On this page What is internet speed? What can affect your internet speed? How to find out what Wi-Fi speed you need Understanding internet speeds by activity What internet speed is best for streaming movies? Why your internet speeds might fluctuate 6 ways to speed up your Wi-Fi When to upgrade internet speeds Internet speed glossary: terms you should know Internet speed FAQs What is internet speed? Internet speed refers to how much data and information can be transferred over the web on a single connection at any given time.Understanding how you use your home internet will help you determine which internet service provider (ISP) and plan best fit your needs, which, in turn, will ensure you don’t get stuck with laggy streaming and gaming or end up overpaying for internet services.What can affect your internet speed? Some internet connection types offer higher speeds than others, and understanding the differences is important when choosing the right internet plan.
Here’s what you need to know: Connection type matters.Fiber is widely accepted as the best connection available, and both cable and fiber offer better speeds than satellite and DSL Location matters too: Certain connection types may not be available to you, especially in rural areas, so remembering the pros and cons of each can help you determine the right one for your home network More devices = more speed.The number of people or devices connected to your home network will affect the internet speed you get.
Like traffic on a highway, more devices connected to a single network at once can cause slower speeds, so try managing your device connectivity to boost your internet speed Certain activities use more speed.The type of internet activities you’re participating in can affect your speed.Gaming and streaming, for example, require more bandwidth than browsing The significance of latency and jitter.
Speed isn’t the only factor to consider — the consistency and reliability of your internet signal, measured as latency and jitter, are key to a smooth gaming or streaming experience.Fiber is the best connection for minimizing latency and jitter, followed by cable.How to find out what Wi-Fi speed you need Internet speed determines how quickly you can perform tasks online and how many tasks your network can handle at a single time.
While cheap internet is easy on your budget, low-cost plans often come with slower speeds too — so unless you live solo and only browse Facebook, you might need more than the minimum speed.If you’re not sure what counts as “fast” or what you should be aiming for, check out our guide on what is a good internet speed to better understand the ideal Mbps for your household size and online habits.Understanding internet speeds by activity Your internet speed needs depend on your usage.
Keep in mind that these are the speeds required for each device in your home, so you need to account for the additional necessary speed for devices that will be operating simultaneously.Once you account for how many devices you will have connected, you can start determining the speed you need for your home.General use activitiesMinimum download speedOptimal download speed General browsing and email1 Mbps10+ Mbps Streaming videos3 – 40 Mbps50+ Mbps Online learningAt least 25 Mbps25+ Mbps Working from homeAt least 25 Mbps50+ Mbps for video conferencing File downloading10 Mbps50+ Mbps (especially for large files or 4K video) Gaming4 – 8 Mbps50+ Mbps What internet speed is best for streaming movies? In general, 5 Mbps is the baseline for viewing in HD (1080p), and 25 Mbps is the minimum for 4K Ultra HD.
However, consider increasing your internet speed if any of these additional factors apply to your household. If you have multiple internet users, multiply that speed by the number of devices streaming at once within your network, taking into account which resolution your devices are using If you are streaming live channels on platforms like Hulu Live or FuboTV, you may need more bandwidth ISP-advertised speeds may differ from actual performance, especially during peak hours.Take our speed test to find out what you’re currently getting versus what you are paying for.Peak usage time also affects your streaming experience, so try watching shows during off-hours to eliminate lag, especially if you have limited bandwidth. ServiceRecommended speed Netflix HD video3 – 5 Mbps Twitch with 1080p and 60 fps4 – 6 Mbps Hulu HD video streaming3 – 6 Mbps Disney+ 4K UHD video streaming25 Mbps Why your internet speeds might fluctuate You might have noticed that sometimes your internet is faster or slower than usual.
This is normal and could be due to a number of reasons.Type of internet connection The most common internet types include fiber, cable, DSL, 5G, fixed wireless and satellite.The fastest and most reliable connection type is fiber, but if fiber is not available in your area, then go with cable.
You’re more likely to receive DSL, fixed wireless or satellite service if you live in a more rural area, as fiber providers tend to only focus on deploying their services to higher-density areas.Router location and settings Where you put your router can weaken the signal.Avoid putting it in places near potential signal-blockers like radios, microwaves or thick/dense walls.
You also want to get it off the floor, as other signals might travel along the floor and interfere with your internet.The best place to put your router is the middle of your home in an elevated, clear spot.Configuring your router settings is a bit more technical, but there are potential issues you can troubleshoot to see if you can make your internet faster.
For instance, your router may be on a busy 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi channel.If other people are using overlapping channels, bandwidth is eaten up and your connection slows down.Switch to channel 1, 6 or 11 to avoid overlap.
Malware Malware can infect your computer’s hardware, software or applications.One type is internet malware that infects computer applications such as web browsers and can slow internet speeds.We’ve put together a few ways to prevent malware from infecting your devices.
