Select The Correct Speed
Updated: Sep 19, 2021
If you want to be satisficed with your broadband internet provider you need to pick the right speed to fit your internet usage.
To put it briefly, Internet speeds in the 100–200 Mbps range are ideal for most households since they can handle common uses like streaming and video chat for 2–5 users at once. However, there are a number of factors that should also be considered — especially for use cases like home offices and gaming, where upload capacity for files and reaction time for user actions is particularly important.
Along with upload speeds, latency, and your location, another factor to consider is your WiFi network. The average WiFi speed you experience around your home will generally be anywhere from 20–50% below the advertised download speed, due to wireless interference and fade as you move further from the router. With that being said, it’s important to choose a speed slightly faster than what you need to account for network slowdowns.
While each household will have their own definition of what a good internet speed is based on their needs, here are a few simple guidelines on different speeds and what they can handle:
Internet SpeedUsers SupportedSpeed Summary25 Mbps1-2Basic100 Mbps3-4Average200 Mbps4-5Fast500 Mbps5+Very Fast1000 Mbps5+Gigabit
To get a quick recommendation based on the number of users and devices in your home, take a look at our bandwidth calculation tool. If you already have WiFi and are having slower than normal speeds, try troubleshooting your WiFi ,or consider learning how to extend your WiFi network.
In this article, we will help you to determine how much internet speed you need based on how many internet users are in your home and how they use the internet.
Mbps stands for “Megabits per second.” This is the standard measure of “speed” or “bandwidth” on home internet connections. It measures how many bits (units of digital information) can be transferred each second. You’ll normally see speeds ranging from 10–1,000 Mbps advertised for home internet plans.