Article · Networking & Internet
Business internet options in Clark County: fiber, cable and backup
Business internet options around Vancouver, Camas and Battle Ground, how fiber, cable and wireless compare, and why a backup connection pays off.
Your internet connection now carries your phones, your files, Teams calls and every cloud app you use. When it goes down, most of the business stops. Here’s how to think about choosing business internet around Vancouver, Camas, Battle Ground and the rest of Clark County.
Check by exact address
Availability in Clark County varies a lot from one street, or one building, to the next. Before you assume anything, check the specific address with several providers. If you’re moving, do this early, because new business service can take weeks to install. See Moving your office in the Portland and Vancouver area.
The main types of connection
| Type | Upload speed | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber | As fast as download | The best choice where available. Upload speed matters for video calls and cloud backups. |
| Cable | Much slower than download | Widely available and fast to download, but upload can bottleneck an office that relies on the cloud. |
| Fixed wireless | Varies | An antenna on the building. Useful where wired options are limited, and a solid backup. |
| 5G or LTE | Varies | A cellular connection. Usually best as a backup or temporary connection. |
Business service vs. residential
Business plans usually cost more for similar speeds. What you’re paying for:
- Faster repair commitments and business support lines
- Static IP addresses, which some phone systems, cameras and remote access setups need
- Terms that allow business use
- Service level agreements on some plans
Questions to ask providers
- What upload and download speeds are available at this exact address?
- Is it fiber all the way to the building, or only part of the way?
- How long until installation? Is construction required?
- What are the repair times for business customers?
- Are static IPs available, and what do they cost?
- What’s the contract length, and what happens if we move?
Why a backup connection pays for itself
If your phones and files are in the cloud, a few hours without internet means a few hours of not working. A second connection from a different provider, with a firewall that switches over automatically, keeps you running when the main line goes down. Pick a backup that uses a different kind of connection, like cable backing up fiber, or wireless backing up cable, so one cut line doesn’t take out both.
How much speed do you need?
It depends on what you do more than how many people you have. Video calls, large file uploads, cloud backups and VoIP phones all add up, and upload speed is where most offices feel the pinch. Your IT provider can look at how your office uses the connection and recommend a size, so you’re not overpaying or stuck with a bottleneck.
Not sure what’s available at your address, or how to set up a backup connection? Learn more about our IT support in Vancouver, WA and Portland or our networking and Wi-Fi service.