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The terms “Wi-Fi” and “internet” have become synonymous over the years. We connect our wireless devices to the internet each day, but the two terms are technically different.

The internet is a system of computer networks scattered across the globe. Your internet provider does just that—it provides a bridge between your home network (or local access network) and the internet (the wide access network). In most cases, that bridge is wired (fiber, cable, or DSL) unless you have satellite or fixed wireless internet.

A standalone router or gateway allows you to share your internet provider’s single connection with multiple devices in your home or office. Some devices may connect to the router or gateway using Ethernet (wired), while most others connect wirelessly—aka Wi-Fi. The latter is just a convenient, tether-free way to forward your internet data to and from your internet provider’s modem or ONT. Wi-Fi is not the internet, even though we use the term “Wi-Fi provider” throughout this article.

T-Mobile has the highest rank in overall satisfaction among the national internet providers in our latest customer satisfaction survey. It takes the top slot in customer service and price satisfaction, too.

As for our other categories, Xfinity has the highest ranking for speed satisfaction. Verizon Home Internet takes the top spot for reliability satisfaction.

On a regional level, Google Fiber has the highest rank across all five categories.

You can get Wi-Fi internet without a provider by accessing public Wi-Fi networks offered in stores, restaurants, malls, and so on. We also provide a guide on how to get free and low-cost internet if you’re on a budget.

To get Wi-Fi internet in your home or office, you must have an internet plan and physical connection in place. An internet connection requires a modem or fiber ONT to receive the internet signal from the provider and a wireless router to broadcast that connection over the air. This requirement applies to all scenarios, whether you’re at home, in the office, or shopping at Walmart.

Wi-Fi internet is typically secured by default using WPA2 or WPA3. Just click or tap on the listed network and enter the password. For more information, we provide instructions on setting up a home Wi-Fi network—especially if you’re installing a router you purchased.

A public Wi-Fi network, however, can be secured or unsecured.

A secure network typically requires an agreement before signing on and may even make you create an account before use. You also need a password to use a secure Wi-Fi network.

An unsecured Wi-Fi network typically doesn’t require an agreement or password. In some cases, you may need to create an account, which provides some protection—but not on the “secured” level.

In both cases, never log in to an account when accessing a public network, as lurking eavesdroppers could quietly steal your credentials. Never automatically connect to a public network, and consider using the best virtual private network (VPN) to secure your connection better.

A Wi-Fi standard is an established requirement for wireless connectivity. It defines what is needed, what is expected, and how those expectations are accomplished to provide a specific service. It’s important information to know while you’re shopping for a router or a wireless device, as the Wi-Fi standard defines maximum wireless speeds.

For example, the latest standard is IEEE 802.11ax, the wireless portion of the 802.11 local area network standards set. It was created and maintained by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers LAN/MAN Standards Committee but is marketed as Wi-Fi 6 by the Wi-Fi Alliance.

Wi-Fi operates by sending data in streams. With Wi-Fi 6, a single stream can reach up to 1,201Mbps per second, meaning a Wi-Fi 6 router supporting eight streams can reach up to 10Gbps combined. By comparison, the older Wi-Fi 5 (801.11ac or Wireless AC) standard supports up to 866.7Mbps in a single stream only, totaling nearly 7Gbps combined in Wi-Fi 5 routers that can handle eight streams.

In addition to speeds, new standards introduce new technologies. For instance, Wi-Fi 5 added beamforming and multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) connectivity for a more stable connection. Wi-Fi 6 adds Target Wake Time (TWT) to improve device battery life, while orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) enables more data to flow simultaneously.

A household of five people can comfortably use a 500Mbps plan. Using that formula, 100Mbps per user is more than plenty of speed to get things done. After all, streaming services like Netflix require 25Mbps at the most for 4K content, so that leaves 75Mbps open per user should someone need extra bandwidth to download a digital game fast, for instance.

Remember, your internet plan determines your full bandwidth. If you’re paying for only 100Mbps, you won’t see faster internet speeds whether you’re wired or wireless. Your router also plays a part, as range and Wi-Fi congestion create speed issues on your side of the internet connection.

Here are some examples of the speeds you need:

These numbers reflect a single user, so three people streaming 4K content from Netflix would use roughly 75Mbps.

Of course, because every customer is different, you may need more speed than others. We provide a tool so you can determine how much speed you need for residential or business scenarios.

There are many reasons why your Wi-Fi is slow. These include the following:

• Website server issues
• Traffic congestion between you and the website or service
• Local provider network congestion issues
• Malfunctioning equipment
• Interference from other wireless networks
• Not enough bandwidth

Keep in mind that wireless speeds depend on the router and devices you use. For example, your smartphone with a Wi-Fi 5 component will never reach the maximum speeds advertised with a Wi-Fi 6 router. Plus, if you’re paying for a 400Mbps plan, your internet speed will never go beyond that number, no matter what router or device you get.

If your Wi-Fi connection seems slower than normal, move on to the next Q&A to find out how you can properly reboot your equipment.

If your Wi-Fi speed feels sluggish, you may be in dire need of a complete reboot. Do the following to see if a reboot will resolve the slowdown:

Step 1: Unplug your ONT or modem from the power outlet. This step completely powers them down and clears the system memory—just like you would with a computer.

Step 2: Do the same for your standalone router or mesh system node serving as your router.

Step 3: Plug the ONT or modem back in and wait for it to boot completely.

Step 4: Plug the standalone router or mesh system node back in and wait for it to boot completely.

Step 5: Try your internet connection on a wireless device.

If a proper reboot didn’t work, consult our guide on how to improve your Wi-Fi speed in 10 simple steps.