Related: Is Zero Ping Possible? The Basics of Ping, Explained. Upload speed is the rate at which data is transferred from your device to the internet, and download speed is the rate at which data is sent from the internet to your device.
Bits are the smallest measure of data, and internet speed measures how many can be moved per second. Megabits are a million bits, while gigabits are a billion bits. A byte is a unit of data equal to eight bits, and a kilobyte is a thousand bytes, while a megabyte is a million bytes.
Mbps means Megabits per second and is used as a measure of internet speeds. On the other hand, MBps is Megabytes per second and is a measure of the rate at which data is transferred. Your internet speeds will be displayed in Mbps, but your data transfer rate will be displayed in MBps.
High-speed internet is usually referred to as broadband, and the FCC Federal Communication Commission is the agency in charge of regulating it. It set a connection speed of 25Mbps for download speed and 3Mbps for upload speed as the standard for high-speed internet service. The problem is, they made that decision in , and it is grossly inadequate just over half a decade later since we consume higher-quality internet content.
The continuing reliance on this standard has left Americans paying more for better speed compared to other developed nations, as ISPs set prices for internet plans based on this standard. Even Congress has noticed and has called for the FCC to revise this.
The proper answer is "as fast as possible," but that might be unwise as you might end up paying for speed you don't need. For either your home or business, how you intend to use the internet determines the speed you need.
Various activities require a minimum speed, and the FCC has a basic internet speed guide for most activities. For a lag-free experience, here are some minimum speeds you'd need for various online activities:. These recommendations are based on the assumption that you only stream to one device at a time. If you are sharing the internet with other inhabitants in your home, the bandwidth needs to grow accordingly. To decide the suitable internet speed for you, you can follow a simple rule of thumb.
Most ISPs advertise only download speeds, so you might not even realize that upload speeds are a separate thing. Download speeds are also generally the faster of the two speeds, so most advertisements tend to focus on them. Although we constantly both download and upload information online, for most of us, the information we upload is generally much smaller.
By contrast, the only information that needs to be uploaded are the search terms you look up and the information from the links and buttons you click. Most of us have had to deal with slow download speeds at one point or another, which often involves waiting for images to appear on a web page or a video stopping in the middle of playback to buffer. There are several reasons why your internet speed might dip temporarily due to traffic or routine maintenance.
Thinking of switching to a faster plan? Enter your zip code to see which providers are available in your area. Author - Peter Christiansen. Peter Christiansen writes about satellite internet, rural connectivity, livestreaming, and parental controls for HighSpeedInternet.
Peter holds a PhD in communication from the University of Utah and has been working in tech for over 15 years as a computer programmer, game developer, filmmaker, and writer.
Cara Haynes has been editing and writing in the digital space for seven years, and she's edited all things internet for HighSpeedInternet. When she's not editing, she makes tech accessible through her freelance writing for brands like Pluralsight.
She believes no one should feel lost in internet land and that a good internet connection significantly extends your life span. What is a good download speed? What is a good upload speed? What is a good Wi-Fi speed? What is download speed? What is upload speed? Download speed is generally more important than upload speed Although we constantly both download and upload information online, for most of us, the information we upload is generally much smaller. But your movies and games will download much more quickly if you upgrade to a faster internet speed.
Even if you have an internet package with good download and upload speeds, the fastest routers can still have trouble beaming your Wi-Fi signal through walls or furniture. If you notice your Zoom calls cut out or your PS4 takes forever to download a new game, see if you can find an Ethernet cable in your odd-and-ends closet or buy one on Amazon.
With an Ethernet cable, you can wire laptops, PCs, and most game consoles directly to your router to take full advantage of the speeds you pay for. A wired connection might seem a bit old school, but it can take your internet speeds to a whole new level. In this case, you might consider mesh Wi-Fi setups or long-range routers. We have a whole article to help you figure out your ideal setup. If you want to see how fast your internet is, you can try a speed test like this one on HighSpeedInternet.
The broadband standard is 25 Mbps download, 3 Mbps upload—so 20 Mbps is a bit slower than the current standard for an average-performing internet speed. But if you find Mbps speeds are too slow for your needs, you may need to upgrade to a faster plan, get a new router, or connect with an Ethernet cord.
DSL upload speeds are typically less than 10 Mbps, while cable internet upload speeds usually fall between 5 Mbps and 35 Mbps. About the Author Rachel Oaks. Rachel Oaks has written hundreds of helpful articles in their four years at CableTV.
You want all the deets on internet providers, download speeds, and affordable internet? Finance, Roku. What Is a Good Internet Speed? Our experts recommend Mbps download speeds—but if you have lots of devices, you may need even faster internet. Jump to the answer for your internet speed question: What are good internet download speeds?
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