Netflix is pretty amazing, but there’s a big catch. You need internet speeds of at least 25Mbps to watch in high definition.

Our expert advice is a little different from the Netflix recommendation of 3Mbps for a single show, but let us explain. In the real world, most people watch Netflix while doing 10 other internet things simultaneously on their computers, phones, or tablets. And don’t forget all those smart devices and your kids or roommates watching int he next room!

To avoid the buffer gremlins for a single Netflix stream, get internet of 25Mbps or more. You’re even better off with 100Mbps if you want to watch on multiple screens at the same time. To enjoy video streaming in 4K resolution, consider upgrading to a plan with  speeds of at least 200Mbps.

Does your Wi-Fi have what it takes?

Take our speed test to see if your internet is fast enough to support your Netflix habit.

Netflix speed basics

Before we jump into the nitty-gritty, here’s a quick breakdown of three things you need to know about Netflix and internet speeds.

Three golden rules for Netflix internet:

• The more users and devices logged in at once, the more internet speed you need.
• For 4K streaming, fiber or cable internet plans are best.
• For slow connections and hotspots, choose a Netflix Basic plan.

Here are your minimum speed needs for Netflix

Netflix claims on its website that you can stream with speeds as low as 3Mbps. But that’s only if Netflix is the only app you’re using while you’re online—not an accurate reflection of how most folks spend their time on the web these days.

The experts at HighSpeedInternet.com put together some realistic Netflix speed recommendations. You can easily get these speeds on pretty much any fiber, cable, 5G plan —or even some DSL and satellite internet plans.

What do you need to stream Ultra HD 4K movies on Netflix?

Many households need speeds of 200Mbps or faster to facilitate watching movies in Ultra HD 4K resolution on Netflix.

4K resolution gives you images in awe-inspiring detail, enhancing your experience for the sweeping cinematic grit of All Quiet on the Western Front or the lush splendor of a nature docuseries like Our Great National Parks. Nothing beats it, especially when you have a big screen.

The problem? 4K uses up a lot of broadband speed. Like, A LOT. Streaming in 4K also puts a massive dent in your monthly data allotment.

Here’s a breakdown of the scary stats:

• 4K requires speeds of at least 15Mbps minimum speeds for a single user to stream Netflix smoothly—3X faster than what you need to stream video in Full HD 1080p resolution.
• Watching a two-hour film in 4K consumes a whopping 16GB per hour—4X the data you would use streaming the same film HD.

Get fiber internet or a gigabit cable plan for the best 4K performance

You basically need supercharged internet to keep a 4K stream flowing without it getting bogged down by the spinning wheel of death. But you can bulk up your broadband speed with a fiber internet plan. Fiber gives you the fastest and most reliable type of internet connection, and even baseline plans get you super-smooth speeds.

If fiber internet hasn’t yet come to town, there’s a good chance you can get fast speeds from a cable internet provider. If you’re an ultra-high-def enthusiast, look for plans of about 1,000Mbps (1Gbps).

Best internet plans for 4K video streaming

What if you have slow internet? Never fear—you can still watch Netflix

You can pay a pretty penny for Netflix Premium and ultra-fast internet to go with it. Butdoes that mean the party is over for Netflix when you’re on a budget? Of course not.

If you’re on a budget, start by finding a budget internet plan (you’ll find some of our faves below). Then, pick a Netflix plan that doesn’t bust your wallet in half—we recommend Netflix Basic for its manageable 720p resolution.

If you want, you can lower your resolution even more. That’s something you may need to do if you’re streaming video over a hotspot. As convenient as mobile hotspots are, they come with strict internet data limits that can put a serious damper on your Netflix usage if you’re not careful. Watch a few too many movies in HD or 4K and you can use up $90 worth of data in a day.

Best internet plans for budget Netflix users

Can you stream Netflix with satellite internet?

Yes, you can definitely stream Netflix with satellite internet. But satellite has very slow speeds and (often) extremely limited data caps, so you’ll want to reduce your video resolution to the lowest-possible setting to get the most out of your Netflix experience. The image quality isn’t as nice, but low resolution keeps you from burning through a month’s worth of data in a matter of hours.

Here’s how to adjust the video resolution on your Netflix app

Netflix automatically chooses a video resolution based on your Netflix plan and connection speed. But you can change it manually ff your Netflix streaming falls prey to buffering and slow load times a bit too often. Lowering your video resolution will also help you reduce data usage, which is crucial if you’re worried about your data cap.

To reduce data usage and buffering, set the resolution to Medium or Low. Here’s how to do it:

On desktop:

Step 1: Sign in from your browser.

Step 2: Click your profile on the Who’s Watching? screen.

Step 3: Click Account in the drop-down menu that appears when you move your cursor over the Profile section in the top right-hand part of the screen.

Step 4: Select the profile you want to edit in Profile & Parental Controls.

Step 5: Go to Playback settings and click Change.

Step 6: Choose between Auto, Low, Medium, or High in the section titled Data usage per screen.

On mobile:

Step 1: Sign in from your browser app.

Step 2: Tap Menu on the upper left.

Step 3: Tap Account.

Step 4: Tap the profile you want to edit in Profile & Parental Controls.

Step 5: Tap Change in Playback settings.

Step 6: Choose between Auto, Low, Medium, or High in the section titled Data usage per screen, then tap Save.

Choose the best Netflix plan in an age of post-password sharing

As Netflix cracks down on password sharing—forcing customers to pay an extra $7.99 a month for any users outside a subscriber’s household—it’s important to decide which plan is best for you.

The Standard and Premium plans are best for most people because they offer higher resolution and give you more flexibility in the number of shows you can stream simultaneously.

If you have slow internet—through a DSL or satellite connection, for example—you should consider going a cheaper route with the Standard or Standard with Ads plans.

Netflix plan options

FAQ

Disclaimers

You don’t need fast speeds for social media—but it certainly helps.

Text- and image-based apps like Facebook work great even when you have a connection as slow as 5Mbps. However, you need much faster speeds (anywhere from 10Mbps to 100Mbps) to accommodate video-centered apps like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram. You also need to make sure you have enough bandwidth to support other users on your Wi-Fi, who may be scrolling as well.

Curious to know how much internet speed you need to maintain your social media accounts? Take a look at our guide below for the deets.

Pro tip: Test your internet speeds

Not sure what speeds you’re getting on your current connection? Run our speed test to find out.

Slow speeds are fine for text and pics, but not for video

You can scroll and post on social media with internet speeds as slow as 5Mbps. Most social media applications don’t take up a whole lot of bandwidth, especially if you’re just posting text and pictures.

But video has become an increasingly central part of the social-media experience, thanks primarily to TikTok as well as offshoots like Instagram Reels and Facebook Reels. And you need relatively fast speeds (upwards of 10Mbps and ideally much faster) if you want to scroll rapid-fire without dealing with long load times or a frozen feed.

Social-media speed requirements

Fiber and cable internet work best

Fiber internet is the way to go for posting online, especially if you’re a power user or influencer. A fiber connection gets you the fastest speeds possible. More importantly, it’s the only internet connection that comes with symmetrical upload and download speeds.

As we discuss below, upload speeds are central to social media posting because you upload data any time you fire off a tweet, send a DM, or post online. Symmetrical speeds mean you get uploads that are just as fast as downloads—letting you post to your heart’s content with much less concern about slow upload times.

Fiber internet isn’t available everywhere—and for most people, a cable internet plan is just as solid a pick. Cable internet can get you download speeds up to 1,000Mbps and uploads usually anywhere from 10Mbps to 50Mbps. That’s plenty for everyday social posting.

Best internet plans for social media

Reliable upload speeds are important for posting online

Most of what you do on social media revolves around downloading content—for example, by scrolling TikTok or clicking through your friends’ Instagram Stories. But if you’re a regular poster, you also need to think about upload speeds.

Whether you’re sending a video to a friend on Snapchat or firing off a tweet on Twitter—er, sorry, X—you’re uploading data to the internet. You don’t necessarily need fast upload speeds, but you do want a reliable upstream connection to make sure you can post regularly without long load times or failed uploads.

Get 5G for posting on the phone

We recommend getting a 5G phone if you do most of your social media posts while on the phone.

Of course, it’s common to be on your phone when you’re posting TikTok, Instagram, and other apps. A 4G phone can certainly get the job done, but a 5G phone ensures you get the fastest speeds possible. 5G networks operate over higher radio frequencies than 4G networks, giving them a much higher capacity to carry data.

