Troubleshooting
Test your line properly, read the number honestly, and fix what's fixable.
Articles in this section
- How do I run an accurate speed test?
- Plug one computer into the wall port with an Ethernet cable, close everything else, and run the test two or three times — anything else is measuring your Wi-Fi, not your line.
- Why is my speed test slower than my plan?
- Most results below plan speed come from the measurement — Wi-Fi, the device's network port, the cabling, or the test server — but if a proper wired test is well short, we want to hear about it.
- My internet is down — what do I do first?
- Check a second device, then plug straight into the wall port — if a wired computer works, the problem is inside your home; if nothing works, call us at (617) 693-9434.
- How do I know if there's an outage in my area?
- If we know about an interruption at your address we'll text you, push a notification to the app, and email you — and if you'd rather check yourself, call (617) 693-9434 and a bulletin plays before the phone menu.
- Why is my streaming buffering?
- Restart the app and the streaming device first — on a symmetrical fiber line, buffering is almost never a bandwidth shortage.
- Why do my video calls and games lag?
- Lag is caused by latency, jitter, and packet loss rather than a lack of bandwidth — a bigger plan won't fix it, but a wired connection often will.
Talk to us
Call (617) 693-9434, Monday to Friday 8am–6pm ET, or email [email protected]. We answer within 24 hours, and usually within an hour.
Boston Broadband is a service-area business serving Boston, Brookline and Cambridge, Massachusetts. There is no counter to walk up to — phone, email and your account at myaccount.bostonbroadband.com are the ways in.