Of course, what a good download speed is for you heavily depends on what you do online and how many devices are on your home network. For basic web surfing or email, 10 Mbps is enough to give you a seamless online experience.
Video streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, on the other hand, are some of the most bandwidth-intensive activities that people engage in. Not sure what speed your devices need to keep functioning smoothly?
Tool to determine exactly how much download speed you need to have a seamless internet experience at home. Generally, a good upload speed to shoot for is 5 Mbps. Upload speed becomes much more important if you want to use video chat, upload high-resolution images, or livestream video from your home. Fiber-optic networks have symmetrical upload speeds, which means if you have a 1 Gbps 1, Mbps connection, you have 1 Gbps upload and 1 Gbps download speeds.
Fiber is also the most reliable type of connection, making your livestream much less likely to have issues—even if you stream at peak-use times. Wi-Fi routers can often be the bottleneck that keeps you from getting the speeds you need. Many Wi-Fi routers boast incredibly high speeds due to having dual-band or tri-band technology, which essentially allows them to broadcast multiple Wi-Fi networks at the same time.
This can be really important if you have a lot of devices on your home network. Multiple signal bands, along with other features like beamforming, MU-MIMO multi-user, multiple input, multiple output , and other Wi-Fi 6 technologies, can allow your devices to take maximum advantage of your high-speed internet connection.
For more information on how to get the most out of your Wi-Fi network, check out our look at the fastest gigabit routers and the fastest gigabit modems currently on the market. Download speeds determine how fast information can travel from the internet to your home. Please call Member Services at If you plan to stream more movies and TV shows, you'll need to make sure your broadband connection can handle it. By James K. Last updated: April 05, Sharing is Nice Yes, send me a copy of this email.
Send We respect your privacy. Oops, we messed up. Try again later. When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. Learn more. More on Streaming. More From Consumer Reports. There's a huge range in the bit rate needed to stream different kinds of entertainment. Slowdown Culprits—and Solutions Assuming the broadband speed coming into your home is satisfactory, there are other reasons you may be experiencing slow service.
The cables are better at transferring data than standard copper cables and therefore fibre broadband is faster and more reliable. Fibre is the fastest type of broadband you can get in Ireland and is best for streaming TV , online gaming and watching HD films.
Compare fibre broadband deals. Fibre broadband uses reflective cables as thin as a strand of hair to send light flashes at the speed of light which are interpreted as data. The cables are run underground, to deliver super-fast broadband to homes and business. Some common online activities and the speeds they require include:. If you require fast broadband, your best option is a fibre or part fibre broadband connection. If fast broadband is not available in your area you may still be able to get a good, reliable connection with ADSL broadband or satellite broadband.
You should run the test a few times, at different points in the day, to get an overall idea of your speed. Fo the most accurate reading of the speed coming into your home, you can connect to the router with an ethernet cable, rather than using WiFi.
If you are unable to make the switch to faster broadband, there are several things that can help to improve your slow connection. Step 1: Test your current speed by visiting speedtest. Try it at different times of day to see how the speeds fluctuate — your fastest times will probably be in the middle of the night when the web has less traffic.
Once you know your numbers, you can see how they measure up to the recommended standards below. Step 3: Know what your home needs: First, determine what you use the internet for and how many devices are connected at the same time. Are one or more people in your household working or schooling from home? And are other people gaming or watching Netflix at the same time?
You can add up the numbers on the FCC charts and use these download speed recommendations after adding up your totals:. You may need to upgrade your plan along with your modem and router to get the speed you need. Keep in mind buying them outright can be less expensive in the long run than renting them from your ISP.
Also, if you see ads touting Mbps that are ten or more times higher than those listed above — and those that are in the Gbps ranges — keep in mind these super-high speeds are maximum speeds under optimal conditions, which include four things:. Your highway infrastructure DSL, cable, fiber 2. Your modem 3. Your router 4. All of the servers along the highway to and from your home.
But do you really need it?
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