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Internet Speed Guide

Not sure what internet speed you need? This guide breaks down recommended speeds for different activities and household sizes, helping you choose the right plan without overpaying.

0-25 Mbps: Basic Browsing

Best for: Single users, light internet usage, budget-conscious households

What You Can Do:

✅ Browse websites and social media
✅ Check email
✅ Stream music (Spotify, Apple Music)
✅ Video calls in SD quality
✅ Stream video in SD (480p) on one device
❌ HD streaming (will buffer frequently)
❌ Multiple devices streaming simultaneously
❌ Large file downloads (will be very slow)

Real-World Performance:

Netflix SD: Works fine
YouTube 720p: Will buffer
Zoom call: 1-2 people max, standard quality
Download 1GB file: ~5-8 minutes
Online gaming: Playable but not ideal

Bottom Line: This tier works if you live alone, don't stream much, and mainly use the internet for browsing and email. Not recommended for families or anyone who regularly watches videos online.

25-100 Mbps: HD Streaming & Light Multi-Device Use

Best for: Small households (1-3 people), moderate usage, HD streaming

What You Can Do:

✅ Stream HD video (1080p) on 2-3 devices
✅ Video conferencing in HD
✅ Online gaming (smooth experience)
✅ Browse on multiple devices simultaneously
✅ Download games and files in reasonable time
⚠️ 4K streaming (one device at a time, might buffer)
❌ Multiple 4K streams
❌ Large households (4+ people) with heavy usage

Real-World Performance:

Netflix HD: 2-3 streams without issues
YouTube 1080p: Smooth on multiple devices
Zoom calls: 2-3 HD video calls simultaneously
Download 1GB file: ~1-2 minutes
Online gaming: Excellent, low ping
Smart home devices: 10-15 devices no problem

Bottom Line: The sweet spot for most small families and roommate situations. Enough speed for HD streaming and gaming without paying for more than you need. This is probably the most popular tier.

100-300 Mbps: Heavy Multi-Device Use & 4K Streaming

Best for: Medium-large households (3-5 people), work from home, 4K streaming, gaming

What You Can Do:

✅ Multiple 4K streams simultaneously
✅ Work from home with constant video calls
✅ Download large files quickly
✅ Gaming + streaming at the same time
✅ Smart home with 20+ connected devices
✅ Upload large files (improved upload speeds)
✅ Everyone using internet simultaneously without slowdowns

Real-World Performance:

Netflix 4K: 3-4 streams without buffering
YouTube 4K: Smooth on multiple devices
Zoom calls: 4-5 HD calls + other usage
Download 1GB file: ~30-45 seconds
Download 50GB game: ~15-20 minutes
Upload to cloud: Much faster than lower tiers

Bottom Line: Ideal for families where multiple people work/study from home, or households with heavy streaming and gaming usage. You won't notice slowdowns even during peak usage times.

300-500 Mbps: Power Users & Large Households

Best for: Large households (5+ people), content creators, heavy downloaders, tech enthusiasts

What You Can Do:

✅ Basically everything, all at once, without slowdowns
✅ Multiple 4K/8K streams
✅ Upload videos to YouTube quickly
✅ Large Dropbox/Google Drive syncs
✅ Game downloads finish in minutes
✅ VR gaming and streaming
✅ Host game servers or media servers

Real-World Performance:

Netflix 4K: 6-8 streams easily
Download 1GB file: ~15-20 seconds
Download 100GB game: ~30-40 minutes
Upload 10GB video: ~5-10 minutes (if upload is proportional)
Entire household online: No noticeable impact

Bottom Line: More than most households need, but great if you have lots of people using internet simultaneously, work in video production, or just want the peace of mind of never experiencing slowdowns.

