Getting the most out of Google Fiber 8 Gig

When you have 8 Gig internet, you can reach professional-grade speeds, right from your home. With Google Fiber 8 Gig, you'll receive a professional installation of a new 10 Gig capable Fiber Jack. Here’s some information on how to get the maximum internet speeds possible.

Speed specifics

With 8 Gig, you can get symmetrical upload and download speeds of up to 8 Gigabits per second using a wired connection as long as you use the following:

• Apple Mac Studio or Pro, other High-end PCs with 10 Gbps network interface card, or a 10 Gbps USB adapter for PCs. Other connected devices with a 10 Gbps ethernet port, USB 3.0 or higher Solid State Drives (SSD) with PCIe 4.0, and PC with 8-core processor or higher. More details below.

Speed for your entire household

Professionals in technology and data, as well as serious tech enthusiasts, may benefit the most from this service due to the large size of their files and data sets. Additionally, cloud applications and remote servers focused on technology and data are more likely to keep up with the 8 Gig speeds.

Given how new these speeds are, customers will need equipment that is capable of these speeds to see the full benefit – from their ethernet cables, switches, network cards and attached devices.

Wired vs. wireless connections

Using an Ethernet connection to connect your device directly to the internet allows you to get a faster and more stable internet connection than you’d get over Wi-Fi.  So, in order to obtain the maximum speeds possible, you’ll want to plug your device (or devices) into your router (or switch) directly using an Ethernet cable.

Hardware Specifics

Use a fast Ethernet cable

• If you’re connecting this way, make sure your Ethernet cable is Cat6A or greater (‘Cat’ is short for category, and if you’re not sure what type yours is, you’ll usually see this information printed on the side of the cable. 
• Cat6 cables may not be able to reach 8 Gigabit per second speeds. You can, of course, use the Cat6 you have to get a connection—you just won’t obtain the maximum speeds available.
• Don’t have a fast Ethernet cable, or not sure yours is the right one? You’ll find a few on our Amazon microstore.

Use a fast Ethernet adapter for wired connections

• If your device doesn’t have a built-in 10 Gb Ethernet port or faster (this is currently rare on laptops, but available as an upgradable component on desktop computers), you’ll need an adapter—also known as a dongle—rated at 10 Gb or faster.
• A suitable 10G ethernet adapter plugged into a capable laptop/device is also needed. 
• While the specific adapter you'll need depends on what kind of device you’re using, you’ll find one on our Amazon microstore.
  Remember that not all adapters are compatible with all devices, so be sure to check before you buy it. 

Connect your adapter to fast USB

Even with a fast adapter, slower USB ports on your device can slow your connection down. So you’ll want to plug your adapter into USB 3.0 or newer - with a USB A or C port.

• Don’t have those faster USB ports? You can still use 8 Gig to get the maximum speed your device is capable of, but won’t reach 2,000 megabits per second.)

Use a fast switch for multiple devices

In order to maximize your internet speeds over Ethernet on multiple devices, you’ll need a device known as a switch.

You’ll need a switch capable of speeds 8 Gig or greater to get the maximum speed available from the router and the adapter. This setup will let you share your wired speed across all devices. You can find one on our Amazon microstore.

Just make sure that the switch you’re using is compatible with multi-gig speeds.

Use your own router (Multi-Gig) specifications:

• Minimum specifications:
  • Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
  • Dual-band or Quad-band 
  • Gigabit ethernet port (minimum 2 ports)
  • Minimum one 5GBASE-T RJ-45 (Ethernet) for 5 Gig
  • Minimum one 10GBASE-T RJ-45 (Ethernet) for 8 Gig
  • WPA2 security protocols
  • Mesh networking for multi-gig plans
• Advanced specifications:
  • Mesh-router system for homes with larger coverage area or Wi-Fi dead spots
  • Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) for advanced users who need the best Wi-Fi available.
• Speed may be limited by router capabilities, check router specs for support of multi-gig speeds.
• A cable or DSL modem-router combo will typically NOT work with GFiber service.

Hardware to be able to speed test

You'll need to download Ookla's Desktop Client App to speed test 8 Gig due to browser-based speed test limitations.

• Apple Mac Studio or Pro, other High-end PCs with 10 Gbps network interface card, or a 10 Gbps USB adapter for PCs.  Other connected devices with a 10 Gbps ethernet port, USB 3.0 or higher Solid State Drives (SSD) with PCIe 4.0, and PC with 8-core processor or higher.
• Using the Google Fiber Multi-gig router and two Google Fiber Mesh Extenders included with any Multi-gig plan, you can get wireless speeds up to 700 Mbps. Of course, exact speeds will vary based on the devices you’re using, and a few other factors we’ll cover in more detail below.
• For now, if you’re looking for information about the maximum speeds you can get with Google Fiber, you can find it here.

How to go the absolute fastest on 8 Gig

The speed you see on your device in a speed test will be based on the speeds that you’re able to get through 1) your device (and its operating system’s ability to support fast ports), 2) your cables, 3) your Ethernet adapter or port, and 4) the USB port you’re connecting into.

Internet speed depends on your devices

Our 8 Gig comes with whole home Wi-Fi at Wi-Fi 6 speeds. That means if you have
Wi-Fi 6-enabled devices you’ll be able to experience maximum wireless speeds. If your devices aren’t Wi-Fi 6-enabled (from, say, 2020 or later), they’re likely not built to go as fast as the wireless speeds that 8 Gig internet offers. If you’re not sure whether your device has Wi-Fi 6, you can check with the manufacturer or search your device’s specs online. The maximum speeds can only be obtained through a wired connection and required equipment.

Keeping your device up-to-date

Sometimes, devices have older operating systems or lack the newest drivers to obtain the maximum speeds through their USB port, into the 2.5 Gb Ethernet or faster adapter and into the Cat6A or newer cables to the router and back. Make sure to keep your devices up-to-date on their system updates as well, as they can slow you down, wired or wireless.

Go faster over Wi-Fi

Here, we offer some tips about how to get fast internet over Wi-Fi.

• Typically, the closer to your router you are, the faster your speed.  
• Remember that some building materials used to create walls and other obstacles can block the Wi-Fi signal emitted by your router. So if there’s, say, a cinder block wall between you and your router, you may get a better signal by moving to the other side of the wall. 
• Your Wi-Fi connection can run into interference from signals being sent by microwave ovens, cordless phones, baby monitors, garage door openers and other devices. So, when possible, connect using your network's 5 GHz Wi-Fi frequency, and turn off any devices that may be interfering when you want to go fast over Wi-Fi. 

Other factors that affect speed

Some devices won’t be able to handle multi-gig speeds (like 8 Gig) even with a wired connection, simply because they’re not up-to-date. There are several things you can do to bridge those gaps, including updating your operating system and having a new network card installed. Here are some other variables that may affect your internet speeds.