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Your internet speed is possibly one of the most important factors when it comes to home internet. Your speed determines the reliability of your internet connection, how you use the internet and whether it can sustain your daily internet activities.
So, what is it, how does it work, and how do you know if you need faster speeds to meet your internet needs?
HomeLinkd is here to help. Read through our helpful guide to see what is considered fast internet, and whether your current plan and provider is the right one for you.
Internet speed is the rate at which data travels from your computer or mobile device to the internet, and back again. This includes everything you do online, from streaming movies and music, to downloading files and browsing websites.
Your internet speed is determined by a number of factors, including:
- The type of connection you have
- The location of your computer or mobile device
- The number of people using your connection at the same time
- The distance between your computer or mobile device and the router
- The type of activity you're doing online (for example, streaming video requires more speed than sending email)
A good internet speed is one that can handle the majority of your daily activities without any issues. This includes browsing the web, checking email, streaming music and videos, and more.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines broadband as an internet connection with download speeds of at least 25 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 3 Mbps.
There are a few different types of internet connection, each with their own set of speeds. The type of connection you have will affect your overall speed.
A digital subscriber line (DSL) is a type of high-speed internet that uses copper phone lines to deliver fast speeds. DSL speeds can range from around 3 Mbps to 100 Mbps. DSL is widely available, although more providers are slowly beginning to phase our this connection.
A cable internet connection uses the same infrastructure as your cable TV. A coaxial cable delivers fast speeds of around 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps. Cable is widely available in most areas and can be quite fast, although it's not always as reliable as other types of connections.
Fiber optic internet uses a network of tiny glass or plastic strands to deliver data at incredibly high speeds. Fiber optic internet is the fastest type of connection available, with speeds ranging from around 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps. However, it's also the most expensive and not widely available in all areas.
Satellite internet uses a satellite dish to connect your home to the internet. Satellite internet is available in most areas but can be quite slow, with speeds ranging from around 10 Mbps to 25 Mbps.
Fixed wireless is a type of internet that uses radio signals to connect your home to the internet. Fixed wireless is similar to satellite internet but can be faster, with speeds ranging from around 25 Mbps to 100 Mbps. However, it's not as widely available as other types of connections.
5G is the next generation of wireless technology that promises incredibly fast speeds and low latency. 5G is not yet widely available but is slowly being rolled out in select areas.
When looking at internet speeds, you'll often see the terms Mbps and Gbps. Mbps stands for megabits per second, while Gbps stands for gigabits per second.
1 Gbps = 1,000 Mbps
To put this into perspective, a standard broadband connection has speeds of around 25 Mbps. This means it would take approximately 40 seconds to download a 5 GB movie at 25 Mbps. However, at 1 Gbps, that same movie would only take 8 seconds to download!
When looking at your internet speeds, you'll often see two numbers: the download speed and the upload speed. The download speed is the amount of data you can receive from the internet, while the upload speed is the amount of data you can send to the internet.
In general, you need a higher download speed than upload speed. This is because most activities require more data to be downloaded than uploaded. For example, when streaming a movie, you're downloading a lot more data than you are uploading.
However, there are some activities that require more data to be uploaded than downloaded. For example, when sending large files or posting videos online, you'll need a higher upload speed than download speed.
One of the best ways to find out your internet speeds is to run a speed test. A speed test is a type of test that measures your internet connection speed. There are many different speed tests available, but we recommend using Ookla's Speedtest.
To run a speed test, simply go to the Ookla Speedtest website and click "Start Test." The test will then measure your download and upload speeds and give you a results page with all your information.
Online gaming has become very advanced over the last few years. If you are an avid online gamer and play intensive games that take up a lot of data and require a lot of speed, we recommend nothing lower than a 100 Mbps line.
If you're a casual gamer, however, we believe you can get away with a 50 Mbps line.
If you have multiple devices that are all connected to the internet at the same time, you'll need a higher speed to avoid any slowdown. We recommend a minimum of 50 Mbps for two devices, but 100 Mbps would be ideal.
Keep in mind that your speeds will also slow down if you're using data-intensive activities on multiple devices at the same time. For example, if you're streaming a movie on one device and playing an online game on another, you may need a higher speed to avoidlag.
For basic web browsing and emailing, we recommend a minimum of 5 Mbps. However, if you use your computer for more intensive activities like online shopping or streaming video, we recommend a minimum of 25 Mbps.
Keep in mind that your speeds will also slow down if you're using multiple devices at the same time. For example, if you're streaming a movie on one device and browsing the web on another, you may need a higher speed to avoid lag.
One of the most popular uses of the internet is streaming videos. Whether you're streaming movies, TV shows, or live events, you'll need a faster internet connection.
We recommend a minimum of 25 Mbps for HD video streaming. However, if you want to stream 4K video, we recommend a minimum of 50 Mbps.
If you work from home, you'll need a fast and reliable internet connection. We recommend a minimum of 25 Mbps for working from home. However, if you use your computer for intensive activities like video conferencing or file sharing, we recommend a minimum of 50 Mbps.
If there is more than one person in your household that works from home, to avoid lag and activities that can slow your internet, we'd recommend a minimum download speed of 100 Mbps.
If you run an online business, you'll need a fast and reliable internet connection. We recommend a minimum of download speed of 300 Mbps for running an online business, or a maximum of 1 Gbps.
Now that you know how much speed you need, the next step is to find an internet service provider that can offer you the speeds you need.
Here are some of the most popular internet service providers and the speeds they offer:
Comcast XFINITY: Up to 2 Gbps
AT&T: Up to 5 Gbps
Verizon Fios: Up to 940 Mbps
EarthLink: Up to 1 Gbps
Windstream: Up to 100 Mbps
CenturyLink: Up to 1,000 Mbps
Charter Spectrum: Up to 1,000 Mbps
Cox: Up to 500 Mbps
Windstream Kinetic: Up to 100 Mbps
Frontier FiOS: Up to 2,000 Mbps
Suddenlink: Up to 100 Mbps
Mediacom: Up to 60 Mbps
Once you've chosen an internet service provider, the next step is to find an internet plan that offers the speeds you need.
Here are some of the most popular internet plans and the speeds they offer:
Max Speed: 2,000 Mbps
Price: Between $70 - $100 per month
Availability: Not widely available but there are plans for expansion
Max Speed: 3,000 Mbps
Price: Between $20 - $300 per month
Availability: Widely available in most states
Max Speed: 2,048 Mbps
Price: Between $50 - $120 per month
Availability: Widely available in most states
Max Speed: 5 Gbps
Price: Between $55 - $180 per month
Availability: Lower speed plans are available in most states
Connecting to the internet has never been easier with HomeLinkd! We believe everyone deserves fast internet speed at an affordable rate from only the best providers.
Whether you're looking for gigabit internet, fast 5G home internet or just browsing around to find your perfect match, rest assured that HomeLinkd has a little something for you.
Get high-speed internet connectivity with HomeLinkd.
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