Throttling It’s not uncommon for internet service providers to throttle internet speeds when you exceed your plan’s data limit, and some have even been accused of throttling internet speeds for certain websites or activities.If it’s the latter, it could be time to change your plan and increase your speeds.For the former, run a speed test outside of the 7 p.m.
– 11 p.m.busy period, then install a VPN and run the same test.Why is my internet slow at night? Most people use their home internet in the evening, particularly during “rush hour” from 7 p.m.
– 11 p.m.This can slow internet speeds, but there isn’t much of a solution other than reducing the number of devices using the internet at this time or increasing the speed on your plan.Your own internet activity If you’re connecting many devices at once or doing high-bandwidth activities like uploading 4K video to YouTube or a 500 GB PDF to a server, this can impact other devices on your network and the speed with which you’re able to connect.
6 ways to speed up your Wi-Fi If none of the solutions above address your internet speed issues, you can take a few additional steps to boost your connection: Make it a habit to restart your router.This allows them to “refresh” and clear stored up data.Upgrade your router.
Look for a high-quality, long-range router to deliver the best internet speeds.Purchase a Wi-Fi extender.If you have issues with your internet speeds in certain areas of your home, you likely need a Wi-Fi extender to provide a more consistent Wi-Fi connection wherever you are in the house.
Amp up your security.Other users may have found a way to leech off your connection.Use hard-to-guess passwords and WPA2 security.
Switch from your 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi channel to the 5 GHz one.A 5 GHz channel has 23 overlapping channels compared to 16 for 2.4 GHz, which can increase speeds.Angle one Wi-Fi antenna straight up and the other to the side.
This will send the connection both directly up and down through ceilings and horizontally through walls for well-rounded coverage.When to upgrade internet speeds The main consideration for determining whether you need a faster speed plan is consistency.If speeds are consistently slow regardless of which room of the house you are in, when multiple devices are connected to the Wi-Fi or when someone in your household is attempting a high-bandwidth internet activity, then that’s a sign your speed plan is the problem.
However, if your Wi-Fi connection is unpredictable or location-specific, your issues likely lie more with your internet provider or your equipment.Internet speed glossary: terms you should know When understanding internet speeds and how they work, it’s helpful to arm yourself with some handy definitions: Bandwidth – Bandwidth measures the total number of frequencies, or capacity, a network connection can handle at any moment.With more bandwidth, more data can be transferred through a specific network.
This is significant for determining how many devices can connect to the network at a time.Bit – Internet speed is measured in bits per second (bps).This is the smallest unit of computer information, so you’ll often see internet speeds referred to as megabits per second (Mbps).
Download – Download speed tells you how quickly information from external sources is received by your router.Latency – Latency measures the delay in data transfer, telling you how fast data gets from a source to its destination.Internet connection types vary considerably when it comes to latency.
For instance, 100 Mbps with a fiber connection will have far fewer delays for tasks like Zoom meetings than 100 Mbps with a satellite connection. Mbps – “Megabits per second” is how we gauge internet speeds.This number represents the bandwidth of an internet connection, which is how much data can be transferred each second.Read more about the difference between Mbps and MBps.
Upload – This tells you how quickly information from your network is sent to external networks.Learn more about the difference between uploading and downloading.Wi-Fi – Wi-Fi offers a wireless internet connection, negating the need for devices to connect via hardware, such as an Ethernet cable.
Internet speed FAQs What is a fast internet speed? Fast internet speed is generally 500 Mbps or higher.Why is internet speed important? Internet speed is important because it determines how fast you can complete online tasks like streaming or gaming.If the speed is too slow, you won’t be able to watch a show or have a video meeting.
Why doesn’t my internet feel as fast as the speed I’m paying for? Internet plans are displayed as ‘up to’ the maximum possible speed, so your actual speed may be less, especially if you are using Wi-Fi or connecting multiple devices at once.Where you place your router inside your home can also impact your internet speed. Is faster internet always better? Faster internet is better if your household uses multiple devices at once while gaming, streaming or working remotely.However, if you are browsing the web, checking email and have few devices, you may not notice a significant difference between 100 Mbps and 500 Mbps, so going with the more affordable option can make more sense in that situation. What to read next Read more Featured Report: Internet users are gobbling data by more than a half-terabyte Robin Layton — 4 min read Featured The best Wi-Fi routers of 2026 Camryn Smith — 7 min read Featured Learn how a mesh network could be your solution to home internet issues Lisa Iscrupe — 5 min read Latest Thursday, February 5, 2026 Everything you need to know about internet speeds in 2026 Lisa Iscrupe — 5 min read Monday, February 2, 2026 Best Xfinity routers reviewed Camryn Smith — 6 min read Friday, January 30, 2026 Americans are getting 305 Mbps in download speed, but are you? Robin Layton — 5 min read
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