How Much Internet Speed Do I Need?

You need around 30 Mbps download speed to use the internet without frustrating loading times or buffering. Some internet users don’t need as much, while others require faster speeds to accommodate more activity and more devices on their home network. However, 30 Mbps is relatively fast for a small household with modest internet needs.

All in all, when you’re using your Wi-Fi, you need internet speed that’s fast enough to let you do everything you usually do online with a smooth connection and minimal slowdowns. That could include simple things like checking email and reading news headlines, but it could also include more complex endeavors like streaming on Netflix in 4K or uploading a terabyte hard drive’s worth of files to Google Drive.

If you live in a household with multiple people, aim to have at least 5–10 Mbps speeds for everyone who regularly uses your internet. So, if you live with three other people, then 40 Mbps would be ideal.

Your internet speed is impacted by the number of people signed onto your internet network. It boils down to the sheer volume of internet consumption: if everybody’s using the internet, you’ll have more devices on your home network, which takes up a larger portion of your total speed.

You can find fast internet from an internet service provider (ISP) that maintains a network in your area. In rural parts of the United States, most ISPs offer DSL, fixed-wireless, or satellite internet, and the fastest speed you’ll get is typically 100 Mbps.

Some DSL providers also have fiber networks, which can get you top speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps. Fiber isn’t widely available in the United States, so you may have to be content with a slower internet connection type. But you’ll still get solid performance from an internet plan that ranges from 25–100 Mbps.

Internet speed is measured in megabits per second or Mbps. 

The smallest data unit in digital communications is a bit: your basic 1 or 0 in binary code. The abbreviation “bps” refers to the number of bits that transfer between a network and a device (such as your computer or phone) in a second. 

Downloading, uploading, and bandwidth are usually measured in bps. But how many bps are we talking about? Usually, it’s broken down into three measurements: 

• Kbps—kilobits per second (1,000 bps)
• Mbps—megabits per second (1,000 Kbps) 
• Gbps—gigabits per second (1,000 Mbps)

Kbps is less than 1 Mbps, so it represents the slowest speeds possible—basically, what you would have gotten over a dial-up connection in the 1990s. Gbps, on the other hand, is way faster: most internet providers that hit 1 Gbps are fiber.

You can find your internet speed with our free internet speed test.

Download speed measures the amount of Mbps it takes to download a piece of data, like an attachment in an email or streaming a movie on Netflix. Upload speed refers to tasks such as uploading data on a video call over Zoom or posting your latest dance video to TikTok.

Most common download activities

• Streaming a movie on Netflix
• Reading an email
• Searching on Google
• Downloading a file from Google Drive

Most common upload activities

• Hosting a video meeting on Zoom
• Sending an email
• Posting to social media
• Uploading a file to Google Drive

Internet providers typically advertise download speeds as your primary speed. Upload speeds are often much slower than download speeds. But you won’t really notice the slower rate unless you spend a lot of time uploading content—for example, by uploading lots of videos to social media or hosting frequent video meetings for work.

Upload speed is typically a priority for online businesses.

Latency is the brief delay that happens when a signal is being processed between the network and the user. It’s measured in mere milliseconds, but high latency can be really noticeable—think laggy video streams and poor response times while online gaming.

Satellite internet that uses geosynchronous orbit (GEO) satellites such as Hughesnet and Viasat has some of the highest levels of latency because the internet signal has much farther to travel. Low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites like those used by Starlink, have much lower latency.  DSL has much lower latency since the signal is transferred over the relatively stable copper wiring of a telephone company.

If you plan to stream video or play online games, look for a Wi-Fi package with the lowest latency possible.

The fastest internet speed you can get in most rural areas is 100 Mbps. Viasat’s Unlimited Platinum 100 plan gives you up to 100 Mbps download speeds over a satellite internet connection for a starting price of $150 per month.

In big cities and many smaller towns, fiber or cable connections can reach upwards of 1,000 Mbps. But the fastest internet speeds aren’t available everywhere, which is one of the major issues that defines America’s “digital divide,” meaning the lack of opportunities for those without high-speed internet access.

Speeds tend to be slower in rural areas because the infrastructure isn’t there to support the latest networking technology. You still have options, though. If you can get internet somewhere in the range of 25 Mbps, then you’ll have fast enough speeds to let you search on Google, stream video in HD on Netflix, and participate in Zoom video calls.

In most cases, you can improve your internet speed by calling your internet provider and upgrading your Wi-Fi package to something faster.

But paying more money isn’t the only way to get faster internet. (And sometimes, an upgrade may not be an option anyway—for example, if you’re living in an area that has only one internet provider or one internet plan available.) Thankfully, there are a few ways to troubleshoot your internet connection if you’re getting sluggish Wi-Fi.

If your Wi-Fi is out or you’re getting sluggish service, sometimes all you need to do is unplug your modem and router and plug them back in. That will clear out any bugs that result from overheating, memory leaks, and other issues to give the equipment a fresh start.

You may be getting weak Wi-Fi if your router is placed somewhere out of the way in your home. Try moving it to a central location, like on a tabletop or shelf in your living room, where the Wi-Fi signal can distribute evenly across your living space. And keep it away from thick walls, metal objects, and microwaves, which can interfere with the signal.

The more devices you have, the more strain you’re putting on your internet speed—so you can get a smoother connection by disconnecting devices you don’t need on the Wi-Fi. This will also use less data: if you’re on satellite internet, you’ll have longer before you might exceed your data cap and have your speed slowed down.

Satellite, fixed wireless, cable, and 4G LTE home internet connections are all prone to network congestion, which happens when lots of people are using the internet at the same time. You can save your big downloads and other speed-intensive activities for off hours like the early morning or late at night, when your neighbors won’t be logged on as much.

If you’ve tried everything and your internet still isn’t getting any better, it may be time to switch to a better provider. Type in your zip code below to see if you can find faster service in your area.

You need at least 30 Mbps of download speed and 3 Mbps upload speed to do a range of everyday internet activities with minimal slowdowns and interruptions. A download speed of 25 Mbps will give you ample bandwidth to download modestly sized files, stream Netflix in HD on two or three devices, browse the web, and check your email.

You’ll need faster speeds if you live in a large household (say, five people or more) or rely on the internet for speed-heavy activities like streaming in 4K, hosting large group meetings on Zoom, or operating numerous smart-home devices. If that’s your situation, then aim for at least 50–100 Mbps, though faster will be better.

A good internet speed for a household is 100 Mbps. The Federal Communications Commission sets 100 Mbps download speeds and 25 Mbps upload speeds as the baseline for broadband, high-speed internet. If you can get faster speeds, though, that will be much better—most cable and fiber internet plans can reach max speeds of 1,000 Mbps.

Internet speed of 25 Mbps is a good baseline for a small household. You’ll be able to do lots of activities at 25 Mbps, including streaming HD video on two or three devices, stream music, and attending Zoom video meetings.

Consider investing in a faster Wi-Fi package if you have a larger household or depend on your internet for more complex undertakings—like multiplayer gaming or content creation.