For a family that has lots of smart devices, phones, tablets, computers and 4K and HDR streaming as well as online gaming, then you might get close to using that bandwidth. However, for real-world use, that might be overkill. The next fastest is Virgin Broadband with its 370Mb top-end line, with BT Broadband close offering 300Mb speeds. But this is the peak of what's on offer and is not going to be available to many. What about ultrafast broadband?įibre broadband can now reach speeds of up to 1Gb in some areas. There's a recent trend of late for households turning to 4G home broadband and even in some big cities even 5G home broadband, and it would be no surprise to see that perpetuate even further as 5G becomes more widely available. Of course you might not have access to that in your area in which case other services like satellite or phone network broadband could be good options. But it's worth cranking that up and paying an extra few pounds a month to get up to 50Mb+ if you can't get enough of that 4K streaming or your household is bursting with broadband-hungry inhabitants. When you're hunting for offers, that means you're looking at average speeds of no less than around 35Mb. As such it, technically, has no limit so will continue to offer faster speeds as smarter coding and encoding devices at either end of that cable get developed. That is why fibre broadband is ideal since it uses fibre optics, aka light, to transmit data. Which broadband is fast enough?įor the best speeds, you're going to want a no-limits line that means a future-proof connection. So by having a larger bandwidth pool to drink from, all your devices are going to be satisfied, so to speak. The result can be slower connections on the devices you're actively using.
That can mean that devices are talking to your router and using up data while you're not actually doing anything. In the age of the smarthome there can be lots of gadgets vying for a chunk of your bandwidth. It can even mean dropped connections and an inability to use certain devices. It can mean waiting for downloads of files and photos, lower quality video streaming or that constant buffering alert. If your broadband is slow, you won't need to be told why more speed is better. Minus that from the speed you're supposed to get and you'll see the difference. Then run a speed test and see what you're getting.
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One way to check what you need is to get everything running at once – kids on tablets and consoles, smart gadgets playing music, the TV streaming 4K content and a laptop downloading. Netflix, for example, recommends at 25Mb line if you want to stream in UHD 4K with HDR to really take advantage of a TV displaying your favourite shows. But as a broad measure, to stream HD video and use multiple device at once on your Wi-Fi network, you're going to want at least a 2Mb line. Of course what speed you need depends on what you're doing. You'll have a slower upload speed than download, which is normal. Once you know this, you have an idea of where you stand in relation to the speed options out there right now.
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10Mb (normal ADSL internet) roughly translates into download speeds of 1.25MB per second, while 35Mb fibre broadband takes that up to over 4MB per second.įirst thing's first, you need to establish the speed you're getting by using this broadband speed test. Xfinity internet is a popular ISP known for its fast speeds, unlimited data and low equipment fees, allowing customers more freedom by offering service without a long-term contract.Mb - sometimes displayed as Mbps - means 'Megabits per second' and is an easy way to compare the average speeds offered by broadband companies. Close any apps or web pages on your computer that may be using up bandwidth, such as video and music streaming apps or sites.These devices can use up bandwidth and interfere with your test results, even if you aren’t actively using them. This includes any device that may be connected to your Wi-Fi network, such as smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, Wi-Fi enabled cameras, etc. Disconnect any other devices that use the internet.If your internet plan advertises speeds above 100 Mbps, use a Cat5e, Cat6 or Cat7 Ethernet cable for the best results.