What Internet Speed Do I Need? The Common Answer to a Complex Question
What Internet Speed Do I Need? The Common Answer to a Complex Question
When it comes to the Internet connection, people want both speed and reliability. In fact, why do we even pay for Internet service that lacks in providing users with good performance? Subscriber most of the time subscribe to service tier, which offers highest internet speed, but have you ever thought what Internet Speed do I need? If you don’t know the solution to this question, then keep reading the article and learn all the interesting facts that will help you in choosing the right package from the best provider.
What Internet Speed do I need? Understanding the Concept of Bandwidth
Before spending your precious money over the Internet service, understand the idea of Bandwidth and how it contributes to the process of determination of what internet speed do I need. Bandwidth acts like a hose of water lying in the garden. For example, you require a 100-gallon tank. If the container in your garden puts out only 5 gallons of water in a minute, then you would have to wait 20 minutes for filling up the tank. But, the larger hose that put out a gallon of water every second is going to fill the tank not more than 2 minutes.
Bandwidth acts as a hose. The bigger it is, the more data you will be able to put down. The measuring scale of Bandwidth is known as Bits per Second. Keep in mind that bits and bytes are different from each other. A single byte contains 8 bits. It means that 1Megabyte includes 8Megabits. If you have 1Mbps connection, it says that your 1MB file will take eight seconds to get downloaded.
What is the ideal Bandwidth That a User Needs?
The bandwidth that we get from the provider is divided further into each connected device. How much bandwidth you need depends upon how you use the internet. If one person in your home is downloading a massive torrent file, other streaming an HD video and the third one playing the high-graphic online game you require enough bandwidth to keep everyone at convenience.
Video streaming is that one factor that wastes most of the bandwidth of our connection. My cable Internet service is from Spectrum and I chose it because it had zero data caps and let users practice the internet as much as they want without charging them extra.
What Internet Speed Do I Need?
Discovering the right speed for your internet connection is simple because all you need to know is your consumption behavior, the number of people using the internet, the devices connected to the internet, the things you use internet for are all fundamental aspects of knowing the answer to a question like what internet speed do I need.
1. 5-10Mbps
This Internet speed gives you the privilege of enjoying casual Internet browsing, emailing, using the social media accounts and sometimes streaming the videos. The rate of download in this form of connection is not very high, but users can download files as large as 1 GB in an hour. Users can play games online, but buffering 4k videos might lead to some problems. Devices like Mobile Phone, Tablet and laptop works fine on this internet connection speed, however, connecting multiple devices can lead to latency especially if the users are streaming television programs and downloading large files. This speed does suite individuals but doesn’t work well for the families.
2. 10-25Mbps:
This speed of the internet connection works best for families with fewer members. Users can occasionally stream High Definition videos and play online games without causing lag in the connection. You can also connect multiple devices all at once with the Internet Modem without affecting the performance. However, downloading any file from the internet might hinder the Internet speed of the other devices.
3. 25-40Mbps
This speed suits the hardcore internet fans. You can binge-watch all the time on streaming services without affecting the performance with this Internet speed. Watch entertainment for hundreds of hours even at high definition, and the speed will not get compromised. Various members of the family can connect their devices to the internet without facing the latency issue.
4. 40-100Mbps (and above):
Not all Providers provide the high-speed that they advertise. But Cable companies like Spectrum does provide its users with more than 100Mbps in lowest rates. The Internet contains no data caps that allow users to use as much internet as possible without paying extra. If you are a hardcore online gamer, a heavy video streamer or just a person who happens to use the internet a lot, then this speed is the answer to your question: what internet speed do I need? In a couple of minutes, the users can download files as large as 1 GB from the internet. Even if the whole family simultaneously uses the internet, yet that doesn’t cause dormancy and lagging of the Internet speed.
Different Types of Internet Connections:
It is very important to know the forms of connections for answering questions like what internet speed do I need?
- Dial-up connection
- DSL connection
- Fiber connection
- Cable Connection
- Satellite Connection
Which of The Above Mentioned Provide High-Speed Internet?
There are two forms of connections that provide highest speed internet. These two connections are of Cable and Fiber optic Internet facility. Cable is the fastest and latest way of delivering internet. The bandwidth of cable Internet is much broader than the phone lines connection. My cable Internet provider that is Spectrum is known to be one of the leading Cable Internet Providers in the US right now. So choose either cable or fiber optic service helped me in determining big time what Internet speed do I need.
Check Your Internet Speed
When determining what Internet speed do I need, it is highly recommended that you keep checking what speed you are currently getting. For starters, check the speed from your internet bill, the connection speed is explicitly mentioned on it. Another way is to check the speed online through software. Sometimes the Internet Service Providers such as Charter Spectrum provides an inbuilt speed checking tools, which instantly tell you about the connection speed. Keep in mind the speed of the internet connection varies throughout the day as it directly depends on the data trafficking and your time zone.
Verdict:
Before knowing what Internet speed, I need, it is essential to understand basic knowledge about your internet connection. The speed of internet depends upon factors like the number of users, using behavior, and devices connected to the Internet, etc. So, instead of paying extra bucks for the Internet speed you don’t need, choose a plan, which suits your Internet requirement while being affordable.
