How Much Internet Speed Do I Need?

A expert internet speed is anywhere between 50 and 100 Mbps. Speeds of fifty to 100 Mbps allow a few people to stream in Hd or even 4K, stream music, game, browse social media, and piece of work from abode.

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Hither's a quick look at what you lot can do with other speeds unremarkably offered by net service providers (ISPs):

What tin you do with unlike internet speeds?

Internet speed

Number of people

Activities

5–25 Mbps

1–2

Casual spider web browsing, emails, social media, streaming SD video, streaming music

25–l Mbps

i–3

Streaming HD and 4K video, streaming music, gaming, lite work from domicile

50–100 Mbps

2–4

Streaming 4K video, gaming, working from home, using domicile security devices

100–500 Mbps

ii–v

Streaming 4K video, gaming, running a home function, using habitation security and smart home devices

500–1,000 Mbps

3–5+

Running a home office or creative profession, streaming in 4K, gaming, using dwelling house security and smart home devices

But really, finding the right internet speed for y'all is more than of a balancing act. If y'all don't have enough Mbps, yous'll get a visit from the nasty buffering icon. If yous have too many Mbps, you might exist paying too much for your internet program.

To find that sweet spot, yous'll want to follow these steps:

Get a head start: find out which ISPs and speeds are available in your area.

1. Count how many people use your internet

The more than people using your cyberspace, the more than speed, or Mbps, you demand.

Don't forget to count yourself when you tally up everyone who connects to your internet. Other potential cyberspace users tin include your partner or spouse, children, housemates, and even frequent visitors, like grandkids or siblings.

Take a gamer in the family?

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Whether it's you or someone else who likes to hop online and game with friends, information technology's important to know that internet speed isn't the only affair affecting gameplay. Gamers also demand an internet connectedness with low latency—and maybe some upload speed to pinnacle it off. Notice out which ISPs nosotros recommend for gaming and then you lot or your gamer housemate doesn't get pwned.

Desire the latest tech reviews, top picks, and deals?

ii. Await at all the devices using your Wi-Fi

Like people, the more than devices yous take that utilize the internet, the more than Mbps you need.

This one takes some thinking, considering there are so many devices that use your internet in today'due south globe. Information technology's easy to forget how many you have at home, but this list of common connected devices might assistance jog your retention:

What devices utilise your cyberspace?

Light Bulb

  • Smart TVs and apps: Netflix, Amazon Video, HBO Max, etc.
  • DVRs: DIRECTV Genie, DISH Hopper, etc.
  • Streaming devices: Amazon Burn down, Apple tree Television, Roku, etc.
  • Gaming consoles: PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, etc.
  • Computers, laptops, tablets
  • Cell phones
  • Smart appliances: Nest thermostat, smart locks, smartbulbs, etc.
  • Smart home hubs: Amazon Echo, Anova Precision Cooker, etc.
  • Security systems: Hubs and cameras for ADT, Vivint, Simplisafe, Ring, etc.

3. Go an idea of what you and others do online

What exercise you do when you're online? Do you lot game? Watch Hulu? Stream music on Spotify? Or maybe you're a pretty casual net user who merely checks email and Facebook.

Each of these activities needs different speeds—otherwise you'll encounter laggy internet or that dreaded buffering icon. Here's a quick look at the bare minimum internet speed you'll demand for a few mutual online activities.

Recommended minimum speed by online activity1,2,iii

Activeness

Recommended speed

Streaming SD video (480p)

3 Mbps

Streaming HD video (1080p)

5 Mbps

Streaming 4K video (2160p)

25 Mbps

Streaming music

one–10 Mbps

Gaming

3–4 Mbps

Downloading large files (HD movies, PDFs, etc.)

10 Mbps

Making video calls

0.v–i.v Mbps

Checking email and social media

1 Mbps

A good internet speed comes downward to what y'all're doing online. For example, if you're making a simple video phone call to your extended family, a good speed is somewhere between 0.5-1.5 Mbps. Only, if you lot're trying to stream a 4K video, y'all're going to want at least 25 Mbps. However, these recommended speeds only piece of work if it'southward but you lot doing one online activity at a time. Who does that?

Information technology'southward more probable y'all're a multitasking machine when it comes to doing things online. You're streaming Impact Theory on YouTube while y'all cheque email, download an Hard disk drive video to watch later tonight, and hop into a Call of Duty match. And your roommate, child, or partner is doing the same.

