Thinking about getting a Wi-Fi connection installed at your home? You are reading the right thing. Great Internet service can allow you to enjoy unlimited streaming and gaming. But before getting an Internet connection installed, it is important to know about the Internet speed classifications. This is because it can allow you to choose the right Internet package. In this way, you won’t have to bear frequent interruptions. It will also save you from the hassle of changing the package or the provider.
Read on to know more about this.
Important Internet Speed Classifications
Before getting an Internet connection at home, it is important to know about the various kind of Internet speeds and technology. It can allow you to do upload vs download speed comparison in advance. If your Internet consumption involves more uploading, then you might choose a package with higher speeds and vice versa. Mainly, there are two kinds of Internet speeds.
Upload Speeds
Upload speeds are the ones that determine how long will it take to upload a file from your device on the Internet. Most of the Internet users don’t require frequent uploading. So, they can simply buy a package will low upload speeds.
Download Speeds
Download speeds are the ones that you might require to download data from the Internet. When you are watching a movie or playing a game, you are downloading the data from the Internet. Since you require these speeds for most of the Internet-related activities, you might need a heavy Internet package.
What is Poor Internet Speed?
Now that you have understood the type of speeds, it is time to discuss the slow and fast Internet speeds. Generally, if you have speeds less than 25 Mbps at home, then your Internet connection is poor. You can enjoy occasional surfing. But if you want to enjoy uninterrupted streaming, then you might want to get higher speeds. Normally, dial-up and DSL Internet can deliver only 10-25 Mbps speeds.
Reliable Internet Speed
The speeds that are higher than 25 Mbps are considered good Internet speeds. You can enjoy a range of activities with such kind of high speeds. If your Internet consumption involves frequent video-calling and streaming, then you should choose a heavy Internet package.
What Speed is Considered Fast?
If you want to enjoy HD streaming the whole day long, then you might need a very fast connection. The speeds that are higher than 100 Mbps might be considered very fast. If you have a package with these speeds, there will be no interruptions and stuttering extra.
Types of Internet Technologies and Speeds
The type of technology delivering the speeds at your home can affect the speeds significantly. Your ISP might claim to the provider you high download speeds. But you should always use an Internet speed test tool to check your connection speeds. This can allow you to make sure whether you are getting the advertised speeds or not.
There are different kinds of technologies that can deliver the Internet to your home. The slowest type of technology is dial-up. The dial-up can only deliver a maximum of 10-20 Mbps speeds to you. Just like dial-up, DSL and satellite Internet are also slow-connection options. But these three technologies are excellent options for you if you live in a remote area.
Cable Internet is generally a much more reliable option. It can deliver higher speeds than DSL or satellite technology. But during peak hours, there can be many Internet outage issues. So, you should only choose this option if you live in a non-crowded area. Fiber is the latest technology that is used to deliver fast Internet speeds. Fiber is much more reliable than DSL or cable Internet. It doesn’t get affected by extreme weather conditions or a crowded network. But it is only available in a limited number of areas.
The Right Internet Speeds for You
Now that you have learned about the types of technology, it is time to determine the required speeds according to your needs. So, the Internet speed classifications according to your needs are:
Casual Surfing
You might be an occasional Internet user. This means that you might use the Internet for streaming a video once in a while. Or you might check your emails regularly or surf the web. If this is the case, then you might only require 5-10 Mbps speeds.
Streaming and Video-Calling
If you also engage in activities like video-calling, then you might require higher upload speeds. So, a connection with 40-50 Mbps speeds might be the right choice for you. These speeds can allow you to enjoy online gaming and streaming without any latency.
Downloading and HD Streaming
If you have many members in your household, then you might need a bigger Internet package. The frequent downloading and gaming might require speeds of at least 100 Mbps.
Speedy Downloading and Gaming
To enjoy non-stop streaming and gaming, you might require speeds higher than 100 Mbps. Certain TV shows and movies might require speeds of at least 300-400 Mbps. This is because you might not be able to enjoy them in HD without any interruptions at slow speeds.
All Activities
Big households might require bigger Internet packages. You might require speeds between 500-1000 Mbps to enjoy various activities on the Internet.
Conclusion
All this should help you in determining the right Internet speeds according to your lifestyle. But if you are still not sure about the speeds, you can seek your ISP’s customer support like Cox Care or the like to know more about this. Enable yourself to make an informed choice!
