How can I find out which Internet provider serves my flat?

Situations in which you may need to know your provider

So, you may need information about your Internet service provider (ISP) in the following cases:

• When moving to a new flat.
  

  If you have bought or rented a new home, when you move in, you may wonder which ISP serves it. This is necessary for you to decide whether to continue using the services of the current telecom operator, or to become a subscriber of another.

• In order to compare tariff plans.
  

  If you have not used the Internet for a long time and then decided to compare tariff plans of different providers in order to choose the best option for you, you will need information about your current Internet service provider.

• In case you change your service provider.
  

  If for some reason you decide to change your current ISP, without information about it you will not be able to terminate the current contract and properly connect the services of the new one.

• To make technical settings for your router.
  

  When setting up your router or other devices to connect to the Internet, you may need information about your ISP such as connection type, host name, and other information.

• To update your contract or change your service plan.
  

  In order to make changes to your service contract or change your tariff plan, you may need to contact your ISP to clarify information.

• In the event of problems with your Internet connection.
  

  If you need to solve technical problems, having your ISP's details will allow you to contact them quickly and get the help you need.

Next, we share with you specific ways to determine your flat's Internet service provider.

How do I identify my ISP without an Internet connection?

Let's start with the ways available without an Internet connection. So, to find out the name of your provider, you can:

1. Ask the owner or previous tenants of the flat.
   

   If you bought a flat on the secondary market and the Internet is already connected to it, you need to find out the personal account in order to reissue it to yourself. You can check this information with the previous owner of the flat.

   If you rent a flat, you will be lucky if the previous tenants inform the landlord about the connected Internet, and you will be able to clarify the number of the personal account and the name of the person to whom the connection was registered. But often tenants connect to the Internet on their own, and after they vacate the flat, the landlord does not even know which provider they used. In such cases, you will most likely have to apply for a new connection.

2. Inspect the router.
   

   The back of the device often has the ISP's logo on it. So if you can turn the router over, you may see the name of your ISP along with the factory information.

3. Look at the distribution board.
   

   If you have cable Internet, the cable runs from your flat to the switchboard installed in the entrance (usually, it is fixed on the wall). This switchboard looks like a small box with wires that go into it. Usually the switchboard is labelled with a provider's sticker with the provider's logo and contact details.

4. Check financial records.
   

   If you have access to the provider's current service contract and/or receipts, you can find out the company name and contact information from these documents. But sometimes it can be difficult to find the contract and receipts, as they may have been lost or removed by previous landlords or tenants.

5. Pay attention to adverts in the entrance.
   

   Often, residents learn information about the possibility of using the services of a particular provider from adverts or advertising booklets left in the entrance.

6. Ask neighbours.
   

   As practice shows, neighbours in an apartment building are often served by one provider. Therefore, if you do not know anything about yours, you can ask your neighbours which company provides them with Internet services.

How to identify your ISP in other ways?

Now we tell you about digital ways to find information about your ISP.

1. By IP address.
   

   There are special sites that recognise your unique IP address and provide information about your ISP. Among such online services is 2IP.ua.

2. With the help of online services to check the connection speed.
   

   To find out the name of your ISP, you just need to open one of such web services (for example, Speedtest by Ookla) and run the test. After a few seconds, the system will provide statistical information about the data transfer speed and information about your ISP.

3. With the help of search engines.
   

   You can use a search engine that is convenient for you. Just type in the name of your city and street together with the word "Internet provider" and you will get a list of companies that serve your neighbourhood. Then call each provider's hotline to find out if your flat is connected to their Internet line or if it is possible to connect to your address.

Keep in mind that not all neighbourhoods have a large selection of providers available. Therefore, it is possible that only one company may be available to order services at your address.

Conclusions

Knowing which Internet service provider you use will allow you to solve all sorts of technical issues faster and make informed decisions about your choice of service provider. Therefore, the above methods will be useful for you to find out more about your provider.

And perhaps you know other proven methods? If yes, share them in the comments.