4G vs. 5G speeds

Faster data speeds make for much easier and smoother social media posting. You don’t have to worry as much about slow uploads or posts that fail to send. Having access to 5G is also very useful when you’re in a crowded place—such as a music festival or a sports event—where a congested network can make it difficult to even send DMs.

Disclaimers

More reading

• How Much Internet Speed Do You Need to Work From Home?
• Is Your Internet Good Enough for Working From Home?
• 13 Working from Home Stats You Should Know
• How to Set Up a Home Wi-Fi Network

You need only about 10Mbps of download speed to use Zoom for video conferencing, but you also need fast upload speeds, low latency, a laptop or smartphone that’s up to snuff, and a decent router or gateway.

Our guide below explains why you need more than Zoom’s recommended 1.5Mbps of download speed to have a good experience. We’ll also help you troubleshoot, shop for a great internet plan for Zoom, and offer ways to help you save on internet data during Zoom sessions.

You need a minimum internet speed of 0.6–1.5Mbps to use Zoom, but we recommend download speeds of about 20Mbps and upload speeds of about 5Mbps for the best experience.

You also need to save speed for everything else happening on your internet connection, whether that’s a kiddo gaming in another room, a roommate on a video call of their own, or app updates on your smartphone.

If you disconnect all your other devices from Wi-Fi and close all your other apps, here’s the minimum internet speed you need for Zoom.

*Data from bandwidth requirements listed on Zoom’s website.

**Zoom uses the term “high-quality video,” which doesn’t describe any industry-standard video resolution, but we interpret it to mean standard resolution of 480p.

In our Zoom testing, we experienced buffering delays, choppy video and audio, and other interruptions on Zoom calls with speeds as fast as 15Mbps. That’s why we recommend planning on at least 20Mbps of bandwidth for every video call.

The rule of thumb is that you need an internet plan with about 100Mbps of download speed per person so everyone can work, play, and stream smoothly.

Lucky for you, most internet providers offer speeds in that range. If that’s not the case for you, it might be time to switch to a faster internet provider.

How much upload speed do you need for Zoom?

Put your internet speed to the test

Take our quick speed test below to see how fast your speeds are with your current provider. Connect to your router with an Ethernet cable for the most accurate results.

Is your internet fast enough for Zoom?

Internet providers with the best Zoom speeds

Many internet providers can get you Zoom’s minimum speeds, but we wanted to highlight some of our favorites. Xfinity is probably your best bet because it has a wide network, incredibly fast speeds, and great customer ratings.

But fiber providers such as Google Fiber and AT&T give you the added advantage of having very fast upload speeds, ensuring your video feed stays strong.

T-Mobile 5G home internet also did well on our Zoom tests, and we love that it’s available almost anywhere you can get a strong 5G signal on your phone.

You can find more great providers on our fastest internet providers guide. Also, make sure to run a search to see which of these providers are available in your area.

Speed requirements for other videoconferencing apps

You need a minimum of at least 500Kbps (0.5 Mbps) to make video calls on videoconferencing apps other than Zoom.

The internet speed requirements on apps like Skype, Slack, and Google Meet are pretty much the same as Zoom’s requirements. You don’t need a lot of bandwidth to make the apps work, but a faster internet speed reduces the chance of frustrations like poor connections or dropped calls.

How to troubleshoot your Zoom connection

Step 1: See if Zoom itself is the problem

Sometime’s the problem isn’t you—it’s Zoom itself. Head over to the Zoom Status checker to see if the service is reporting any widespread problems.

Step 2: Update your Zoom app

We recommend downloading and using the Zoom app on your laptop rather than trying to join meetings from your browser or smartphone. If you’re on the app but still having trouble, make sure you’re using the latest version and have installed all the updates.

Step 3: Close other applications

If you’re on a slow internet connection, multitasking can slow down your Zoom connection. To bring your Zoom call back to normal, close out your email, web browser, and any other applications or windows you might have open.

Step 4: Restart your modem and router

The quickest and easiest way to address slow internet at home is by restarting your modem and router. Unplug both devices from the wall, let them rest for a minute or so, and then plug them back in. A simple reset clears potential bugs and programming cobwebs that may be weighing down your equipment.

Step 5: Use mobile data or a hotspot

Has your home internet cut out? Simply whip out your cell phone and log on to Zoom with your mobile data. Most cell phones also have a built-in hotspot feature, so if your cellular plan allows it, you can switch on your phone’s hotspot to create Wi-Fi access for your laptop or desktop computer.

Step 6: Switch off “Enable HD” and “Touch up my appearance”

Zoom’s “Enable HD” and “Touch up my appearance” features both take extra bandwidth and data to function, so you can get better performance by switching them off.

To turn them off, head to the video settings menu by clicking the tiny, upward-pointing arrow next to the Start Video button in the bottom left corner of your screen. There you can click off the check marks on both features.

Step 7: Turn off the Wi-Fi on other devices

The more people using your Wi-Fi connection, the more strain it puts on your home internet speed. If your kids or roommates are streaming video or playing games on their devices while you’re in a Zoom meeting, ask them to switch it off so you can get a better connection. If asking nicely doesn’t work, you can kick them off by logging into your router.

Step 8: Move your device closer to your router (or move your router to a better place in your house)

You may be in a part of the house with a Wi-Fi dead zone, where the router’s signal can’t reach your device. If that’s the case, take a seat on a couch or a chair within eyeshot of your router to improve the signal.

To improve the Wi-Fi signal, you could also move your router so it’s in a more centralized position in your house. Place it on a table or shelf, away from metal objects, microwaves, and other obstacles. If your home has multiple floors or a complex layout, consider investing in a mesh wireless system or long-range router.

Step 9: Connect to your router with an Ethernet cable

Instead of relying on a Wi-Fi signal, you can plug your computer directly into your router with an Ethernet cable. That gives you faster speeds and more reliable performance.

Step 10: Upgrade your internet plan—or switch providers

If you’re still having trouble, consider calling your internet provider to upgrade your internet speed. Or, if other options are available in your area, you can switch to a new provider that gives you faster speeds and better performance overall.

How much data do you need to use Zoom?

Even though using Zoom doesn’t require fast speeds, it can use quite a bit of data. Drawing from our knowledge of the difference between megabits and megabytes, we did some calculations to get a baseline estimate. We found that you can end up using anywhere from 0.5GB to a whopping 2.5GB per hour on a Zoom call with video enabled.

The chart below gives you an idea of some other popular tasks and how much data they devour. Zoom doesn’t appear to need as much as streaming services like Netflix—but keep in mind that your Zoom data usage could vary depending on your connection and your device.

How do you use less data on Zoom?

The best way to use less internet data while on a Zoom call is to switch off your video.

If you have strict data restrictions on your internet or mobile plan, you can save data by using Zoom as an audio-only VoIP service. By our calculations, voice calls eat up only around 31.5MB of data per hour—a fraction of how much you would use when your video is switched on. Screen sharing with no video uses 22.5–67.5MB per hour.

Of course, you won’t have to worry about that if you have unlimited data on your internet or mobile plan.

Zoom FAQs

How do you turn off HD video on Zoom?

You can turn off HD video on Zoom by clicking on the Video Settings menu and checking off the box for HD under the Camera menu. Access Video Settings by clicking on the small, upward-pointing arrow next to the Start Video button at the bottom left corner of your screen.

Do Zoom’s AI tools require faster speeds or extra data?

Zoom offers extra AI features like audio transcription, automated emails, and closed captioning, but they don’t require faster internet speeds or take up extra data on your end. That’s because the Zoom servers take on the extra data processing required. Learn more about the Zoom AI Companion.

Is 5G home internet fast enough for Zoom?

Yes, T-Mobile home internet works well for Zoom and other video conferencing apps. In our tests, we didn’t run into any problems with lag, pausing, or choppy audio and video on our 5G connection.

T-Mobile lets you cancel the service for free in the first 15 days of use, so we recommend getting it set up and running a speed test at different times of the day to see if the service will work well where you live. This is important because 5G home internet can have speed variance throughout the day, and your signal at home may be deprioritized relative to mobile traffic in the same area.

Is 25 Mbps fast enough for Zoom?

An internet speed of 25Mbps is fast enough for Zoom. That’s enough bandwidth to support one-on-one calls, group calls, and all other Zoom tasks in HD resolution. If you’re sharing Wi-Fi with four or more people, you may want speeds of at least 100Mbps to ensure a smooth Zoom connection.

HighSpeedInternet.com’s most recent internet speed test data shows the national average internet speed in 2024 was 214Mbps—a 9% year-over-year increase from the previous year’s 196Mbps.

While many Americans now have access to high-speed fiber and 5G broadband, rural areas and underserved communities still fall behind, deepening the digital divide.

