RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Ultra-fast 2 gigabit internet is now available from Google Fiber in areas it services across the Triangle – and as of this week in Charlotte, too – but …

Just because you want the faster service for all your streaming doesn’t mean your gear is up to the task.

In a blog post, Google Fiber spells out what changes and upgrades you may have to make to support the $100-a-month service. (The 1G service is $70.)

“With 2 Gig, everyone in your household can do what they want online simultaneously — whether that’s video conferencing for work or school, streaming their favorite show, or playing a video game — and still enjoy the fastest speeds your devices are capable of, even in larger, heavy internet use households with advanced devices,” Google explains/

“You can definitely take advantage of our 2 Gig service without running out and buying new equipment, but 2 Gig is so fast that many existing devices aren’t built to keep up with that speed individually yet (only newer devices with built-in Wi-Fi 6 capabilities can reach top wireless speeds).”

So what do you need to do?

“Wired connections are the fastest connections, so with both 1 Gig and 2 Gig, you’ll get your fastest speed connected via an ethernet cable,” Google Fiber explains. “Unless you have a device with an ethernet port designed for 2.5 Gbps or higher, you’ll need an 2.5 Gb or faster adapter (or dongle) and a Cat6 ethernet cable connecting your device to the router to get the top speed. Also, make sure you’ve done all your system updates so your devices are running at their fastest.”

Google Fiber is one of the few firms now offering 2G service.

For more information, check out this Google Fiber blog.

Google Fiber rolls out ultra-fast 2 gigabit internet service in Triangle