What internet speed do I need? Here s how many Mbps is enough Tom s Guide
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Use Cases
Recommended Download Speed1-2
Web surfing, email, social networking, moderate videoUp to 25 Mbps
3-5
Online multiplayer gaming, 4K streaming50 - 100 Mbps
More than 5
All of the above plus sharing large files and live streaming video.150 to 200 Mbps
Another broadband expert told Tom's Guide that the more bandwidth you have, the better - but only up to a point. Christopher Mitchell, director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in Minneapolis, said a fast data rate will ensure you have enough bandwidth when you really need it - for example, if you have a big file to upload or you're doing sophisticated work on your network. As indicated by the name, gigabit speed offers 1,000 Mbps, or 1 Gbps, an exponential increase over the 20-to-200 Mbps plans that are generally considered high-speed broadband. See our article What is Gig-Speed Internet? for a full exploration of what gigabit internet plans offer, what they cost and what they allow you to do. However, "anything over 10 Gbps to a home user is pretty likely overkill," Mitchell said. "Only a few networks in the U.S. do 10 Gbps. A gig everywhere should be a goal - not because people will max it out, but because it will ensure everyone can do what they want without worrying about the network being the bottleneck." As more people shift to streaming for their TV and movie-watching needs, bandwidth requirements become a bigger issue. If you want to stream 4K content to get the best picture for your 4K smart TV, you'll need a connection of at least 25 Mbps. Lower-resolution content is less demanding, but even streaming 1080p HD video will require a 10 Mbps plan for smooth performance. That's assuming you only stream video to one device at a time. If there's more than one TV in your home, or you want to watch in the living room while someone else watches on a laptop in the kitchen, then your bandwidth needs will grow accordingly. Smart-home devices also bring new demand for bandwidth. It only takes a few devices, like a smart thermostat, a smart speaker and a smart lock, to start having an impact on your home's connectivity speeds, so don't forget to factor those into your thinking when you consider how many devices are in use in your home. Most experts recommend adding an extra 5 Mbps to your plan for every 10 smart-home devices, though some data-intensive products, such as cameras, will require much more.
What internet speed do I need Here s how many Mbps is enough
By Anthony Spadafora published 18 October 2022 The internet speed boosts you should (and shouldn't) pay for How much internet speed do I really need? You may find yourself asking this question every time you need to renew your internet service plan or even every time you go to pay your bill. Knowing which broadband service plan is the right one for you and your household isn't the simplest question to answer though. The pandemic put more demand on home networks than ever before as home broadband plans had to serve as both a work resource and a school service on top of your usual streaming and gaming. Here's how to know if you're paying too much for your internet access - or if you're really getting the service you need. At the same time though, having one of the best cable modems or best Wi-Fi routers can help you get the most from your internet connection. As the number of users and connected devices in your home increases, so too does the bandwidth they use which is why internet connectivity is something of a moving target. Have you ever enjoyed blazing speeds on your laptop, phone or tablet and then at other times wondered why your connection was so slow? Maybe an online game takes a while to load when someone else in your home starts a video call or perhaps your streaming devices just keep buffering right when you get to the best part of a movie on Netflix. To see if you really need to pay a lot more for faster connectivity, Tom's Guide asked broadband experts and staffers at the top internet service providers (ISPs) and this what we found.What internet speed do I need Quick tips
Netflix says you need 5 Mbps to stream full HD content and a data rate of 25 Mbps (megabits per second) for 4K Ultra HD content. However, you'll want even faster speeds if you plan to connect several devices at once. The same holds true for other streaming services as well as for game-streaming services like Twitch.Multiple devices demand more bandwidth. If you plan on streaming 4K video content and have multiple devices connected to your network at the same time, you should seriously consider investing in a plan that can provide faster download speeds, such as 200 Mbps. This speed should work for more data-hungry households.Consider gigabit (1,000 Mbps) speeds, if available. Those who use a lot of data will want faster speeds and more bandwidth. If they're available where you live, gigabit-speed internet plans are the best you can get for home connections right now though some ISPs have begun rolling out multi-gig plans but they are still quite expensive.Know your speeds. By using one of the best speed test apps, you can check your internet connection speed to determine whether you're really getting the bandwidth you're paying for.Check your Wi-Fi connection. Sometimes the problem isn't with your ISP but with your home network instead. See our guide on how to make Wi-Fi faster for some quick tips or consider upgrading your router.There is such a thing as too much speed
Although your ISP may be telling you to get a faster and more expensive plan, you may actually be paying more than you need to. "To select the best services or package for your usage, you must understand your bandwidth needs," said Lincoln Lavoie, a senior engineer of broadband technologies at the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory. "This [bandwidth] depends more on the applications being used (streaming is largely a downstream application), but as users start doing more things like video calls and movie sharing, upload also becomes very important," Lavoie told Tom's Guide. "Similarly, upload speeds are critical for people working remotely from home, as upload speeds would impact things like screen sharing and online conference calls." (Image credit: Shutterstock) During the pandemic when people had to handle everything from work to school at home, the need to have sufficient bandwidth for an entire household became more important than ever before. A senior engineer who works at a major ISP that spoke with Tom's Guide on the condition of anonymity echoed this point, saying internet speeds ultimately depend on what each customer is doing with their internet connection. The engineer also highlighted the fact that the "average family" shouldn't pay for "anything beyond 20 x 5" or in other words, 20 Mbps each for up to five data-hungry devices such as desktop computers, laptops, game consoles and streaming TVs. Companies like Spectrum offer 100 Mbps download seeds as their baseline and this kind of plan should work well enough for most people.How many Mbps do you really need
Number of devicesUse Cases
Recommended Download Speed1-2
Web surfing, email, social networking, moderate videoUp to 25 Mbps
3-5
Online multiplayer gaming, 4K streaming50 - 100 Mbps
More than 5
All of the above plus sharing large files and live streaming video.150 to 200 Mbps
Another broadband expert told Tom's Guide that the more bandwidth you have, the better - but only up to a point. Christopher Mitchell, director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in Minneapolis, said a fast data rate will ensure you have enough bandwidth when you really need it - for example, if you have a big file to upload or you're doing sophisticated work on your network. As indicated by the name, gigabit speed offers 1,000 Mbps, or 1 Gbps, an exponential increase over the 20-to-200 Mbps plans that are generally considered high-speed broadband. See our article What is Gig-Speed Internet? for a full exploration of what gigabit internet plans offer, what they cost and what they allow you to do. However, "anything over 10 Gbps to a home user is pretty likely overkill," Mitchell said. "Only a few networks in the U.S. do 10 Gbps. A gig everywhere should be a goal - not because people will max it out, but because it will ensure everyone can do what they want without worrying about the network being the bottleneck." As more people shift to streaming for their TV and movie-watching needs, bandwidth requirements become a bigger issue. If you want to stream 4K content to get the best picture for your 4K smart TV, you'll need a connection of at least 25 Mbps. Lower-resolution content is less demanding, but even streaming 1080p HD video will require a 10 Mbps plan for smooth performance. That's assuming you only stream video to one device at a time. If there's more than one TV in your home, or you want to watch in the living room while someone else watches on a laptop in the kitchen, then your bandwidth needs will grow accordingly. Smart-home devices also bring new demand for bandwidth. It only takes a few devices, like a smart thermostat, a smart speaker and a smart lock, to start having an impact on your home's connectivity speeds, so don't forget to factor those into your thinking when you consider how many devices are in use in your home. Most experts recommend adding an extra 5 Mbps to your plan for every 10 smart-home devices, though some data-intensive products, such as cameras, will require much more.