Although speeds continue to rise, our Fastest Internet Provider Report shows that the pace of improvement is slowing. Without significant infrastructure advancements and expansion, we could eventually hit a plateau for increasing speeds.

We’ll go over internet speeds across the U.S., highlighting the fastest and slowest states, and examine how these speeds impact everyday activities—from work and school to gaming and streaming. We’ll also discuss the steps being taken to ensure faster internet access in the future.

Internet speeds across America

The average internet speed in the U.S. has reached 214Mbps, reflecting a 9% increase year-over-year from 2023’s 196Mbps.

Several nationwide initiatives, alongside private sector expansion, contributed to these rising speeds and helped bridge the digital divide: The Internet for All program was driving major broadband investments, particularly in underserved areas, while the FCC’s restoration of net neutrality aimed to ensure fairer access and prevent throttling. On top of that, updated broadband benchmarks helped set clearer expectations for internet service providers (ISPs), pushing them to deliver faster and more reliable service.

The fastest internet speeds are found in densely populated coastal states, like Delaware (246.95Mbps), Maryland (238.26Mbps), and New Jersey (235.67Mbps). Strong fiber networks and competition among providers keep speeds high.

Meanwhile, more rural states like Idaho (124.57Mbps), Montana (129.73Mbps), and Alaska (125.09Mbps) get about half the speed due to limited high-speed options and infrastructure.

States with the fastest and slowest internet speeds

To get a clearer picture of national internet access, we ranked states by speed. When compared against the national average, 15 states have speeds above the national average download speeds, and 36 states have speeds below the national average, meaning more states have substandard internet speeds than we could expect, likely due to gaps in access to high-speed broadband networks.

States with the fastest internet speeds

The fastest states for internet in 2025 are largely concentrated in the Northeast and Southeast, where dense infrastructure and major provider investments have driven speeds higher for more people. In fact, 70% of the top-performing states are in these regions.

Setting the new gold standard, these states all have internet download speeds of 220 or more, with Delaware taking the top spot at 246.95 Mbps.

States with the slowest internet speeds

How much do internet speeds vary across the slowest states? At rank 10, Vermont comes in at 166 Mbps, while Idaho—the slowest—comes just 124.57 Mbps, nearly half the average of the fastest states, which reach around 225 to 250 Mbps.

Since broadband expansion is more difficult in rural and mountainous areas, states in the West and Midwest make up most of those with the slowest speeds. Even though demand is lower in these areas, better internet connectivity remains crucial for economic growth, education, and remote work opportunities.

The digital divide: How internet speed varies by region and demographics

High-speed internet access isn’t just about technology—it’s shaped by where you live, what you earn, and the available infrastructure.

Cities with denser populations enjoy faster, more reliable internet thanks to higher demand and more investment from providers. In contrast, remote regions face slower speeds due to the high expansion costs, challenging terrain, and smaller customer bases.

Many lower-income households, even in metro areas, rely on slower, budget-friendly plans—or lack broadband access altogether. Everyday activities, like shopping and online banking, might be lightning quick to accomplish for some but may take others much longer—if they can at all.

The internet speeds you need

For smooth streaming, online gaming, remote work and school, and telehealth, you’ll likely need at least 25Mbps. While many activities don’t require that much speed, it’s important to also consider latency and how bandwidth is shared across multiple devices.

High-performance tasks require more speed than basic activities. For example, HD streaming needs 5 to 10Mbps, but 4K streaming requires 25Mbps or more. Online gaming works best with at least 20Mbps, but a low ping rate is just as crucial. Remote work, school, and telehealth services typically require 10 to 25Mbps. If you want to do multiple of these activities at once, you’ll need even faster speeds to accommodate extra tasks.

When more people and devices are online at once, performance can slow down, especially during peak usage times, compared to the quiet hours of the night when fewer people are online.

Areas with average speeds well above 200Mbps (like California, Colorado, and New Jersey) are more than capable of doing high-demand activities like 4K streaming, online gaming, and remote work regularly with little-to-no trouble.

However, states with lower speeds (such as Idaho, Montana, and Alaska) may struggle with these activities, particularly in rural regions where speeds can be much slower, impacting performance and reliability.

For more information about how much internet speed you need for your regular activities, check out our full guide to internet speed.

Looking ahead: What the US is doing to invest in faster internet speeds

As we discussed in our Fastest ISP Report, as internet demand continues to grow, providers must invest in next-generation technology to boost speeds nationwide.

The rollout of DOCSIS 4.0 brings multi-gigabit speeds to cable internet users, which will improve both download and upload capabilities. Meanwhile, XGS-PON fiber networks show much better acceleration and deployment, expanding access to symmetrical gigabit speeds in urban and suburban areas.

Meanwhile, federal and state broadband initiatives (for example, the BEAD program) are working to close the digital divide by funding broadband expansion to rural and underserved areas.

Conclusion and key takeaways

As internet speeds continue to rise across the U.S., disparities remain between the speedy urban and suburban areas and the slower remote and rural areas. While the national average download speed has reached 214Mbps, driven by fiber expansion and 5G broadband, most states still fall below this benchmark. Coastal states benefit from strong infrastructure and competition, while rural and mountainous regions struggle with slower speeds due to limited broadband access.

Looking ahead, investment in next-gen technologies like DOCSIS 4.0 and XGS-PON fiber will help raise overall speeds. In addition, federal and state initiatives will help expand broadband access to underserved communities, bringing better, more reliable, and faster connections to more Americans.

With these advancements and efforts, 2025 looks to be a transformative year for internet access and performance across the U.S.

Top 10 states with the fastest internet speeds

Top 10 states with the slowest internet speeds

Average internet download speeds of all states

Consult our 2025 methodology for more information about the data we used for this article.

Read disclaimers.

Symmetrical internet is the great equalizer. On a symmetrical internet plan, your upload speeds are just as fast as your download speeds.

Most internet connections have much faster download speeds than upload speeds. Let’s say your cable internet plan gives you 100Mbps download speeds. In that case, your upload speeds would be just 10Mbps—or even less.

A symmetrical plan gives you a big upload boost. So if your download speeds are 100Mbps, your upload speeds are also 100Mbps.

Wait, what are upload and download speeds again?

Download speeds measure how long it takes to pull stuff from the internet. Whether you’re opening an email, streaming a movie on Netflix, or updating your favorite video game, you’re downloading content—it’s what we spend most of our time doing online.

Upload speeds measure how long it takes to send stuff to the internet. It means sending an email, posting to social media, or making a video call with a coworker. Uploading also includes bigger undertakings like livestreaming and playing around in the metaverse, which require a lot more bandwidth.

Symmetrical internet sounds awesome. So how can I get it?

You can get symmetrical speeds with fiber internet, which is mostly available in urban areas but also some rural communities.

Fiber’s fast speeds and symmetrical uploads make it the most efficient and reliable internet type, giving you a crucial leg up for remote work and online entertainment.

Want to know more? Here’s a quick breakdown of what symmetrical internet is, why it’s good, and how to get it.

Best symmetrical internet plans

The best symmetrical internet plans come from fiber internet providers—which makes sense, considering that fiber is the only way you can get symmetrical internet.

These plans give you incredibly fast upload speeds, ensuring that you have all the bandwidth you could ever want to attend Zoom meetings, post content online, and host livestreams. The plans will also make it possible for you to share your Wi-Fi with a large number of other users without worries over a slow connection or long buffering times.

Why is symmetrical internet important?

Symmetrical internet is important because it gives you the fastest speeds possible to do upload-heavy tasks.

It’s also important because it gives you a huge amount of upload bandwidth to support a large number of users who are all sharing the same Wi-Fi connection. If you live with a lot of roommates or family members, a symmetrical connection ensures fast speeds and top performance even when a bunch of people are streaming, gaming, and Zooming on multiple devices at the same time.

Activities that benefit from symmetrical internet:

• Livestreaming
• Posting frequently to TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube
• Frequently attending Zoom or other video conference meetings
• VR and AR gaming and activities

Why does fiber internet have symmetrical speeds?

Fiber has symmetrical speeds because it has a much larger capacity to deliver data compared to other internet types.

Fiber provides a connection using bundled strands of fiber-optic cable. Photon signals bounce through the cables at the speed of light (or at least something close), carrying vast amounts of data. Fiber-optic cable is often newer than the copper wiring of cable and DSL internet, and it isn’t susceptible to electromagnetic interference, adding to its capabilities.

Fiber is the only type of internet that gives you symmetrical speeds right now. Cable internet may catch up in a few years as tech standards evolve, but right now, fiber is really the way to go.

