Tired of slow internet?

Bandwidth Busters Explained

Julie Thompson Bowen
July 2015

The International Educators quick-start guide to

optimizing internet bandwidth in a third world context.

Introduction
I think we can all safely say that struggling with slow (or non-existent)
internet during the work day is one stress we don't need. Most of us
coming from first world work environment have never had to think about
bandwidth or how much we use in a day. This guide is made especially for
you.
As professionals there are some things we can all do to avoid the
frustrations of slow internet speeds. The bandwidth available is a shared
resource and one person's usage directly affects the ability of others to use
the internet effectively. By working together we can ensure that we
maximize the present bandwidth and relieve some stress for our
colleagues.

Chapter 1

7 steps to faster internet

Things to avoid, as a first step:
* Streaming visual files, as when communicating via Webcam
(Skype, MSN)
* Watching online video sites like YouTube (for more than 35min.)
* Downloading movies and music (P2P software explained later)
* Listening to Internet radio (e.g. Grooveshark, Spotify etc.)
* Playing online games (game console or computer) especially
Flash heavy games.
Continue reading for further clarification of the above points.

Bandwidth busters explained:

1. Beware of Automatic update settings and close any windows you are
not using. For example, having pages that update regularly such as Twitter
or Facebook running in the background can slow things down. Also make
sure your settings on your mobile do not 'show notifications' every time
for e-mail, social media or game/app updates. Even more so, ensure your
mobile phone is not set to on the schools Wi-Fi during the day unless
it is being used for academic reasons. This is particularly important if
your phone is set to automatically update whenever connected to Wi-Fi.
After school hours (preferably late at night) is a great time to manually
update your phones/tablet apps should you need to use school bandwidth
to do this.

2. Close any running applications not in use. Keeping Google Drive

documents open or other programs such
as Facebook, Dropbox or Skype running
in the background during the school day
takes up needed bandwidth as they are
constantly updating throughout the day.
When tools such as Skype are needed as
a tool to enhance learning (e.g. Skype in the classroom) please inform the
IT department of the time and day of your online meeting so they can
secure you more bandwidth (if possible) and/or they may be able to
suggest a better time of day for connectivity.
3. AVOID Peer to Peer sites. The best examples
of peer-to-peer sites are illegal download and free
download sites like LimeWire, Kazaa, and
BitTorrent.
Check your classroom computer to ensure there is
no Peer-to-peer software installed on it. This software allows users on the
same network to download files located on another users computer
(download) and vice-versa (upload). This way, Internet users can easily
exchange files via the Internet. Warning: P2P applications remain active in the
background if they are not closed properly even if you have stopped using them. External users
can download files located on your computer without your knowledge, thus increasing the amount
of data being transferred and therefore your upload usage (sending). It is very important to close
the application carefully when you are done.

4. Avoid streaming during the school day if possible. As you know

streaming here is rarely successful and should be avoided as it is one of
the main causes of poor bandwidth at SCIS. Try to keep downloading of
YouTube videos to the bare minimum during working hours. There are
several YouTube downloader (YTD downloader or download a good
Firefox add-on e.g. 1-click YouTube download) which can be used to
download the media you need to your desktop out of lesson times. Also

you can adjust (lower) the quality of the video download by clicking on
settings/subtitles/240p at the bottom right of video screen.

If you simply need music for a lesson try to download just the music you
need rather than a full video there are tools to do this. SCIS encourages teachers
to recognize and model good digital citizenship and this means making every effort to avoid
copyright infringement and purchasing videos/music is strongly recommended. Here are some
recommended creative commons sites.
NOTE* When you are using the schools internet paid streaming sites such Netflix or Hulu
(and streaming through illegal sites) is strictly forbidden. Abuse of this agreement can result in
your IP address being blocked which can be inconvenient and very expensive. Many staff members
use Smiles 4G which boasts the fastest internet connection in Arusha. 10GB costs approximately
80,000tsh

.
Avoid any of the above sites.

5. Photos beware. Downloading large, unnecessarily high resolution

images (e.g. magazines) or up or downloading personal photos to
Facebook or other sites can slow down the internet speed for others.
Ensure your phone is not automatically posting or uploading to
Flickr/Picasa via auto sync with devices connecting to school wifi.
6. Remove unwanted add-ons, extensions, and plugins. Most of us have
found Firefox to be the most reliable/fastest browser here in Arusha but
Chrome has improved greatly over the last year. Though many plugins
and add-ons can make your surfing experience more efficient, others make
it difficult to perform instant page loads. (Non-essentials like themes,
skins, and gizmos youve grown bored with are prime targets.) Try
disabling these unnecessary plug-ins and add-ons to gain better browsing
and downloading speed. *TIP~ Use Firefox and install Firefox plus
(adblocker) and Faster Fox lite. If you need help contact the IT
department or someone on your team who can help.
7. Be wary of file sharing services. Dropbox is an excellent service for
backing up or sharing files however check your settings and put it on
manual syncing or every few minutes it will scan and update. If you use it
on your mobile and have it set to back up pictures you will be transferring
large amounts of data which may not be necessary.
If after taking the above steps your internet still remains slow it is possible a virus
(malware) on your computer. Run a virus scan or contact christopherheddi@scis.sc.tz or
it@scis.sc.tz and let them know what is going on. If they don't know about it they can't help.

