Internet speed is one of the biggest considerations when choosing an internet service provider. It determines not only how quickly you can perform tasks online, but how many of those tasks your network can handle at a single time. Unless you’re living solo and only browsing Facebook, you might need more than the minimum speed. Show
Below, we’ll go over why internet speed matters, how to check your speed, and what to do if it’s not fast enough to handle your household connection needs. How are internet speeds measured?Your internet speed is based on the amount of time your internet connection can download and upload data (bits). This speed is measured in megabits per second (Mbps) and gigabits per second (Gbps)—one Mbps is 1,000,000 bits being transferred per second, and one Gbps is 1,000,000,000 bits being transferred per second. The higher the number of Mbps or Gbps you see, the faster the internet speed. Just remember that your chosen speed will depend on your specific internet needs. It is more common to see internet speeds measured in Mbps because many do not require the extreme speeds of Gigabit internet, but this is a good choice for busy smart households with gamers and work-from-home residents. What is internet speed and why does it matter?Internet speed refers to how much data and information can be transferred over the web on a single connection at any given time. This is important for consumers because your internet speed determines what types of activities you can do on the internet, as well as how many devices you can connect at once. Understanding how you and your family use the internet at home will help you determine which internet speeds you need to get from your provider. If your internet speed is too slow, you might run into trouble performing tasks on the web like streaming video, playing video games or uploading files. If it’s too fast, you could be overpaying for internet services. Many internet service providers advertise their upload and download speeds. However, these numbers aren’t always accurate. It’s always a good idea to do your research and find out their real internet speeds. How to pick an internet planCurrently the FCC defines high-speed internet as 25 Mbps1. However, this is a fairly outdated definition, especially when you apply this definition to households containing more than one person (which is most households). Therefore, instead of following the FCC’s definition of high-speed internet, it is more useful to follow this rule of thumb for determining your internet speed needs: Divide the number of devices in your household by the speed plan you are considering. You will want the result of that equation to be between 25 and 40 Mbps. For instance, if you have a household of four people who only use one device at a time, then a plan around 100 Mbps will be best (100/4 = 25). However, if everyone in your household uses multiple devices at a time, you will want to consider a slightly faster plan. If each person in your household of four uses two devices at a time (a smartphone and a laptop, for example), then consider a plan between 200 and 300 Mbps (300/8 = 37.5). Internet speed glossary: terms you should knowWhen understanding internet speeds and how they work, it’s helpful to arm yourself with some handy definitions:
Read more about internet terms defined How much bandwidth do you need?Your internet speed needs really depend on your usage. Keep in mind that these are the speeds required for each device in your home. If you have multiple devices online at a time, you will need a faster plan. Data source: FCC2 Let’s break it down by activity: StreamingTo stream videos, you’ll need at least 3 Mbps. It takes at least 25 Mbps for 4K streaming on your computer or Ultra HD-enabled devices. Some streaming services suggest faster speeds:
Data source: FCC2 GamingAt a minimum, you need 4–8 Mbps for online gaming. For consistently efficient gaming, 10–25 Mbps tend to be best. For gamers, it’s also important to pay attention to ping time, because you’re doing a significant amount of both uploading and downloading. For ping time, aim for 20 milliseconds or less, but you can get by with 20–100 milliseconds. Data source: FCC2 To make your internet faster at home, boost your Wi-Fi signal. Resetting or moving your router can boost and stabilize your signal. You could also add a Wi-Fi repeater or extender to improve internet signals for gaming devices further away from your router. Working from homeThere are no one-size-fits-all answers when it comes to working from home; it really boils down to what kind of uploading and downloading you need to do in your job. If you have multiple people working and learning remotely, you will want a plan of at least 100 Mbps. If you frequently download and upload large files, you’ll want internet speeds of at least 50 Mbps. For simpler computer programs (word processing, for example), you can get by with just 3–4 Mbps. For lots of video conferencing, you’ll want to sit somewhere in the middle with at least 10 Mbps. Data source: FCC2 How to check Wi-Fi speedTo figure out how fast your internet and Wi-Fi connections are, use Allconnect® to take an online speed test with a computer that’s connected to your home network. We’ll also tell you your ping time and upload vs. download speeds. Your speed test results: Download Speeds
888 Mbps Upload Speeds
88 Mbps Pro Tip: For best results, use an Ethernet cord to connect your router or modem directly to your device before you run the test. Internet speed fluctuationsYou might have noticed that sometimes your internet is faster or slower than usual. This is normal and could be due to a number of reasons. Type of internet connectionIn addition to choosing an internet plan, you also must consider your internet connection type. The most common options include fiber optic, cable, DSL, 5G, fixed wireless and satellite. However, these options are not all made equally. The fastest and most reliable connection type is fiber optic but if fiber optic is not available in your area, then go with cable. You’re more likely to receive DSL, fixed wireless or satellite service if you live in a more rural area as fiber optic providers tend to only focus on deploying their services to higher-density areas.