Do you need symmetrical internet speeds?

Most people don’t need symmetrical internet speeds. But they’re nice to have, and those speeds will especially make your life a lot easier if you have any job or passion that requires extensive time on the internet.

Jobs that benefit from symmetrical internet:

• Social media influencer
• Content creator
• Professional gamer
• Filmmaker who frequently posts content online

Of course, the majority of people in the United States don’t have symmetrical internet speeds and many are doing just fine.¹ Most of what we do online involves downloading data rather than uploading it, so internet providers haven’t felt a great demand to up their uploads—but times may be changing.

There’s a rising demand for fast uploads, thanks to the drastic rise of remote working, increasingly ubiquitous internet connectivity, and a greater push for video content on social media (shoutouts to Instagram Reels and TikTok). And while you don’t need speedy uploads, you greatly benefit from having them.

Not sure if you have fast uploads?

Take our speed test to see what kind of internet firepower you get at your house.

Long story short—Get fiber internet for symmetrical speeds (and for lots of other great reasons too)

Fiber internet is the only internet that gets you symmetrical speeds. So if you want symmetrical internet, then get a fiber plan if it’s available in your area.

But also, it just so happens that fiber is the best type of internet you can get, and not just because of the upload speeds. Compared to cable or DSL internet, fiber gives you an incredibly fast and reliable connection, packs in more Mbps for your dollar, and often comes with extra perks like free equipment and unlimited data.

If you can get fiber internet, we say go for it.

FAQ about symmetrical internet

Additional resources

• What Is a Good Download and Upload Speed? 
• Improve Your Wi-Fi Speed in 10 Simple Steps
• How Much Speed Do I Need for Online Gaming? 
• Will Paying for Faster Internet Improve My Wi-Fi Speed?

Disclaimers

Netflix

Apple TV+

Hulu

Amazon Prime Video

YouTube

YouTube TV

Disney+

Sling™ TV

Max®

Paramount+ with Showtime 

Peacock

STARZ

VUDU

Crackle

Acorn TV

What do I need to stream video?

With everyone spending more time at home over the last few years, streaming video services like Netflix and Disney+ have become a ubiquitous part of life. If you’re a cable TV customer thinking about cutting the cord once and for all, this is the place to start.

The first thing you need is a good internet connection. That not only means an internet plan that can meet the basic speed requirements, but also one that’s not going to run out of data. Streaming video is one of the most data-intensive things you can do online, so look for a service that has a high data cap or, preferably, an internet plan with unlimited data.

The next thing you need is a streaming service. Most services provide TV shows and movies on demand, but there are also some—like YouTube TV—that offer live TV channels, just like cable TV. Many of these services offer free trials, and some—like Crackle and YouTube—are completely free. Instead of charging you for a subscription, their revenue comes from ads.

If you don’t know which service to sign up for, try a few and see which ones have the content you’re looking for. If you’re looking for more information check out these other articles:

• Disney+ vs. Netflix
• HBO vs. HBO Max
• 4K Streaming Guide

How much speed you need for Netflix

Netflix has clear recommendations for speed based on the quality of video you want. Just know that the speeds listed are for streaming on a single device, so if multiple devices on your network are watching Netflix at the same time, you need enough speed to handle all those streams at once.

How much speed you need for Apple TV+

Apple doesn’t give official requirements for download speeds on its Apple TV+ streaming service. Like most streaming services, it will adjust the quality of the video automatically to match your download speed; however, users have measured the bitrate of a 4K stream at around 29 Mbps.

We recommend speeds of at least a 25Mbps  if you want to watch in 4K quality. The quality of video available for Apple TV+ or for movies rented or purchased through the Apple TV app can also vary a lot depending on the device you’re using to stream. To take full advantage of all the features Apple offers—4K HDR video with Dolby Atmos sound—you’ll need an Apple TV 4K as well as a broadband connection of at least 25Mbps.

How much speed you need for Hulu

Hulu’s speed recommendations are based on picture quality and the type of content you’re watching. Similar to other streaming providers, Hulu automatically adjusts the video quality based on internet speed. It also recommends higher speeds for live content than library content. These recommendations are also the bare minimum, so we suggest a slightly faster connection to make sure you always get the video quality you want.

How much speed you need for Amazon Prime Video

Like many services, Amazon automatically adjusts the quality of your videos to serve you the highest quality picture possible based on your speed. It doesn’t have much in the way of speed recommendations, but it does warn that even if you’re watching on a supported device, you may experience issues below a certain connection speed. Since these are minimum requirements, we would recommend having a faster connection if possible.

How much speed you need for YouTube

Like Netflix, YouTube does a great job of making its internet speed recommendations easy to understand. YouTube also points out that even if your connection can hit these numbers on a speed test, there are other factors like Wi-Fi performance, the type of connection, and the number of other devices on your network that can reduce your actual speed. We’ll talk more about other factors that affect buffering below.

How much speed you need for YouTube TV

Although it does offer recommended speeds for reliable streaming, YouTube TV notes that you can still use the service with slow internet speeds. For example, you can stream an HD video with a 7Mbps download speed, but you’re more likely to run into buffering issues. You can also watch with speeds slower than 3Mbps, but any content may load slowly or rebuffer when you try to watch.

How much speed you need for Disney+

Disney+ has speed recommendations that are on par with other streaming video services. If your connection is fast enough for 4K UHD video but you still find yourself being served low-quality video instead, it’s worth noting that some titles just aren’t available in this format.

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Disney+ has instituted measures to lower bandwidth utilization, which means potentially limiting HD and UHD streaming.

How much speed you need for Sling TV

Sling TV issues its speed recommendations based on the type and number of devices you plan to use, recommending at least a 25 Mbps connection if you’re going to be streaming on multiple devices. It also notes that these recommendations are for “constant speeds,” so if, for instance, you had a cable connection that slows during peak-use times, you want to make sure that your speed never dips below these requirements for Sling to run properly.

How much speed you need for Max

Max doesn’t give many recommendations regarding connection speed, but it does recommend speeds of at least 50Mbps for watching in 4K. Get tips on what to do if you’re encountering buffering in the HBO Max help center.

How much speed you need for Paramount+ with Showtime Streaming Service

Paramount+ suggests minimum speeds of at least 25Mbps to watch in 4K, but you can get away witih speeds that are much slower if you’re watching live TV or shows on demand. Get a list of full system requirements from Paramount+.

How much speed you need for Peacock

Peacock recommends a minimum speed of 3Mbps to watch its content, but says that to enjoy enjoy certain high-quality live events and “ultra-high definition” premium content, you’ll need at least an 8 Mbps connection. 8 Mbps is a decent speed for standard HD streaming, but it should be noted that ultra-high definition is usually synonymous with 4k resolution, which needs much more bandwidth. We recommend a connection with at least 25Mbps to get the best quality video.

When watching live events, it’s also important to use a low-latency connection like fiber for the best real-time experience.

How much speed you need for STARZ

STARZ has some of the lowest speed requirements we’ve seen among premium streaming services, recommending speeds up to just 12Mbps for streaming on a TV. You’ll still be happiest with speeds of at least 25Mbps, though.

How much speed you need for VUDU

VUDU offers streaming in HDX, which is a format developed by VUDU that claims a better movie experience by preserving a film’s native 24 frames per second frame rate. If your internet connection can’t maintain the required minimum speed, you can use the VUDU app to download the video in HDX format.

How much speed you need for Crackle

Crackle is an ad-supported streaming service, so in addition to playback issues related to your internet speed, ad blockers might interfere with your video. If you’ve checked your speed but are still having issues, try disabling your ad blocker and see if it makes a difference.

Acorn TV cites only a minimum speed requirement. This minimum is also fairly low compared to other streaming services. For higher-quality streams, especially on multiple devices, you’ll want more speed.

What if you meet the minimum speed requirements and still have problems?

Keep in mind that even if your internet speed meets the recommended speed of the streaming service you’re using, you could still have trouble with the quality of your video. If someone is downloading a large file or on a video chat while you’re trying to stream video, your bandwidth is going to be split between all these activities.

Some types of internet connections can experience slowdown at peak-use hours. Fast internet connections also need fast Wi-Fi routers that can handle multiple devices streaming at the same time. Watching a movie on Netflix uses more bandwidth than surfing the web, Voice over IP, or even online gaming. As such, one of the most basic reasons to upgrade your internet service is to make sure that the video you stream has a crisp, clear picture and buttery-smooth playback.

Here’s the short answer: Online games don’t require much download speed. In fact, all you need is a 5Mbps connection or faster, even for the latest consoles. That’s it. Case closed.

