What Internet Speed Do I Really Need?

Upload speed versus download speed? What is the Difference?

Most people don’t need super fast upload speeds. Even when you’re playing online games that use a lot of your computer’s power, the data being sent over the internet is usually small. That’s because your game is running on your computer, and it only needs to send basic info about what you’re doing. Fast upload speeds are mostly needed if you’re streaming video or uploading large files, like to YouTube.

What Is Fast Internet?

This has changed over time. A long time ago, having a 56 kbps dial-up modem was considered fast. Today, a 25 Mbps connection is about 450 times faster than that, but back then we didn’t use as much data. Pictures were small and blurry, we didn’t have much video, and audio files were tiny. I pay $73 a month for a 300 Mbps download and 50 Mbps upload connection, and that works fine for me. If I could get Google Fiber with 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps), that would be much faster, but it would only matter if I were downloading huge files. When you stream Netflix or Hulu, they usually use about 5-10 Mbps for standard definition and 15-25 Mbps for HD, if your connection can handle it.

Why Is My Network Slow?

The “bottleneck” is the slowest part of your internet. If you have a house with two people and only one internet modem, and one person is streaming a movie, it could slow down the other person’s downloads. If you and your neighbor are both using the internet, but the equipment from your internet provider can handle the traffic, it won’t cause problems. But if the equipment near your house is old or overloaded, it could slow things down for you.

Wifi Connection Vs. Wired?

Let’s say you have a 100 Mbps plan from your provider, and your Wi-Fi adapters can only handle 100 Mbps. In that case, your internet speed is limited by the 100 Mbps plan, so whether you’re on Wi-Fi or wired, you’ll get the same speed, as long as your Wi-Fi signal is strong. But if you have a 100 Mbps plan, but your Wi-Fi adapters can only go up to 54 Mbps, then your wired connection can use the full 100 Mbps, but your Wi-Fi will be stuck at 54 Mbps.