Finding the Speed That’s Right for Your Residential or Business Internet
One question that gets asked possibly more than any other when shopping for high-speed internet is, which speed is right for me? Unlike a lot of questions though, there is no definitive answer to this, and there never will be, because everyone’s needs are different, and the speed that works for your parents, who only play tile-matching games and watch adorable cat videos, is not going to work for your cousin who plays 8-hour online multiplayer marathons. The most common speeds tend to fall between 7 Mbps and 50 Mbps—literally thousands of times faster than the old 56 kbps dial-up (though with none of the cool sound effects).
So from residential to business internet, ask yourself the following two questions to get closer to determining the speed for you.
How Will It Be Used?
If you only check your e-mail and browse social media, then there is no reason why 7 Mbps high-speed internet shouldn’t suffice for you. Using this as a sort of baseline measurement, add other uses on top of this model, and adjust the speed as needed. Frequently stream music? Go a little faster. Love to unwind with some Netflix? Go even faster than that. If you like to play online multiplayer games, then more speed means less lag between you and other players. And if you’re into making and uploading your own YouTube videos, then you’ll not only want a fast download speed, but also a fast upload speed as well.
How Many Will Use It?
The thing about high-speed internet, especially when used via Wi-Fi, is that it doesn’t keep a consistent speed regardless of how many people are accessing it—in fact, it divides the available speed amongst users. So while 15 Mbps may be enough for all your streaming needs, if your roommate is prone to spontaneous marathons of The Walking Dead, you might want to go with the 25 Mbps package to be safe.
This is especially important in office settings where multiple employees not only use but rely on the same internet connection. Business internet packages are often available that offer a strong and stable connection fast enough to accommodate an entire office. Just make sure to use a powerful enough router if your business has a BYOD policy, as even the fastest business internet connection can get bottlenecked by a slow router, especially with multiple users.
These two questions are typically the best way to figure out what speed of internet will best suit you. If for any reason you are still unsure, or if you have chosen a speed but have decided that you want to change it, contact your local high-speed internet service provider, and they will be only two happy to help you.