Chapter 2

How to find Quality Video

For classroom Use

Student engagement is important in every classroom and many teachers

use You Tube clips. With over 1 billion videos at our fingertips it is
important to thoughtfully use this tool in the classroom without disrupting
internet usage for the rest of the school.
Here are some guidelines to maximize bandwidth when searching for the
perfect provocation video for your classroom. *Strictly speaking
according to You Tube you are not supposed to download video content
unless a download option is provided. More information on how to use
You Tube in the classroom can be found here. If you do not have
permission and wish to download we encourage you to use the You Tube
filter to find creative commons videos.

Note: You Tube is unavailable through your school Google apps for
education account due to the fact that we are located in Tanzania. You
must open a new browser or search logged in through your personal gmail account.
Finding a quality video
1. Determine the aim and objective of the clip before you start your
search.
2. Watch the videos or part of the video before downloading it. Aim to
have video clips no more than 5 or 6 minutes long. Flip the
classroom: If there are longer videos you wish students to watch
consider sending them the link to watch at home and then discuss
aspects of the video the next day.
3. Sharing is caring! Share good clips with your team via intranet or on
flash drive. Using these methods to pass larger files saves valuable
bandwidth for others.

Appendix A
Staff Responsible Use Policy
For all digital citizens of our school community, the following Responsible Use Policy (RUP) outlines the ethical practices
they will follow when using technological devices*, websites and e-mail in school or outside the school. A Responsible
digital citizen acts with integrity, showing respect and care in how he or she deals with others and acts at all
times.
*Technological Devices includes devices such as laptops, computers, ipads, ipods, iphones, mobile phones, smart phones, cameras, video cameras, pen
drives, personal owned, school owned, etc.

As a digital citizen, I will...

1

Respect all school rules when using technological devices / websites / email.

Never participate in cyberbullying / inappropriate texting / sending inappropriate or unauthorized images. I will
always use acceptable, polite language when writing emails / comments and using technological devices.

Respect the privacy of others online by keeping secure my own personal information and that of others, such as
name, age, address, telephone number, schedules and location, except in school approved, protected situations.

Care for my own, others, and the schools technology related hardware and materials by being conscientious
about not breaking / misusing / abusing any items and returning items to secure charging areas when not in use.

Act with integrity by purchasing original material and/or paying the corresponding licenses, with exception to those
that are free or open source.

Thoughtfully reflect on what I publish online, and only send e-mail/ comments and submit and/or publishes
verified and correct information.

Care for the schools computer systems or related hardware and does not install or remove files/ software/
hardware without authorization. I will also return all ICT equipment at the end of the year in good condition.

Be professionally courteous and follow the guidelines set out to ensure there is adequate bandwidth for
everyone by avoiding streaming media unless for educational purposes. Downloading of YouTube videos should
be done outside of school hours where possible.

Where possible, I respect copyright, showing the source of all media/ photos/ information following fair use rules.

10

Report to administration when a student is abusing the system and follow steps to ensure it is stopped.

11

Respect the rules and regulations of this Responsible Use Policy (RUP), the rules of social networks, and of the
software that is use in or outside the school.

Reference: http://www.committedsardine.com/

---------------------------------------------------Staff Responsible Use Policy Agreement Form

I agree to follow, to the best of my ability, the schools Responsible Use Policy. I understand that I am a digital citizen of
our school community and as such, I should promote the proper use of the schools Responsible Use Policy. In case I
need guidance and/or support in applying this policy, I will contact the Digital Learning Coordinator for advice. If I am
found to be consciously abusing the Policy, the school is within its rights to take disciplinary action.
Teachers Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Teachers Signature: _______________________________________________________________ Date: ___ /__ /_____

References
Howto-Geek (n.d.) As retrieved on June 17, 2015. http://www.howtogeek.com/187952/how-todeal-with-internet-bandwidth-caps/
Prindle, D. (Oct. 5, 2013). Digital Trends. As retrieved from:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/web/how-to-download-music-from-youtube/
Creative Commons. (n.d.). As retrieved from:
https://search.creativecommons.org/?q=images
Hillner, J. (Aug.31, 2009). As retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/youtube-educationalvideos-classroom
Wikihow- how to do anything. (n.d.) As retrieved on July 20, 2015 from:
http://www.wikihow.com/Optimize-Your-Internet-Connection
Rutgers University- Undergraduate Academic Affairs (2015), (n.d.) As retrieved from:
https://dcs.rutgers.edu/dcs-faculty-resources/classroom-technology-blog/youtube-in-theclassroom