#Mbps download speed how to
#Mbps download speed tv

#Mbps download speed tv

Make sure you’ve allowed enough speed to stream all of your favourite shows with our guide to streaming speeds.Īs a general rule, you should add an extra 30Mbps of broadband provision for each person in your household that downloads games to a console, PC, or tablet, or who streams TV shows in 4K, or make sure that your broadband deal includes an average speed of at least 100Mbps to cover all bases. The likely culprits for using more than their fair share of the broadband are serious gamers, who often need to download huge files containing new games and updates, and 4K streamers who want to watch movies and TV to their 4K television via the likes of Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV, YouTube (consuming anything up to 40Mbps of your home broadband connection). Judging broadband speed based only on how many people are in a household doesn’t always work, as one or two people in the household may use the internet much more than the others. Some fibre optic deals now offer speeds of up to 900 or 1000Mbps (now available both from Virgin Media, and also BT and Vodafone in limited areas). In a busy household, you’ll want to make sure you have a reliable connection to avoid issues like buffering or slow-downloading games and documents, so aim for a fast fibre optic broadband deal with an average speed of at least 63Mbps. There may also be peak times when everyone wants to get online, usually between 4pm and 8pm when everyone has come home for the day. It’s also likely that along with a range of other devices, someone in the household will stream content via an internet-ready smart TV, or a TV with a streaming box. If you have a larger than average family or live in shared student accommodation, it’s highly likely there’ll be times each day when everyone wants to get online separately. If you or someone you live with might be switching to home working in the near future, it’s also a good idea to add a little extra broadband speed to accommodate this. Choosing a faster speed can help future proof your broadband usage, particularly if you have growing kids who are spending more and more time online. Some providers, like Virgin Media, offer much faster fibre broadband connections that go right up to 1000Mbps. This type of broadband deal will typically offer speed between 30-60Mbps. The more people that use your broadband connection at any one time, the more bandwidth (speed) you’ll need, especially if you’re streaming movies or downloading and using apps and games separately.įor a household of 3-4 people, an entry level fibre-optic broadband package is usually a sensible choice – as long as nobody owns a 4K TV and streams in 4K UHD resolution, works regularly from home, or downloads games or large documents. In a large household, while you may sit down and enjoy streamed movies and TV together on occasion, it’s likely that at least some of the time, you’ll be in different parts of the house doing your own thing online. A quick look at what broadband speed you will need. On the flip side, if your broadband speed is faster than you need, you’ll end up paying more than you should. These will be worse when everyone tries to get online at the same time. If it isn’t fast enough for the number of people you live with, and the things you do online, you’re likely to experience irritating delays and connection issues. The speed of your home broadband is important.

#Mbps download speed how to

What many people struggle with is how to apply average broadband speeds to the needs of their household, so they can choose a broadband deal with an internet speed that is right for their requirements.

Double this to 20Mbps for each user if they're streaming 4K content or gaming.īroadband speed is measured in ‘megabits’, and most of us understand that the higher the speed, the faster you can download files and the higher quality your streaming content will be. Is 10Mbps enough? What about 50? Or 100?Īs a general rule, you'll need 10Mbps per broadband user. Though most of us understand the more the megabits the faster the broadband, few of us comprehend how that applies to our household. In the world of broadband, megabits are abstract.