Download speeds determine how fast information can travel from the internet to your home. For most every activity you do on the internet, download speed is going to be the most important factor. Upload speeds are used when you want to send information from your device to another location on the internet. We use our upload speed when we want to post a video to Facebook, or send a picture from our phone to a friend.
We also use it every time we click on a link or type a search term into Google. That information has to travel from our browser to the appropriate server in order to tell it which information it needs to send us.
Uploading is an essential part of using the internet. We all use upload speed, but some people rely on it heavily. Most ISPs advertise only download speeds, so you might not even realize that upload speeds are a separate thing. Download speeds are also generally the faster of the two speeds, so most advertisements tend to focus on them. Although we constantly both download and upload information online, for most of us, the information we upload is generally much smaller.
By contrast, the only information that needs to be uploaded are the search terms you look up and the information from the links and buttons you click. Most of us have had to deal with slow download speeds at one point or another, which often involves waiting for images to appear on a web page or a video stopping in the middle of playback to buffer.
There are several reasons why your internet speed might dip temporarily due to traffic or routine maintenance. The faster your internet connection is, the faster you can get your data. Because tech language is weird sometimes, a megabit Mb is not the same thing as a megabyte MB.
One megabyte is actually eight megabits. You usually use bytes to talk about file sizes and bits to talk about data transfer rates. Anything faster than 10 Mbps is a good enough internet speed for Wi-Fi, but you can have Wi-Fi with pretty much any internet speed. Just keep in mind that connecting by Wi-Fi can dilute your internet speeds due to distance, interference, or the number of devices connected to the signal.
Wired Ethernet connections take better advantage of your bandwidth. So if you have a slower internet connection, it might be better to connect your main devices with a wired connection for the best possible performance. How much internet speed do I need? Residential Start Business Start. How many people in your household work from home? What video quality do you use for streaming TV and movies? I don't stream video HD 4K. How intensely does your household participate in online gaming?
No online gaming Casual and recreational Seriously competitive Professional level. Does your household download large files from the cloud or via the internet?
No Yes, occasionally Yes, frequently. Our minimum speed recommendation for you: 00 mbps. Find providers near you Enter your ZIP to see internet speeds and providers available in your area.
Search by zip code Search Providers. What is a good internet speed? What is fast internet? Fast internet is a connection with speeds of at least Mbps. Ping is also measured in milliseconds, with an average ping time landing anywhere between 30 ms and 50 ms. Do you want to know what your current internet speeds are?
Are you considering an upgrade to your current services? There are some handy tools online that can help with finding your current internet speed, ping times, and even more statistics so you can make a more informed purchase.
With these free services listed below, you can even track outages and log your speeds on different days at different times. Here are some examples:. Below are some tips on what you should aim for when purchasing your internet package or upgrading your current internet services.
These are premium service packages and are often only available in certain areas where service providers have networks set up to sustain these speeds. Usually, these speeds are reserved for businesses or high-traffic, high-demand networks like university campuses. The speed your household actually needs is likely less than you think. Of course, there are always other factors that play into your decision, and your individual needs should always be considered first.
Fiber-optic internet is also less susceptible to slowdowns, so you may also want to factor that into your decision. For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Good Subscriber Account active since Shortcuts. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. It often indicates a user profile. Log out.
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