It is important to take an inventory of your online activities and devices when calculating the internet speed you need. The demand on your internet connection can add up quickly. Then, add to that the devices you aren’t actively using, such as home security and monitoring, a wireless thermostat, and smart switches and plugs.
For instance, you could be streaming HD video on your smart TV or Roku device while downloading a file on your computer and checking social media on your smartphone. It is common, if not standard, for people to be on multiple devices at the same time. But what if they are using multiple devices? The simple equation is to multiply 25 Mbps by the number of users. While 25 Mbps is a decent starting point, it gets more complicated when there are multiple people in the house using multiple devices at the same time. Find Speed How many people & devices are using your internet connection?
Take our 2 minute quiz to find the speed that’s right for you. There are many factors that influence recommended speed for these activities, but a good rule of thumb is to factor a minimum of 25 Mbps per person in the household. These are very basic and general guidelines and are the minimum amount of speed each activity requires. *Recommendations per user from the Federal Communications Commission broadband guidelines. General browsing, email, and social media
Since most of what we do on the internet requires transferring data to our devices, download speed is the most important and the speed that is advertised with any internet plan.Īctivities & Minimum Speed Requirements Activity
It depends on the type of connection and the internet provider, but download speed is always faster with asynchronous connections. Sometimes download and upload speeds are the same, or synchronous, and sometimes they’re different (asynchronous). Download speed is the rate data is transferred from the internet to your device, and upload speed is the rate it is transferred from your device to the internet.
Internet speed - measured in megabits per second (Mbps) and gigabits per second (Gbps) - is how fast data and content can travel between your home devices and your internet provider.Īccording to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), broadband internet has download speeds of at least 25 Mbps and 3 Mbps upload speed. Before we get into what speed you need, it’s important to know how internet speed is measured.