This is why virtually ISPs don't offering internet plans with but 5 Mbps—they're offering y'all l, 100, even 1,000 Mbps plans, then you can proceed doing what yous do best online.

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Upload speed vs. download speed

Things like alive video calling a friend or sending an email crave a good upload speed. Upload speed refers to how fast data can transfer from your estimator to the net.

Download speed is how fast data is beingness transferred from the net to your device. A bulk of nearly people'due south internet usage relies on fast download speeds to load spider web pages, music, and streaming videos.

four. Add together upward the Mbps you need per person and device

Okay, now that y'all've got a full general thought of who and what uses your internet and how they use information technology, it's time to do some math. (Don't worry, it'due south just some elementary improver.)

We'll starting time by going over our recommended baseline speed per person and device.

Recommended cyberspace speed per person or device

We recommend giving each person who uses the internet in your home 25 Mbps. And for every device, you lot can allot 10 Mbps. (Only if it's a 4K device, crash-land that upwards to 25 Mbps.)

  • People: 25 Mbps per person
  • Devices (not 4K): 10 Mbps per device
  • Devices (4K): 25 Mbps per 4K device

Okay, now let'due south come across how those recommended speeds add upwards with an case.

Let's say we have a home with ii adults and ii children who all employ the internet. Hither's a list of the internet speeds each person gets, plus the cyberspace speeds each of their devices gets.

  • People: 25 Mbps x 4 = 100 Mbps
  • Desktop computer: 10 Mbps x 2 = 20 Mbps
  • Laptop: 10 Mbps
  • Tablet: x Mbps
  • Jail cell phones: 10 Mbps ten iii = 30 Mbps
  • Smart Idiot box (4K): 25 Mbps x 2 = l Mbps
  • Xbox gaming console: 10 Mbps
  • Wi-Fi printer: ten Mbps
  • Home security organization hub: x Mbps
  • Home security camera: ten Mbps ten two = 20 Mbps
  • Full: 270 Mbps

The recommended internet speed for this family unit is 270 Mbps. That may seem similar a lot of speed, and you're probably right. This recommendation assumes that every person and every device is online at the same time.

That's where online activities can factor in. If the family unit knows they ordinarily stream 4K videos on one of their TVs near once a week and in the evening when no ane's on their computers, gaming on the Xbox, or using the printer, they tin can probably knock this speed down a flake to 200 Mbps.

If the family knows no one uses the computers and tablet for working or studying from home, they might fifty-fifty be able to get away with 100 or 150 Mbps.

Got a home security organization?

Heads Up

We don't recommend going below 100 Mbps download speeds if your home security system has cameras. This ensures that your cameras ever accept an online connection then they tin can capture, relieve, and store any critical footage yous might need to view later.

Fifty-fifty though it's not a definitive answer, adding up the speeds needed for the people and devices using your internet gives you lot a ballpark estimate of where your net speeds need to exist.

v. Find an net plan that works for you

Next stop? Now that you have a good thought of what goes into choosing an internet provider and the things y'all need to consider, information technology's time to observe an internet provider and plan that matches your speed needs. Sometimes this is easier said than washed, only we can assist.

Enter your zilch code, and we'll pull up a full list of net providers available in your surface area. So you can easily check what plans they have for you lot and how much each plan costs. Piece of cake, peasy.

Recap: what is a good internet speed?

Now that you know how much net speed you need, check this out next.

Look for internet providers with the speeds yous need in your area.

Notice out which ISPs are the best in the United states.

Sources

  1. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), "Broadband Speed Guide," Feb 2020. Accessed November 10, 2020.
  2. Catherine McNally, Reviews.org, "Best Net for Streaming," August 2020. Accessed Nov 10, 2020.
  3. Tyler Abbott, Reviews.org, "What Internet Speed Do I Need for Zoom?," May 2020. Accessed November x, 2020.

Catherine McNally

Written by

Catherine McNally

Catherine has a degree in journalism and an MBA, and has spent the last 10+ years writing everything from Okinawa travel guides to stories on Medium. She's been online since AOL CDs were a thing and is an unapologetic PC gamer. She believes the internet is a necessity, not a luxury, and writes reviews and guides to assistance everyone stay connected. You tin likewise find her on Twitter: @CMReviewsIt.

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