But don’t leave us just yet. You still need a good connection to play online games, but there’s a bit more to it than signing up for the fastest internet plan on the planet. What you really need is a connection with low latency, as no amount of speed will eliminate laggy gameplay if your latency ranges into hundreds of milliseconds.

We’ve boiled down the most important points of a good internet speed for gaming online so you know exactly what kind of connection you need to get the most out of your online gameplay.

Our recommended connections for gaming online

Fiber internet from providers like AT&T , Google Fiber, and Verizon Home Internet is the best connection for playing games online. It has symmetrical speeds—great for livestreaming—and super-low latency.

Cable internet from Spectrum, Xfinity, and similar providers comes in at a close second. Go with cable before any other internet connection if fiber isn’t available to you.

DSL internet is your next best option if you can’t get fiber or cable. It uses telephone lines and generally introduces more latency, but is better for gaming than wireless connections.

Don’t have access to wired internet? 5G Home Internet is your next best option. It’s a new fixed wireless service boasting lower latency than any other wireless connection. The fastest plan you can get right now is 1,000Mbps, although the technology is capable of higher speeds.

Your carrier’s 5G mobile service would be your backup connection if 5G Home Internet isn’t available to you. The top speed is also 1,000Mbps, but your average real-world speed may be around 200Mbps if you’re lucky.

Finally, 4G and 4G LTE connections (mobile and fixed wireless) generally have much more lag than wired connections but are capable of reaching our recommended latency of below 100 ms.

What is Latency in Gaming

Latency can be downright evil. Latency can make the greatest gamer on the planet feel like a sloth at the controls. Chances are, you already know exactly what latency does to your elite skills. But if you’re new to the game, here’s why latency can be bad news.

So, what is latency exactly? Picture a racquetball bouncing off a wall—how long does that ball take to come back to you?

To answer this question, the ping utility throws a ball of data at a specific destination and records how long the data takes to bounce back. In other words, it pings the server. A low duration is good. A high duration causes delays in your gameplay. Not cool.

For example, you move a mouse and your game reports that movement to a remote server. The server acknowledges the movement and sends a response showing your movements along with all the other player movements. Your game renders the response, but because your latency is high, your movement appears delayed compared to the other players.

Latency is also referred to as ping rate. A low ping rate is good. A high ping rate is bad.

Factors that impact latency

Several factors impact latency. Here are a few:

Physical distance

Games with co-op and competitive multiplayer modes use regional servers because geolocation does matter, even if a server is just a few states away.

So, why does geolocation matter? Because your gaming data moves through multiple “hops” as it travels between you and the server. The more hops your data must traverse, the longer its journey takes—which translates to higher latency. Traffic congestion between you and the remote server can cause a slowdown, too, delaying your controller input.

Connection type

Some internet connections inherently have more latency than others.

For example, satellite internet has the highest latency because wireless transmissions travel up into space and back to reach a remote server. Insulated cable connections have lower latency than uninsulated phone lines, while fiber optic cables have lower latency than both.

Keep in mind that the speed at which your game and the remote server exchange data is different from your download speed. A movie downloads at a slower rate over a 5Mbps DSL connection than it does over a 50Mbps satellite connection.

But when you play games online, the DSL connection is much more responsive than satellite because the gaming data doesn’t launch into space and back. The high latency of the satellite connection causes so much lag that most fast-paced games aren’t even playable online.

How to reduce latency

If high latency causes lag when you play games online, you can take a few steps to help reduce latency and keep your online gameplay responsive and victorious.

Don’t use Wi-Fi if you can

Wi-Fi is convenient but finicky. It adds an extra translation step between your gaming devices and your internet connection, so there’s a bit more delay in your connection. Plus, you have all these other factors that can make Wi-Fi less than ideal for gameplay: radio noise, fluctuating speeds, local network congestion, your distance from the router—sometimes you’ll think the evil Wi-Fi wants you to lose.

To bypass all the wireless chaos, use an Ethernet cable to connect your gaming device to your router. You won’t see the latencies associated with Wi-Fi or the dramatic speed fluctuations, making your connection that much more responsive.

With the Nintendo Switch, we recommend you dock it and use a USB-based Ethernet adapter to connect it to your network. The Nintendo-approved Dual USB Playstand works with the Switch and Switch Lite.

You can use a similar adapter on a notebook or desktop that doesn’t have an Ethernet port.

If you absolutely positively must use Wi-Fi

Connect your wireless device to the 5 GHz band. In fact, use the higher, less used channels (149–161) if you can because everyone in your neighborhood is likely saturating the lower ones (36–48) right this moment. Also, use an 80 MHz channel width too, if possible—don’t bother with a 160 MHz wide channel unless you live far, far away from radar.

Use the 6 GHz band if it’s available to you and your gaming device supports it.

In both cases, be sure to stay close to your Wi-Fi router—within 30 feet or so, depending on the router. Also, keep a clear line of sight to the router with as few obstructions as possible for a better connection.

Power cycle network devices

You can power cycle your router and modem to improve their performance. Since very small differences in latency can make a big impact on your gameplay, it’s worth restarting your equipment.

To power cycle, press the Power button or unplug your modem or wireless gateway. After that, wait 30 seconds and then plug it back in. Do the same with a standalone router when your modem comes back online.

Update drivers and firmware

Hardware manufacturers release updates to improve device performance. Updates typically include security fixes, code optimizations, improved device compatibility, and increased stability. You should always keep your firmware and drivers current to prevent issues that can slam the brakes on your internet connection. Be sure to do the following:

• Update your computer’s drivers and operating system, especially the graphics drivers
• Update your console’s operating system
• Update the firmware for all controllers and peripherals
• Update your router’s firmware

Turn off unnecessary applications and devices

If your connection still struggles while you play games online, try to reduce the amount of traffic on your home network. Make sure someone isn’t streaming 4K video in another room when you’re about to start a new match.

You can also turn off smart devices and pause software and OS updates, so they don’t bog down your network while you play. Just remember to reactivate everything when you’re done.

Use the closest server

Distance is one of the biggest factors in latency. Even if every device on your connection runs at peak efficiency, it still takes time for a signal to travel to a remote location and back.

Games almost always connect you to the nearest server, but if you experience unexplained latency issues, double-check that you’re not connected to the European server if you play in North America. You may need to switch servers if the current one has issues causing lag.

Some gaming routers include tools that can filter out servers with a high ping. For example, NETGEAR’S Nighthawk XR1000 and Nighthawk XR500 routers have the Geo-Filter utility that filters out game servers based on location and ping.

Use port forwarding

Game networks like Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network encourage you to assign “static” IP addresses to your gaming devices and route incoming and outgoing traffic to those addresses. While routers typically assign dynamic addresses to your devices which change over time, a static address never changes.

When you assign a static IP address, you can tell the router to forward data to that address through specific ports. A port is merely a “dock” that handles a specific type of “ship” (data) arriving to and leaving from your router. Gaming networks typically send and receive internet data through specific ports.

To create a static IP address and open ports to that address, you must make the changes in your router or wireless gateway. Port forwarding works with any device—not just gaming consoles.

Use Quality of Service (QoS) controls if available

You may be able to adjust the QoS settings in your router or wireless gateway to allocate more bandwidth to your gaming devices. The router will consider this traffic as “critical” and will prioritize your gaming data over other applications, like Netflix and YouTube. Many routers include a gaming QoS mode you can assign to specific devices on your network.

On some routers, you can only establish one specific bandwidth amount and list the devices that can use that bandwidth. There are no means to prioritize specific traffic, like gaming or streaming.

Avoid peak hours

You may see a slowdown during peak hours when everyone in your home accesses the internet at the same time. Plus, a router is limited to how many wireless devices it can handle simultaneously before slowdowns occur. This heavy load is why we always suggest a router with four or more streams to better handle busy homes.

Peak hours are also associated with cable internet, but it’s no longer the case now that providers like Spectrum and Xfinity use fiber as their network backbone. Rural areas that are still 100% cable may continue to experience peak hour slowdowns, however.

We suggest that you play games later in the evening, or upgrade your router if it has less than four streams.

Check your connections

A slow or bad Ethernet cable can lead to gaming lag woes, whether it’s the cable connecting your router to your modem or fiber ONT, or the one tethering your wired gaming device to the network. Be sure that you have the right Ethernet cable for your plan—you don’t want a CAT 5 cable if your internet connection is faster than 100Mbps.

Also, check your modem’s internet connection, as a loose cable will cause lag-inducing instability.

