Message for chebeague.net customers:

As you are all aware, lately the Internet speed has been slow in general. We all know that in the summer there are a lot more people using the system and therefore the amount of bandwidth we have gets spread out, diluted and challenged. If someone tries to do gaming or download a movie it will slow everyone down. The analogy is sharing water from a well. If someone is using too much water, there isn't enough for everyone else.

We also have discovered that some computers even when not being used are pulling down excessive amounts of bandwidth. We've also found that routers can cause problems if someone plugs the cable into the wrong slot and effectively short-circuits the system. We are studying the usage and trying to resolve some of these problems.

One way that everyone can help is to unplug your modem (the box with the three lights) when you are away or not using it for a long period of time. Another way is to avoid downloading netflicks, gaming and music. Of course we know that people need to get their work done which means occasionally transferring large files and important data is acceptable.

Something to remember, however, is that chebeague.net is merely the last mile or so in a journey that might involve thousands of miles, many connections and several systems. So the problem could be "up the line" and completely out of our control. Nonetheless, there's still much we can do here on Chebeague to make everyone's Internet experience valuable and worthwhile. Please recognize that the whole community is sharing this resource and we must be respectful of each other's needs.

We thank you for your cooperation and hope you enjoy the Internet on Chebeague Island.