Holiday hacks: Your tech checklist for a merry season ahead

This paid piece is sponsored by Midco.

The guests are coming over, your kids are home from school, and no one wants to hear “The Wi-Fi’s not working!”

But with a few simple steps, you not only can ensure a smooth online experience this holiday season but also make the most of your tech.

☑️  (Securely) connect your guests

Call it part of holiday hosting – sharing your Wi-Fi password.

But for those with Midco Wi-Fi, there are options to accommodate those who don’t regularly use your network.

“You can create a guest password using the Midco Wi-Fi app,” explained Lance Kaske, operations training program manager. “You can create a unique password for your home network different from what you regularly use if you’re having guests over and would rather they not use your password.”

Bonus: You can even set when the password expires, so you don’t need to remember to get rid of it.

“Create it for three days, three hours, whatever you need,” Kaske said.

☑️ Check your devices

Do yourself a tech favor and pull up your Midco Wi-Fi app, and then take a look at all your connected devices.

“Sometimes, there are unknown or older devices connected to the internet, and they’re not really doing anything – old iPads, things you don’t really use anymore, so it’s a good opportunity to do a device cleanup and disable the Wi-Fi or turn them off,” Kaske said.

“Older devices are slower by nature and have the potential to impact your newer devices. Think of it like an old, slow car driving in front of your newer, faster one.”

☑️ Assess your speed needs

As you have more people at home using your internet service, it’s always worth considering a speed upgrade.

“Most of the service offerings are extremely robust as far as bandwidth, but depending on how many people are home and what people are doing at home, it can be important,” Kaske said. “If you have people staying with you for the holidays and many are gaming or streaming, that can have an impact.”

Upgrades to internet service through Midco are “very, very easy to do,” he added. “Some can be done entirely online, or you can call or chat us, but it’s very easy to make a change.”

Click here to take your holiday surfing up a notch by looking at your speed options. 

☑️ Create device-free zones

The holiday season also is a great chance to familiarize yourself with how much control you actually have over TV and internet use in your home.

Midco’s parental controls allow you to adjust access for individual devices for whenever you choose.

“If your kids are home for the holidays and maybe not in their normal routine and staying up late, maybe you want to change device access schedules, so after a certain hour, they don’t have internet access,” Kaske said. “So you can steer habits a little bit.”

Craving a holiday meal with no one looking into a screen? These controls make that possible.

“If you want a device-free zone, you can do that,” Kaske said.

☑️ Enjoy seasonal content

It’s possible to get a dose of holiday spirit every time you turn on your Midco-connected TV.

Your Music Choice channels include “Sounds of the Season” for playing carols in the background while you prep for guests, entertain or decorate. And watch for the popular yule log options available through video on demand during the holidays.

“You can play it on a loop, and it will turn your TV into a fireplace,” Kaske said.

Of course, this also is the time for holiday movies galore with some channels offering them 24/7, “and if you have MidcoTV, it functions as a full smart TV, so you can tap into pre-installed apps like YouTube and Spotify and stream your holiday playlist,” Kaske said.

It’s also the time of year for everything from college bowl games to Thanksgiving football, so pull up MidcoTV and scroll through your channels to remind yourself what you’re subscribed to and reach out if you’d like to add more specialized sports channels.

“Like internet, those upgrades are very easy, and we can always help add channels,” Kaske said.

To familiarize yourself with the options, click here. 

☑️ Don’t fight over the remote or miss out

Whether the screens are already spoken for or you’re doing some holiday travel, Midco’s TV Everywhere includes online access to help you stay connected to favorite channels.

“You can access and stream so much content through websites and apps for different channels using your Midco login credentials,” Kaske said. “It’s a great option as the screens in your house get busy. And, using the MidcoTV app, you can watch live TV in your home through your phone or tablet.”

☑️ Reboot to refresh

The final way to plug into great tech this holiday season actually might be to unplug.

“I always suggest that before guests show up, restart your equipment,” Kaske said. “Just unplug it and plug it back in, whether it’s your internet or TV. Just refresh it. We all need a reboot, especially when family is coming over.”