Other factors to consider for gaming online

Online gameplay pushes the limits of your internet connection more than any other internet activity, but it’s not the only way games put a strain on your connection. We’ll go over more about other things you should consider, like downloads and livestreaming.

Downloads

Many modern games take up a lot of storage space on your computer or console. Game downloads from online distributors like Steam or the Microsoft Store can take a long time. They can also eat through monthly data caps in no time flat.

Game updates can be data hogs too. For example, Bethesda’s Atlantic City—Boardwalk Paradise update for Fallout 76 weighs a hefty 28.3GB when you download it on the Xbox consoles and 36.8GB when you get it through Steam. It’s a smaller update than The Pitt, but it’s still a sizable download.

Latency should still be your number one priority when you shop for internet, but a plan with unlimited data saves you a lot of headaches. Fast download speeds also help with those big new games. After all, extremely long download times on Day One aren’t much fun.

Livestreaming

Your internet needs become a bit more complicated if you stream games to Twitch or YouTube. Streaming has all the normal requirements for a low-latency connection for playing games online, plus the additional upload speed you need to keep a steady bitrate on your livestream.

For more information on what to look for in an internet connection for livestreaming, check out our guide to internet speed for live video game streaming. We also provide a guide on how to stream on Twitch that offers all the information you need.

Game streaming

From the cloud

Game streaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming have servers dedicated to creating and streaming virtual machines (VMs) to your devices. Games install and play on these VMs in the cloud, eliminating all the hardware bottlenecks that prevent games from running at their highest quality on the devices you own.

In other words, you don’t need a $4,000 desktop or the latest console to play high-end games you can stream from the cloud. Instead, all you need is a browser or an app, depending on the platform, and a good Wi-Fi connection.

But there’s a dark, evil downside. Remote servers render these games and then stream them in HD to 4K resolution across the internet. And because these experiences are interactive and not passive (like Netflix and Hulu), input latency can be problematic.

To play these services without any major issues, you need a good internet connection. Here are the internet speed requirements for the three major game streaming services:

From a local device

You can also stream games directly from a game console or gaming PC to a compatible app or web browser, whether you’re on the local network or not. The internet speed requirements are mostly the same, but we highly suggest you connect your console or gaming PC to your network using a wired connection to give you the best performance when playing them remotely.

Note that Microsoft suggests an upload speed of at least 4.5Mbps for Xbox Remote Play. An upload speed of 9Mbps or more is ideal.

What about Steam Remote Play Together?

Steam Remote Play Together allows one Steam gamer to run a purchased multiplayer game locally on a PC and then invite four or more Steam friends to play remotely from outside the local network. It’s optimized to stream games to four other players at 1080p and 60 frames per second, so Valve suggests a connection of 10–30Mbps at the least.

A note about online games vs. playing games online

We spend a lot of time discussing games you can play online, which are games that target the single-player experience first and include secondary multiplayer components. These games include Doom Eternal, Pokemon Sapphire and Violet, Far Cry 6, and Halo Infinite. They can experience latency when you play them in co-op and multiplayer modes, especially when more than a few players move across the screen.

Online games, however, can be highly susceptible to latency. These include The Elder Scrolls Online, World of Warcraft, Destiny 2, and similar MMOs. The player count is typically high, which means both the server and the client (your game) must keep track of every player. This can be a huge processing load even if you have the best connection available. Your frame rate may drop, and your input may feel slow.

The bottom line: keep your latency low

You don’t need a lot of speed to play games online. If anything, you need a decent upload speed to livestream your gameplay on Twitch or YouTube.

Your biggest concern is latency. You can have the fastest internet plan on the planet, but a high latency feels like you’re running through mud and makes the game unplayable online. No one wants to sit at the bottom of the scoreboard because mouse clicks and button presses become unresponsive.

We list the best internet providers for gaming based on latency to help you decide what’s best for your online gameplay needs. But you should also consider all your other non-gaming devices and online activities before you select a plan, like downloads, streaming services, at-home office work, schoolwork, and so on.

That said, we recommend one of the best gaming routers—paired with a great internet provider—to balance that load and keep your online gameplay lag-free.

What download speed do I need to watch YouTube?

YouTube has been around since 2005, and while it has kept up with the times by continually offering higher quality video for those with newer devices, it still also offers lower resolutions made for the days of dial-up internet.

The highest video quality available on YouTube is currently 8K, which is a fairly new addition and higher resolution than most videos on the site. As such, YouTube doesn’t have an official recommended speed yet, but we suggest having a connection with at least 100 Mbps download speed and unlimited data.

If you want to watch YouTube videos in 4K resolution, you’re going to need an internet connection that can sustain a speed of 20Mbps. Although this means that you could get by on a 20Mbps connection, you might experience pauses or drops in quality if your internet connection fluctuates at all or if other devices on your network are competing for that bandwidth. To get a smooth viewing experience, we recommend having a slightly higher speed than is required for the resolution you’re watching in order to let the video stream buffer.

Although faster internet connections are very helpful in watching online video, YouTube can deliver good quality, even on relatively slow connections. For example, you can watch HD video in 720p with a bandwidth of just 2.5Mbps. Even slower DSL connections shouldn’t have a problem with that.

If you don’t have a fast connection, no worries. While YouTube offers resolution up to 4K, you can reduce the resolution of your videos all the way down to 144p. For reference, that’s smaller than the resolution of the original Nintendo.

YouTube doesn’t give specific speed recommendations for its lowest resolutions (they’re pretty low quality), but it lists 500Kbps as the minimum speed requirement for using the site. It also previously listed these lower resolutions as good options for 56Kbps dial-up connections (though it admits that you might have to wait a bit for the video to load). That means no matter how slow your connection is, there’s probably a way to make YouTube videos work on your device.

How do I control my resolution?

By default, YouTube sets your resolution to Auto, which automatically uses the highest resolution that it can playback smoothly. The Auto setting will also change the resolution of the video on the fly if the speed of your connection fluctuates, so most of the time, you don’t have to do anything to get the highest quality video possible.

If you want to see a video in a specific resolution, or if you just don’t like your video quality going up and down, you can select the playback resolution by opening the video’s settings.

To open the video’s settings, click on the gear icon in the bottom right of the video. Then select Quality to see the available video resolutions. Just remember that if you select a resolution that requires a higher download speed than your internet connection can maintain, your video will have to pause to buffer anytime your bandwidth can’t keep up.

Are you getting enough speed from your connection to watch high-quality video?

Find out how much speed your connection actually has by taking our speed test.

Download speed is fairly consistent across devices, which means that it doesn’t matter if you’re watching on a TV, a smartphone, or a computer—you still need the same speed to watch higher quality videos. If some of your devices are having trouble at higher resolutions and others aren’t, it might be a problem with the device or a problem with your Wi-Fi network.

What else do I need to watch YouTube?

Download speed is the most important requirement for watching YouTube videos, but there are also software and operating system requirements for using the site. If you’re watching YouTube on a mobile device or a smart TV, the easiest way to watch is to simply use the appropriate YouTube app on your device. You can also watch YouTube using a mobile browser, though the app usually works better.

Officially, the site supports the following browsers:

• Google Chrome
• Firefox
• Microsoft Edge
• Safari
• Opera

This will allow you to watch most content on the site; however, YouTube notes that some “premium” videos like movies, TV shows, and livestreams require faster connections and have additional requirements, such as specific operating systems:

• Windows 7 or higher
• Mac OS X 10.7 or higher
• Ubuntu 10 or higher

The Opera browser is also notably absent from the list of browsers required for premium content.

One other important note is that if you’re watching YouTube videos in a browser, 4K and 8K playback is unavailable unless you’re using Google Chrome. YouTube officially says that Chrome is required for watching all HD content in a browser, but we were able to watch 1080p in Firefox without any issues, so it seems that only 4K and 8K require Chrome. Both YouTube and the Chrome browser are owned by Google.

What upload speed do I need to make YouTube content?

If you’re a content creator, you have to worry about your upload speed in addition to your download speed. If you plan on livestreaming on YouTube, you probably want upload speeds of at least 20Mbps .

Fortunately, you have a lot more flexibility if you’re not streaming live. The site has lots of handy tools for uploading, so while a faster upload speed will get your videos on YouTube faster, you can still be a YouTube creator with a slow upload speed.

If your uploads are taking too long, you can try the following:

• Reduce the file size of your video by using a different video format.
• Upload during off hours when there’s less internet traffic.
• Choose a lower resolution for your video.
• Upgrade your internet connection to get more upload speed.

If you want to upgrade your internet connection to get more upload speed, the easiest way is to choose an internet connection that has symmetrical upload and download speeds, like fiber.