500+ Mbps: Gigabit & Beyond

Best for: Future-proofing, extreme usage, shared living spaces (apartments with multiple roommates), tech enthusiasts

What You Can Do:

✅ Everything in the 300-500 tier, but faster
✅ Truly future-proof for next 5+ years
✅ Professional content creation workflows
✅ Multiple people working with large files
✅ 8K streaming (when content becomes available)
✅ Download entire game libraries quickly

Real-World Performance:

Download 1GB file: ~8-10 seconds
Download 100GB game: ~15-20 minutes
Upload 50GB backup: ~10-15 minutes (with fast upload)
No practical limit on simultaneous streams/users

Bottom Line: Honestly? Most people don't need this much speed right now. But if the price difference is small (like $10-20/month more than 300 Mbps), it's great for future-proofing and ensuring you never think about speed again.

⚠️ Important Note on Gigabit Speeds:

To actually use gigabit speeds (1000 Mbps), you need:
• Gigabit-capable router (older routers max out at 100-300 Mbps)
• Devices with gigabit ethernet ports or WiFi 6
• Cat5e or Cat6 ethernet cables (not Cat5)
Otherwise you won't see the full speed you're paying for.

Speed Requirements by Activity

Activity	Minimum Speed	Recommended Speed	Notes
Web Browsing	1-5 Mbps	10 Mbps	Modern websites with lots of images need more
Email	1 Mbps	3 Mbps	Unless sending large attachments
Social Media	3-5 Mbps	10 Mbps	Auto-play videos need more bandwidth
Music Streaming	2 Mbps	5 Mbps	High quality needs ~2-3 Mbps per stream
SD Video (480p)	3 Mbps	5 Mbps	One device only
HD Video (1080p)	5 Mbps	10 Mbps	Per device streaming
4K Video (2160p)	25 Mbps	35 Mbps	Per 4K stream
Video Calls (Zoom/Teams)	3-5 Mbps	10 Mbps	HD quality needs more
Online Gaming	3-6 Mbps	25 Mbps	Ping matters more than speed
Game Downloads	25 Mbps	100+ Mbps	Modern games are 50-150GB
Working from Home	10 Mbps	25 Mbps	More if uploading large files
Smart Home Devices	1-2 Mbps each	25 Mbps total	Individual devices use little bandwidth

Speed by Household Size

🏠 1 Person Living Alone:

Light usage: 25 Mbps
Moderate usage (streaming, gaming): 50-100 Mbps
Heavy usage (4K, lots of downloads): 100-200 Mbps

👫 2-3 People:

Light usage: 50 Mbps
Moderate usage: 100-200 Mbps
Heavy usage (work from home, gaming, 4K): 200-300 Mbps

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 4-5 People:

Light usage: 100 Mbps
Moderate usage: 200-300 Mbps
Heavy usage: 300-500 Mbps

👪 6+ People or Multi-Generational Households:

Minimum: 300 Mbps
Recommended: 500+ Mbps
Consider gigabit (1000 Mbps) if multiple people work/study from home

Don't Forget About Upload Speed!

Everyone focuses on download speed, but upload speed is crucial for:

Video calls (Zoom, Teams, FaceTime)
Live streaming on Twitch/YouTube
Uploading photos/videos to cloud storage
Sending large email attachments
Online gaming (sending your actions to the server)
Working from home (uploading files, screen sharing)

Typical upload speeds by connection type:

Cable: 10-35 Mbps (usually ~10% of download speed)
Fiber: Equal to download (symmetric) - this is a huge advantage!
DSL: 1-10 Mbps (often very slow)
5G Home: 10-50 Mbps (varies a lot)

If you work from home or do lots of video calls, prioritize upload speed. This is one reason fiber is so much better than cable for remote work.

Quick Decision Guide

Choose 25-50 Mbps if: You live alone and mostly just browse and stream occasionally

Choose 100 Mbps if: Small household, mix of streaming and browsing, some gaming

Choose 200-300 Mbps if: Medium household, multiple HD/4K streams, work from home, gaming

Choose 500+ Mbps if: Large household, everyone online at once, heavy usage, or you want to never worry about speed

💡 Pro Tip: When in doubt, start with 100-200 Mbps. It's the sweet spot for most households - enough for everything but not wastefully expensive. You can always upgrade later if needed.

Want to test your current speed?

Run a speed test to see what you're actually getting compared to what you're paying for. You might be surprised!

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