What internet speed is right for you?

If you enjoy online gaming, surfing the web or streaming All West.tv, you know having the right internet speed matters. But how do you know what speed to choose? If you only surf the web, do you need 100 Mbps? If you want to watch your favorite shows on All West.tv, how many Mbps do you need?

We’re here to answer all your questions and more!

• How does the available infrastructure affect your internet speed?
• General internet speed recommendations
• What internet speed do I need? Internet Speed Calculator

How does the available infrastructure affect your internet speed?

Depending on where you live, there is different infrastructure in place to get the internet into your home. The most common types are DSL, Coax and Fiber. Each of these creates a pipeline for your internet to move through. The more advanced the infrastructure the more opportunity you have to reach faster speeds.

The acronym Mbps stands for “megabits per second.” It is a measure of internet bandwidth that moves through the infrastructure. Bandwidth is the download and upload rate of your internet connection. The higher the Mbps is, the more you can do on your internet connected device.

Your router is what talks to both All West’s modem and your internet connecting device. Having a router that is compatible with your wire infrastructure and Mbps helps your device get the fastest speeds possible. If your router is not designed for the internet you have, you won’t be able to reach your full speed potential. (Read more about how your internet gets on your digital device)

General internet speed recommendations

Having a fast internet connection depends on what you use the internet for at home, how many devices are using the internet at the same time, and how many Mbps you have from your service provider. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recommends minimum internet speeds of 12-25 Mbps for families with multiple internet users or frequent online streaming.

Why would you need higher than 25 Mbps?

The FCC has defined broadband, or fast internet, as internet with download speeds of at least 25 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 3 Mbps since 2015. Download speeds of at least 25 Mbps accommodate many families’ needs, but the best download speeds and upload speeds for you depend on how you use the internet at home.

For example, let’s say you have a family of four, and nine devices split between them that include phones, laptops, iPads, and Smart TVs. When everyone is home at least six devices are being used at once for school, streaming TV, surfing the web and gaming. When you have that many devices in use, you need enough bandwidth to support them all. 25 Mbps distributed six ways is about 4 Mbps allocated to each device. Just doing school work on a laptop could use up to 25 Mbps, resulting in very slow internet, which is why All West offers a minimum of 100 Mbps. The more internet-connected devices you use, the more your speed is distributed amongst them.

What internet speed do I need?