Download speeds of 25Mbps are no longer fast enough to fully participate in modern society, according to a report adopted today by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Instead, the agency has announced a new speed benchmark of 100Mbps for download speeds and 20Mbps for upload speeds for fully wired connections. In agency shorthand, that’s 100/20.

How fast is 100Mbps?

For 5G service, which is delivered over the air, the new FCC standard is download speeds of 35Mbps and upload speeds of 3Mbps (35/5). Right now, T-Mobile is the biggest 5G provider out there.

In a controversial move, satellite internet from companies like Starlink was excluded from the report.

Testing the speed of your internet connection is easy. Just download our free, easy-to-use speed test app for quick and reliable results.

This test will measure your download and upload speeds (as well as other information like latency, which you can see if you click on the details), which you can compare to your provider’s advertised speeds.

But there’s more to internet speed than just the numbers. We’ll walk you through all the ins and outs of measuring your internet speed and what your speed means for you.

Testing the speed of your internet connection is easy. Just click on the button below to take our speed test.

This test will measure your download and upload speeds (as well as other information like latency, which you can see if you click on the details), which you can compare to your provider’s advertised speeds.

But there’s more to internet speed than just the numbers. We’ll walk you through all the ins and outs of measuring your internet speed and what your speed means for you.

What an internet speed test measures

What does Mbps mean?

Let’s start with the basics. Internet speed is measured in bits (a single binary 1 or 0) per second. Internet connections can handle a lot of this data, so we usually talk about speeds in megabits per second (Mbps), which is a million bits per second. When speeds get really fast (1,000 Mbps or faster), we talk about them in gigabits per second (Gbps), which is a billion bits per second (1,000 Mbps = 1 Gbps). The fastest residential speeds currently available are in the multigigabit range, reaching as high as 5 Gbps (according to advertised speeds).

Download speed

Download speed, also referred to as bandwidth, is the speed most often advertised on internet plans. It measures how fast information from the internet gets to your device (for example, how fast your Netflix show loads). It’s usually measured in megabits per second (Mbps), although really fast connections are measured in gigabits per second (Gbps). Download speed is especially important for uses like watching high-quality video or downloading software.

Upload speed

Just as download speed refers to how fast data gets to your device, upload speed refers to how fast information on your device can be sent to some other destination on the internet (like how fast your vacation pictures post to Instagram). It’s simply the bandwidth available on your connection going the opposite direction. For most connections, upload and download speed are usually different, but when you see internet plans advertised by speed, they’re usually focusing on just the download speed. This is important for content creators or people that work from home that need to upload their work to the internet, as well as for any sort of two-way video communication.

What is latency?

One other important measurement for internet speed is latency, or lag. Latency is very different from bandwidth, even though both deal with the speed of your connection. Latency refers to the time it takes for a signal to be sent from your computer to your service provider and come back. High latency can lead to more buffering on streaming video, but it’s much more disruptive in activities like video chat or online gaming. If you’ve ever experienced lag while playing an online game or watching a Twitch stream, latency is the statistic you need to worry about.

What determines your internet speed?

If there’s one thing that everyone knows about internet speed, it’s that not all connections are created equal. Most ISPs offer multiple plans with different speeds, but often these plans also use different technologies to connect you to the internet. Though some are significantly faster than others, there are also other pros and cons besides just speed.

Dial-up internet is the slowest kind of internet connection and is too slow for uses like streaming video. It can’t hit broadband speeds, usually topping out around 50 kbps (only 0.05 Mbps), though depending on the service, it can be much slower. It’s usually pretty cheap, but there are much better low-cost options these days.

Satellite internet uses a satellite signal to wirelessly connect to your home. Satellite can give you the broadband speeds necessary to do things like stream video, but it’s still a relatively slow and expensive option. Satellite internet speeds range from 5 Mbps to 25 Mbps. Also, since your signal has to reach a satellite in orbit, it has incredibly high latency. The upside is that you can get it almost anywhere in the US, even in remote areas.

DSL, or digital subscriber line, uses existing telephone networks, but it achieves much higher speeds than dial-up, anywhere from 0.5 Mbps to 75 Mbps. It’s not much faster than satellite and its speed is affected by the distance to your ISP’s central office.

4G LTE home internet uses existing 4G cellular networks to deliver internet to your home. Although it uses the same technologies as your cell phone, 4G home internet generally has faster speeds, lower costs, and more data. Much like with cell service, speeds can vary depending on location and network traffic, but tend to fall between 10 and 50 Mbps.

Cable internet uses copper wires, just like cable TV. Cable offers incredibly fast speeds, between 25 Mbps and 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps), but it also has a few drawbacks. Connections are generally shared between neighbors, which means cable networks get congested during peak hours. Cable also offers much higher download speeds than upload speeds. This isn’t an issue with cable TV, since broadcasts go only one direction, but it can be a problem for some online activities on cable internet.

Fiber internet connects you to the web via fiber-optic cables. Fiber is the fastest and most reliable kind of internet service, with speeds ranging from 50 Mbps to 2,000 Mbps (2 Gbps). It also has the benefit of symmetrical upload speeds. In other words, your uploads are just as fast as your downloads.

By understanding what kind of internet connection you have, you should have a good idea of how fast your connection should be. The question, though, is how much speed you’re actually getting from your connection.

Tips to get the most accurate speed

Testing your speed is easy, but how do you get the most accurate measurement of your internet connection? Here are a few things you can do to get the most accurate results:

Pause automatic downloads

First, make sure you’re not downloading any large files in the background. You can check the Task Manager on Windows or the Activity Monitor on macOS to see if any programs are trying to download updates or other large files. Close or quit all apps on your computer. You might still have some background processes using the internet but nothing that would make a big impact.

Get rid of freeloaders

Next, make sure that no one else on your home network is using a chunk of your bandwidth. You’re not going to get very accurate results if you have people streaming Netflix in three different rooms of your house while you test. If you suspect you might have someone stealing your Wi-Fi or some other freeloaders on your network, you can also change your network password.

Check for wireless router issues

Many people argue that you should always plug your computer directly into your router with an Ethernet cable before you test your internet speed. While this does give you a more accurate measure of what your ISP is giving you, it doesn’t help much if you’re still getting slow speeds where you normally use your devices.

We suggest that you check your internet speed where you most often use your computer. If the speed is less than what you expect, try plugging it into your router. If you get a dramatic increase in speed, it might be time to get a better router.

So, what do my results mean?

Once you know exactly how many Mbps you’re getting over your internet connection, what do you do next? First off, you need to make sure you can interpret your results. There’s no need to make an angry call to your ISP because you’re paying for gigabit internet but only getting upload speeds of 30 Mbps. If you have a cable connection, that’s perfectly normal, and it probably still has plenty of upload speed for your needs.

Interpreting download speeds

The most important number from your speed test is your download speed. That’s what’s going to determine how fast files download, how many devices your network can support, and how high the quality of your video can be.

If you have DSL, you should expect your speed to be a bit lower than advertised due to your distance from the central hub, but there’s also no way to improve it unless you move your whole house closer (or switch to a different type of connection).

If you have cable internet and your result is low, you’re probably experiencing congestion from the other homes in your area. Try testing your speed at another time when your neighbors are less likely to be online. If you’re hitting the proper download speeds outside of peak-use times, there’s nothing wrong with your connection. That’s just how cable works.

Checking your latency

If you play online games or watch live video, you also want to pay attention to your latency. If your latency is down below 20 milliseconds (ms), your experience should be perfectly smooth. If your latency is above 150 ms, you’re going to have some significant issues with lag. Some lag issues can’t be fixed because that would mean changing the laws of physics. Even going at near the speed of light, it takes time for a signal to reach a server in South Korea.

Other sources of lag can be dealt with. Replacing an old router can reduce latency. Connecting directly to your router via Ethernet cable instead of over Wi-Fi will make a huge difference in preventing lag. Finally, you can upgrade to a type of connection with naturally lower latency, like fiber.

Diagnosing problems

If you’ve done everything you can to get the most accurate speed test and your download speeds are still way below what your ISP promised, it could mean a few different things.

Malware—You might have malware on your device. Network worms and other malicious software hijack part of your bandwidth, but this is often the least of your worries. Run antivirus software to check for and remove malware.

Outdated hardware—You might have outdated hardware that’s incompatible with your provider’s requirements. For example, Xfinity’s gigabit services require a DOCSIS 3.1 modem. Although DOCSIS 3.0 equipment can technically get up to gigabit speeds, Xfinity doesn’t support it.

