Reboot and reset- we hear these two words all the time when dealing with technology. To the non-techie ear, they may even sound synonymous. Whether you’re having trouble connecting to the wifi, getting your email on your iPad, or playing a show on your Roku, one common solution is- reboot the device. The popular Britcom The IT Crowd features the now infamous greeting “Hello IT, have you tried turning it off and on again?”

But that is exactly where the confusion lies. Devices like cable modems and routers typically have a reset button but not a reboot button. Have you ever wondered why the reset button is deeply recessed and requires a pen or similar implement to hit? That’s because it wasn’t intended to be used for everyday trouble shooting.

Rebooting the device is all that is required 99.9% of the time. “But how do I reboot the device?” you ask. The same way you boot the device. To boot a device means to turn it on. So, to reboot the device simply means to turn it off and then after a brief pause turn it back on again. When you’re specifically dealing with modems and routers this means to disconnect the electricity to the device and then after a brief pause (slowly count to 60) reconnect it.

Sometimes there’s a lot of cables and cords connected to a modem or router. The temptation may be to unhook them all- which can lead to other problems. The simplest way to circumvent this is to plug the modem or router in to a power strip with a power switch. Then you just flip the switch to power cycle it. However, if you don’t have a power strip you can simply follow the cord back to the power outlet and unplug/plug that cord from the back of the device.

Back to that reset button. What would it be used for? Think of it as the “factory reset” button. In the case modems or routers leased from HCC you would never need to use the reset button. HCC would only use the reset button once the device was returned to us to wipe the unique user settings that allowed it to provide your internet service.

If you’re talking about devices like phones, tablets, media streaming devices (Rokus, Fire TV, etc) you’ll still want to reboot the device for everyday trouble shooting. All devices occasionally get system updates. These updates can sometimes cause the device to act glitchy until they’ve been… rebooted. Some system updated even require that a reboot be performed (ever notice how Windows does this). In some extreme cases, like malware or overfull storage, you may want to perform a factory reset to get a clean slate. However, these are very rare, and you may want to get the advice of a professional. You can always call HCC technical support for a second opinion.

The take away is that rebooting is your friend and is the correct trouble shooting step 99.9% of the time. It just means to power down the device, giving it a chance to clear any errors, and then power it back on again, and reconnect to the network. Which is basically what Chris O’Dowd was saying in his flippant tagline “Hello IT, have you tried turning it off and on again”.

Congratulations to Robin Redman our February Employee of the Month!

Robin is a rock star!  Recently a co-worker needed to send a piece of equipment to a customer on the other side of the county.  They didn’t know where to begin.  Robin just took care of it.  Her co-worker added that there has never been a single occasion that she hasn’t dropped what she was doing to answer rookie questions and  “I appreciate her sooo much!”.

Congratulations to the following HCC employees celebrating work anniversaries in February: Brett Fredson (1 year), Will Crossen (2 years), Jeannie Dragt (4 years), and Marti Depoe (18 years).  Happy HCC-iversary!

Our offices will be closed on Monday, February 19, for Presidents Day.  This national holiday was originally recognized President George Washington’s Birthday, but is now viewed as a day to honor all U.S. presidents past and present.

For after hours support please call 360.898.2481.

Congratulations to Travis Sheetz our January Employee of the Month.  Continue reading below to see why he’s being recognized by his peers!

Travis has been doing an amazing job of working with our inventory system.  He’s reorganized the inventory and obsoleted old items making it more user friendly.  Additionally he has taken on the immense task of updating the data in our mapping software.  He’s done these additional duties while continuing to do his regular work as an installer, including some after hours installations, without grumbling.  Keep up the good work Travis!

Congratulations to Darren Eisele on sixteen years at Hood Canal Communications in January.  Happy HCC-iversary!

In honor of MLK Day, both of our offices will be closed on Monday, January 15.  Learn more about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the holiday in his honor at thekingcenter.org.

For after hours assistance please call 360.898.2481.

On December 14, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission voted to undo “net neutrality” rules that were implemented in 2015.  This change has caused much interest and excitement in the media and online.  However, at Hood Canal Communications it’s business as usual.  The company agrees that consumers should have unfettered access to the content on the Internet and consumer privacy should be protected by ISPs.

Additionally, Hood Canal Communications adheres to the following:

• HCC doesn’t block or throttle consumer access to lawful content online.
• HCC doesn’t share consumer data for any reason, including but not limited to marketing or resale to third parties, except when required by court order.
• HCC doesn’t engage in unlawful or anticompetitive discrimination against websites, streaming services, and voice applications regardless if they compete with products offered by HCC, nor does the company offer pay-for-priority services.
• HCC continues to invest in its network to meet the customers’ needs for internet speeds, capacity and services.

On Friday, December 22, our Shelton office will be closed at 11:30 am and our Union office will be closed at noon so that our staff may enjoy a holiday potluck together.  Both of our offices will be closed on Monday, December 25, in celebration of Christmas.

Both of our offices will be closed on Monday, January 1, in celebration of New Years Day.  Happy holidays from Hood Canal Communications!

Congratulations are in order for our December Employee of the Month Aaron Buechel!  Learn why he’s being recognized by his peers, and which three employees are celebrating December HCC-iversaries below.

Aaron has a great attitude and is always ready to do whatever needs to be done.  Recently a couple of co-workers needed to have their company vehicles washed and ready for an event but were short on time and ended up being out of the office unexpectedly.  Aaron stepped up to the plate and took care of them himself.  He never complains about doing tasks big or small, and never has the attitude that he’s the bosses’ son.  Thank you, Aaron, for always being in a great mood and getting things done!

Congratulations to our employees celebrating work anniversaries in December: Lori Heinzen (2 yrs), Mary Shaffer (30 yrs), and Travis Sheetz (18 yrs).  Happy HCC-iversary!

With the ease and availability of online streaming becoming increasingly popular, the speed at which your household connects may need to be revisited. For example, the number of Netflix subscribers increased from 26 million in 2012 to 109 million in 2017.

Some simple math can help you choose the ideal broadband speed for your household. Below are a few examples of data speeds.

HD video stream = 5Mbps download
ULTRA HD 4K video = 25Mbps download
Xbox One = 25 Mbps download minimum
YouTube = varies

When streaming YouTube videos, the total video will be downloaded at the maximum available bandwidth until the entire video has been downloaded. As a result, your connection can be taxed by the YouTube content depending on its size, quality, and length. The same principle applies when watching most other video content online.

Gaming systems are becoming more dependent on your broadband connection download and upload speeds. HCC recommends a hardwired connection of at least 25/3 Mbps per Xbox One or PS4 gaming system.

For non-gamers a good scale to use is that you should have 10Mbps per user, depending on how each person uses the internet. So if you’re thinking about adding some new tech gear this holiday season, give us a call at 360.898.2481. Our knowledgeable representatives will help you figure out if you already have enough speed or if it’s time to consider an upgrade.

Hood Canal Communications is pleased to announce that they received a $2.3 million Community Connect Grant from the USDA’s Rural Utility Service Telecommunications program.  The grant is to extend broadband service to residents and business in the upper Lake Cushman area.  The Fiber to the Home project will bring high speed internet service to homes and businesses that do not currently have access to broadband service.

See the company press release for additional information.