repair and compensation for loss due to the outage.
Summary
Earthlink has deservedly earned its title of one of the most reliable nationwide Internet providers due to its long experience, dedicated teams, nationally redundant fiber network, and high-quality hardware equipment. Although no ISP service provider can be considered perfect, Earthlink provides reasonably fast connection speed without interruptions with which the residential and business customer can remain connected at all times.
Based on its values and reliability ratings, Earthlink remains attractive for an ISP across most of the states of America. I believe their robust DSL and fiber optics connections are sufficient to suit most average and above-average internet consumers who experience less disconnection over rivals.
From this article, customers with a desire for an internet company that values connection availability and support alongside reasonable rates should include Earthlink on their list of potential ISPs to consider. Due to a good balance of infrastructural capabilities, customer relations, and affordable prices, they are one of the most consistently listed well-rounded ISP options for most of the regions today.
Call (866) 240-0701 to get a new Earthlink connection now!
Read More:
What Type of Internet is Earthlink?
Is Earthlink Wireless Home Internet Good?
Lumen Fiber Plus: What You Need to Know Before You Switch
How Much Does Lumos Fiber Cost? A Comprehensive Pricing Guide
Lumos Fiber Optic Internet: Is It Worth the Investment?