ISP issues—There might be a problem with your provider’s infrastructure. Sometimes these are just network interruptions caused by your ISP upgrading part of their network or simply doing maintenance. It could also be a more serious problem that can be fixed only by your provider. If you’ve explored the other options and are still having issues, call your ISP’s customer service.

Malfunctioning equipment—If your speed is lower than expected, but there are no problems with your ISP, there might be a problem with your equipment. Reset your modem and router by turning them off, waiting for a minute or two, then turning them back on. Try connecting to your router using an Ethernet cable instead of over Wi-Fi. If you’re already using a wired connection, try swapping out your Ethernet cable for a different one. You can also try running the speed test from a different device to see if you get the same results.

Interference—Wireless signals can experienced interference from physical objects, like trees or the walls of your house, and from other electronic devices, such as your microwave or even your neighbor’s Wi-Fi router. Most of us connect to our home networks over Wi-Fi these days, so interference is always a possibility. Most of the time, this can be fixed by simply moving your router to a better position, but sometimes it might require changing the settings in your router’s menu.

Get a better internet plan

If, after all this, your internet speed is still not enough to meet your needs, it might be time to upgrade to a faster plan, or simply find a better ISP.

Satellite internet isn’t known for being the fastest or most reliable way to connect to the internet, but there’s no need for satellite customers to suffer more than they have to. Although it’s never going to get the same performance as other connections, there are a few things you can do to get a better experience with your satellite internet.

Getting a Wi-Fi booster

A Wi-Fi booster or extender is a type of repeater that expands the range of a wireless network by rebroadcasting the signal from the router. This means your connection will bounce from your router to the repeater and then to your device, extending your network range and sidestepping obstacles to reach the farthest corners of your house.

Most satellite internet customers connect their devices over Wi-Fi, just like with any other internet connection. Because satellite internet has relatively low download speeds and is prone to interference, it’s easy not to notice when the problem is actually your home wireless network, rather than your internet connection.

If your internet is slow or inconsistent in some rooms of your home, while consistently performing better in others, then your Wi-Fi is likely the problem. You can also try plugging a device directly into your router with an Ethernet cable.

If your Wi-Fi is the problem, a Wi-Fi extender is an easy way to boost the signal to the rest of your house. Our top pick for satellite customers is the TP-Link RE315. If you want to compare your options for yourself, there are a few specific things that satellite customers should keep in mind.

Things not to worry about

Some of the most important features of Wi-Fi extenders aren’t that important for satellite connections. Things that matter less to satellite customers include the following:

• Maximum throughput
• Multiuser support
• Multiple data streams

Maximum throughput: Throughput is usually the most important feature of a router or Wi-Fi extender because it determines how much bandwidth devices on your network can actually make use of; however, modern devices are designed with gigabit and multigigabit connections in mind. Most satellite connections are well below 100 Mbps and even Starlink tops out at 250 Mbps. This means that even the slowest modern extenders should be more than capable of keeping up with your connection.

Multiuser support: Many modern extenders and routers, especially those that meet the Wi-Fi 6 standard, incorporate technologies like OFDMA (orthogonal frequency-division multiple access) and MU-MIMO (multiuser multiple input, multiple output) that allow you to connect more devices to your home network and more efficiently manage these devices to avoid network congestion.

Satellite speeds aren’t high enough to support dozens of connected devices, even if your network can handle them. Even if your Wi-Fi extender isn’t the best at multitasking, the bottleneck is still going to be your connection, not your home network.

Multiple data streams: Spatial streams are related to the previous two points, as multiple streams can improve data rates to a single client device or among multiple devices using MU-MIMU. It’s also easier to boast that your router has more streams than the competition than it is to get into a detailed comparison of multiplexing technologies, so the number of data streams is often slapped right on the front of the box.

Again, this isn’t very relevant to satellite customers because the major bottleneck is still going to be the satellite connection. A Ford F-150 might have way more payload capacity than a Mini Cooper, but if the most you’re ever going to haul is your weekly groceries, both vehicles will do the job equally well.

Things to look for

The important things for satellite customers to look for in a Wi-Fi extender aren’t unique, though certain attributes do carry a bit more importance:

• Range
• Price
• Ease of use
• Wi-Fi 6 compliance

Range: Since the whole point of a Wi-Fi extender is to get a strong signal throughout your entire house, it’s important that the device you pick does the job. You can also extend the range of your Wi-Fi by setting up a mesh Wi-Fi system, but these are generally more expensive and more complicated to set up, so a single Wi-Fi extender gives you better value.

Price: Price is a factor when buying any sort of equipment, but due to the low speed requirements of a satellite connection, price is a much bigger factor. There’s no point getting a fancy device with cutting-edge features if those features aren’t going to make an impact on your online experience.

Ease of use: Since you don’t need all the bells and whistles with a satellite connection, you might as well go for a straightforward solution that addresses your specific needs. Many extenders are small devices that plug straight into an outlet like an air freshener or a night light, often with a pass-through outlet so you still have two free plugs. Many extenders will share your router’s SSID, so it looks like you have one big home wireless network, rather than two networks in different parts of the house.

In general, you should find an extender that gives you internet access throughout your home in the most convenient way possible. Since you don’t have to worry about primary features like speed, you can afford to be picky when it comes to the little things.

Wi-Fi 6 compliance: Normally Wi-Fi 6 compatibility is one of the first things we look at in a wireless device, but since most of the big innovations of Wi-Fi 6 are about improving bandwidth and managing huge networks, most of that added value is lost on a slower satellite connection.

Wi-Fi 6 does still have some features that are useful to satellite customers. Wi-Fi 6 networks can improve the battery life of your devices, increase the security of your home network, and generally keep all your devices running more smoothly. It’s not a must-have for those with satellite internet, but it’s a package of handy features that might be enough to tip the scales in your decision.

For a more detailed look at these devices, check out our review of the Best Wi-Fi Extenders.

Troubleshooting speed problems

Wi-Fi boosters will help you fix weak signals or dead zones in your house, but they can’t increase your internet speed. If you’re getting slower than expected speeds, there are a few things you can do to troubleshoot satellite-specific issues.

Check your monthly data

Satellite plans have some of the most restrictive data caps of any internet type, so it’s very easy to go over your monthly allotment of data. Once you’ve passed your data cap, your data is deprioritized, which can drop your speed dramatically, especially during peak usage hours. If you notice a sudden drop in your internet speed, check your data to make sure you haven’t passed your limit.

Remove physical obstructions

To maintain a strong connection, your satellite dish needs to have a clear view of the south sky where your provider’s satellite is located. Physical obstructions, like a fallen branch, can block or interfere with your signal. Snow buildup on the dish itself can also interfere with your connection. Be extremely careful when removing snow or debris so as not to injure yourself or damage your dish.

Look for damage or antenna misalignment

Satellite dishes can be damaged in storms or high winds. Wind can also turn them just enough that they are no longer in alignment with the orbiting satellite. If you can see obvious damage or notice that your antenna has moved out of alignment, contact your provider to replace or realign your equipment.

Wait out bad weather

Satellite internet is uniquely vulnerable to interference from the weather. Rain, snow, extreme heat, high winds, and even sun transit can temporarily interfere with your internet connection. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do during bad weather if you’re experiencing interference, though hybrid satellite connections like Hughesnet Fusion are slightly more resilient to this kind of interference due to having a backup network to fall back on if the other is experiencing issues.

Troubleshoot other problems

In addition to these satellite-specific issues, satellite internet can encounter the same problems as most other internet technologies. If you’re still having problems with your connection, check out some of our other troubleshooting articles for possible solutions.

Alternatives to satellite

If satellite internet doesn’t provide you with the speed or reliability that you need, there may be other options available, even in rural areas. Even if these other connections offer slower speeds than your satellite provider, there are other benefits to non-satellite internet besides speed.

Much like satellite, DSL is slow and often overpriced when compared to other internet options; however, because it’s a wired connection, it has many advantages over satellite, such as lower latency, more (or unlimited) data, and a much more reliable connection. And although DSL plans can be overpriced when compared to similar speeds offered by cable or fiber, they’re still much cheaper on average than satellite.

Fixed wireless internet uses a ground-based system of antennas to connect people to the internet, especially in areas with no physical infrastructure for DSL or cable. As a wireless connection, it deals with many of the same issues as satellite, but they’re much more manageable. You’ll usually get faster speeds, more data, and less interference.

4G home internet uses the same networks as cellular phones to deliver home internet. It’s widely available, has higher data caps than satellite, and has low monthly costs. 4G LTE speeds are fairly similar to satellite speeds, but with much lower latency.

Boosting Satellite Internet FAQ