Internet speed is the fundamental feature we all check in the solution an ISP (internet service provider) offers in the vicinity. It is among the biggest considerations that influence the decision of picking or skipping an internet service or plan. The speed of your internet plan will determine how promptly you or your family can carry out online tasks and how much signal stability and coverage it can offer.

Nonetheless, if you are the only internet user at home or your online activity list just contains browsing Facebook, internet speed still rules your decision for choosing the internet service. Thus internet speed is the feature of the biggest concern for every type of internet user. We recommend you to click here and explore a strong internet option. 

We have designed a thorough guide for internet speed that will provide you with an immense understanding to learn what you should look for while choosing the internet speed for your home. So you can run all smart devices at your home with the optimal internet speed.  

In this blog, we have covered every aspect from briefly explaining why the speed of your internet connection matters, to how you can examine the speed of your existing internet service. Lastly, this guide will assist you in deciding what actions you need to take if your internet connection is not providing speed competent to meet the needs of all internet users and smart devices at your home. 

What are Internet Speeds and How to Measure Them

It shows how much information and data your internet connection can transmit over the web in a given timeframe. Internet speed relies on the time it takes to upload and download data (bits) whereas Gbps (gigabits per second) and Mbps (megabits per second) are the two units generally used for measuring the speed of the internet. However, in the case of one megabit per second, 1,000,000 bits are transmitted in one second but for one gigabit per second 1,000,000,000 bits are transmitted at the same time. 

The greater the number of gigabits per second or megabits per second, the blazing will be your internet speed. Just keep in mind that the internet speed you may select will rely particularly on the internet speed you or your family needs. Usually, you can see internet speeds mentioned across different internet plans, packages, bundle offers, or deals in Mbps. 

It is because most internet users generally do not need the fastest internet speed of Gigabit internet. On the other hand gigabits per second internet speed is a better choice for gamers, online jobbies, or households with multiple internet users and smart devices. If you are interested in getting a higher speed internet connection then opt for Spectrum Internet plans. You can call the Spectrum Phone Number and gather the information for the plans available in your area. 

Why does Internet Speed Matter?

Internet speed matters because it governs the types of online activities a user can perform while using an internet connection and the count of smart devices a subscriber can connect to at a time. If you can get a sound understanding of the internet needs of your entire household then you can easily figure out the internet speeds you require from your ISP. 

It is not appropriate to have either a way too slow or way too fast internet speed because each of these will put you in a series of trouble. Often users having an internet connection with too slow speed may suffer from frequent lags or buffering while streaming movies, uploading or downloading files, playing online games, and else. 

On contrary, internet users that have subscribed to excessively fast internet speeds may experience overlapping of internet services and bear additional costs every month for having an unnecessarily high internet speed. 

As a rule of thumb, almost every ISP advertises download and upload speeds across the United States of America. Unfortunately, the internet speeds mentioned are not necessarily accurate so it is better to cross-check the internet speed to find out the accurate internet speed you are receiving. 

You can either use the FCC definition for high-speed internet which cannot be used for the household with multiple internet users or smart devices or the latest one for selecting the right internet plan. 

New Rule for Selecting the Right Internet Plan

Since the FCC rule is now outdated and impractical it is better to go with the new rule for determining the exact need for internet speed for you and your family. According to the new rule, all you need to do is to divide the total count of smart devices you will connect to an internet plan by the speed your provider is offering it. Generally, the resultant internet speed lies between 25 Mbps – 40 Mbps. 

Roughly an internet speed of around 100 Mbps is enough for a family of four internet users who use one smart device at a time (100/4 = 25). But in case all the users supposedly use multiple smart devices simultaneously it is better to go for a bit faster internet plan. 

Moreover, in case, all four members of the family use two smart devices such as a laptop and a smartphone at a time then the equation will be 300/8 = 37.5. It means you need to consider an internet plan that falls into categories ranging from 200 Mbps to 300 Mbps. 

How Much Bandwidth You Should Opt for

The next thing you should consider in an internet plan is bandwidth. The speed of the internet plan relies on usage. Therefore it is imperative to consider the speed every smart device at your home needs. If you own various smart devices at your home that stay connected to your internet connection all the time, you need to look for a faster internet speed solution. 

Here is a list of different online activities with the minimum download speed you may need. 

General Use Activities vs. Download Speed (Mbps) – Minimum 

• General browsing and email – 1 
• Zoom call – 1.5 
• File downloading – 10 
• Streaming videos – 3 to 40 
• Social media – 1
• VoIP calls – Less than 0.5
• Online learning – At least 25
• Working from home – At least 25

Streaming vs. Download Speed (Mbps) – Minimum

• Streaming Ultra HD 4K video – 25
• Streaming Standard Definition (SD) video – 3 to 4 
• Streaming High Definition (HD) video – 5 to 8 

Gaming vs. Download Speed (Mbps) – Minimum

• Game console connecting to the internet – 3
• Online multiplayer – 4

Working from Home vs. Download Speed (Mbps) – Minimum

• HD video teleconferencing – 6 
• Standard personal video call (e.g. Skype or Zoom) – 1
• HD personal video call (e.g. Skype or Zoom) – 1.5 

Check the Speed of Your Internet Plan

An online speed test is the easiest and simplest technique for identifying how much internet speed you are receiving at your place. Once you run and get the figures for the upload and download speed of your internet plan, compare it to the advertised speeds.

If the internet speed you are receiving at your home is less than what you are paying or contracted for, feel free to contact the ISP right away. You can check your internet speed on BuyTVInternetPhone.

For instance, if the speed you get after running the online speed test is the same as mentioned in the contract and you are having trouble while working online, it is time to either upgrade the existing internet plan or switch to another ISP in your area. 

The Bottom Line 

We have tried to cover key elements in this guide. However, there is still a lot you need to learn to become a pro for picking up the best of all internet plan for you and your family. However, you can also check out customer reviews for the internet service providers in your area by either visiting their websites or your neighbors, friends, or colleagues who are already using their services.