How Much Internet Speed Do You Need?

How much speed do you need? It’s not always easy to figure out what Internet speed your household needs—especially as you upgrade or add to the devices your household uses. With each device, home automation tool, or entertainment gadget you buy, you are customizing your Internet experience. That’s why no two Internet users are the same. The way your household uses your Internet connection will be different from how your neighbors use theirs. So how do you know what kind of plan you need and how much you should be paying each month to stay connected? Here are a few things to consider to figure that out.

How Many Devices Are Using the Internet?

Count the total number of computers, tablets, and smartphones you and your family own. You should also count any smart TVs, game consoles, streaming devices, smart appliances, security systems and smart doorbells, and routers and mesh systems. Even if you don’t actively use it that much, you should still consider it. Every connection counts.

How Often Do You Video Conference?

Whether you’re Facetiming friends or family or meeting virtually with coworkers on Zoom or Microsoft Teams, video conferencing is an important factor to consider. While streaming requires a strong download speed, making video calls require both a strong upload and download speed. It’s not possible to rely on any video conference platform without symmetrical speeds. So it will help you to determine just how much you and your household uses video calls to communicate, whether it’s socially or for work.

Does Your Household Game Online?

For the same reasons as video conferencing, online gaming will place a huge demand on your Internet service’s ability to give you both the upload and download speeds you need. How many people in your household play videogames online, and how often? You should be accounting for any online gaming on a PC or game console. You likely won’t have to worry as much about games on a smartphone. If you have multiple online gamers in your household, or at least one who plays on a regular basis, you should take that into consideration.

Calculate Your Speeds!

Now that you’ve determined all this information, it’s time to plug it in and figure out just what speeds you need. A great tool that we’ve used and recommended in the past is this bandwidth calculator. Answer each question honestly, and you’ll get a recommended speed.  

Additional Things To Consider  

As you figure out what speeds you should be signing up for, you should also keep in mind that no matter how you and your family use the Internet, at the end of the day you’ll only be able to choose from the Internet providers and plans that are available to you and your area. If you consider your area to be suburban, there’s a chance you don’t have all the same fast and affordable options that are in more densely population areas. This is even more likely if you live in a rural area. Another barrier to getting the plan you actually need could be cost. Many providers will sign you up for a one- or two-year contract at an affordable price only to hike the price up at the end of the term.

Do you require speeds that are either not available to you, unfairly priced, or come with strings attached to bundles or contracts? Check your address here and see if Tachus is available in your area. If not, learn how your community can get our blazing-fast and affordable fiber Internet plans.

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