Router locationWhere you put your router can weaken the signal. Avoid putting it in places near potential signal-blockers like radios, microwaves or thick/dense walls. You also want to get it off the floor, as other signals might travel along the floor and interfere with your internet. The best place to put your router is the middle of your home in an elevated, clear spot. Router settingsThis is a bit more technical, but there are potential issues you can troubleshoot to see if you can make your internet faster:
MalwareMalware can infect your computer’s hardware, software or applications. One type is internet malware that infects computer applications such as web browsers. This kind of malware can open multiple browsers in the background which can slow internet speeds. Luckily, we’ve put together a few ways to prevent malware from infecting your devices. ThrottlingIt’s not uncommon for internet service providers to throttle internet speeds when you exceed your plan’s data limit, and some have even been accused of throttling internet speeds for certain websites or activities. If it’s the latter, it could be time to change your plan and increase your speeds. For the former, run a speed test outside of the 7–11 p.m. busy period, then install a VPN and run the same test. If the speeds are similar, throttling likely isn’t the culprit. If they’re different, this could be a sign of throttling. Why is my internet slow at night?Most people use their home internet in the evening, particularly during “rush hour” from 7–11 p.m. This can slow internet speeds, especially for cable internet users. There really isn’t much of a solution to this issue, other than reducing the number of devices using the internet at this time or increasing the speed on your plan. Your own internet activityMuch like your neighbors can affect internet speeds, so can you. If you’re connecting many devices at once or doing high-bandwidth activities like uploading 4K video to YouTube or a 500 GB PDF to a server, this can impact other devices on your network and the speed with which you’re able to connect. You could try to connect via hardwire (such as an Ethernet cord) to help with these issues, as well as limit the number of devices connected while you’re doing these high-bandwidth activities. 6 ways to speed up your Wi-FiIf none of the solutions above address your internet speed issues, you can take a few additional steps to boost your connection:
How do I know if I need to upgrade my internet speeds?There can be a long list of reasons your Wi-Fi is slow or your internet connection is unreliable that have nothing to do with your internet speed plan. A common mistake households make is to upgrade their speed plan when they are unsatisfied with their service before determining if a faster speed plan would solve the root of the problem. You will want to try the suggestions listed above, therefore, before considering an upgrade. So, when should you upgrade your internet speeds? Here’s a list of signs your speed plan is the problem:
The main consideration for determining whether you need a faster speed plan has to do with consistency. If speeds are consistently slow regardless of which room in the house you are in or consistently when there are multiple devices connected to the Wi-Fi or when someone in your household is attempting a high-bandwidth internet activity, then that’s a sign your speed plan is the problem. However, if your Wi-Fi connection is unpredictable or location-specific, your issues likely lie more with your internet provider or your equipment. Sources referenced
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What type of a digital subscriber line is used to download speeds up to a?ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) is a technology that facilitates fast data transmission at a high bandwidth on existing copper wire telephone lines to homes and businesses. Unlike regular dial-up copper telephone line service, ADSL provides continuously available, always-on broadband connections.
What is the fastest digital subscriber line?VDSL - Very High Bit-rate Digital Subscriber Line
VDSL is the fastest of all xDSL flavors and provides transmission rates of 13-52Mbps downstream and 1.5-2.3Mbps upstream over a single copper-pair wire, at a distance of 1,000-4,500 feet from the service provider's premises.
Which type of digital subscriber line is price according to the speed you want with the higher speed costing more?Your DSL internet package will usually be priced according to speed. Faster DSL plans can offer connections over 100 Mbps, which is plenty for most online activities, including video streaming. .
Which type of DSL has the fastest download speed?VDSL (very high bit-rate digital subscriber line) is the fastest DSL service. It offers downstream rates of up to 52 Mbps and upstream rates of up to 2.3 Mbps over a single copper wire.
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