Internet Speed You Need For A Flawless Streaming Experience

Internet Speed You Need For A Flawless Streaming Experience

The average speed that you need for streaming various services including Hulu and Disney+ ranges from 3 Mbps to 25 Mbps. If you’re watching content in a lower quality, then you can usually get by with the lower speeds. However, if you’re using 4K or a device with ultra-high definition, then you’re going to need faster speeds so that you get the clarity desired. As you increase the number of devices that you use for streaming, then you’re also going to want to look at higher speeds so that each service can keep up with the demand for viewing content.

Looking at the Best

When determining the internet speed that you need, you want to look at the quality of the videos that you’re watching. SD and HD can usually get by with speeds of 3-18 Mbps while 4K typically relies on speeds above 15 Mbps. The speed of your internet service is how fast the device you’re using uploads or downloads information. Even if you see a certain speed offered by your provider, you want to test it to ensure that you’re getting what’s stated so that you have the speed necessary for streaming and other actions that are performed. When you’re looking at the best speeds available, consider the number of devices and the kind of media that’s viewed. If you have 4K devices or someone plays games in your home online, then you’re likely going to need faster speeds. You want to choose higher speeds than are stated just in case they are slower or there are more devices used in your home than you had planned.

Improving the Experience

There’s nothing worse than streaming your favorite movie or TV show online only to see that it buffers. This can result in missing some of the scenes or just missing the whole content in general because it won’t load. An easy way to improve your speed is by disconnecting your router and connecting it back to reboot the device.

Upgrading

If you’ve rebooted your equipment and you still have issues with your internet speeds, then you can upgrade the equipment that you have. As you add more devices, you could see that the equipment that you got when your internet service was connected just can’t keep up any longer. Sometimes, an internet provider like HughesNet and Verizon will give you an upgrade for free if you’ve been with them for a long period of time. Other providers might require that you pay a monthly fee until the equipment is paid off. A Roku or another streaming device is an option to consider as well so that you have something designed specifically for viewing this type of content.

Internet Plans

Most internet plans that are provided offer speeds of about 100 Mbps. There are some providers that offer 1 Gbps if they use fiber-optic connections. Many companies are going to symmetrical services, which means that you’re going to get the same upload and download speeds instead of the upload speed being much lower. In most situations, 100 Mbps is plenty fast enough for all of the streaming and gaming that you’ll do online. You usually won’t even need to worry about the upload speed as this is typically set aside for live streaming and uploading videos to sites like YouTube or Facebook. A speed test can give you a better indication of the speeds that you’re really getting, which can help you decide if you should change internet plans.