In advertising, many providers talk about “optimal” or “normal” connection speed. For many subscribers, this raises a straightforward question: “What speed of the Internet is considered normal?”. Optimality is a floating indicator that cannot be homogeneous. This is what this article will be about.
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How is the speed measured?
Speed for home internet is measured in megabits, which is very often confused with a megabyte, which is wrong!
But (!) this is the amount of information flowing in 1 second, where there is not much difference between 100 megabits and 100 megabytes.
To check you internet speed you can visit here.
Which speed is best to choose for the home internet?
As it was said, the average speed of the Internet is a floating indicator. For some tasks, enough 2 Mbps (reading, watching memes, and listening to music), for others will not be enough and 50. Therefore, the issue needs to be considered from several points of view.
For online gaming
Since online games are played not only at home but also on the road – they are not very demanding. For many, there is a stable transmission of 512 Kbps.
Games like:
- Dota2;
- World of Warcraft;
- WOT;
- Grand Theft Auto V.
Require only 1 Mbps, and that’s with voice chat. But fans of shooters are unlikely to be enough. The lower threshold starts at 10 megabits.
For streaming
Which Internet is better to connect in an apartment for streaming? Here the situation is reversed – you need a low download and upload (unloading).
You can also read: What internet speed do you need to watch 4K videos?
And it would be best if you had a stable flow that does not fall below a particular mark. If it goes down, the stream is interrupted or turned into a slideshow.
The optimal speed of the Internet for streaming is determined by the quality of the video transmitted:
- 480P at least 5 Mbps;
- 720P – 10 Mbps;
- 1080R – 20 Mbps.
With the quality of the internet doubled, the speed of the Internet should be proportionally increased.
Acceptable stream chooses the streamer itself, depending on the needs and scale of the show. A lagging video is not uncommon, and often it is due to the wrongly selected Internet package.
To watch movies and TV series.
Often for movies and connect the home Internet. If the main goal is movies and TV series, 15 Mbps is enough. This is enough for the quality of 1080P, and this is the most common quality of the video—another thing – 4K. Video gourmets will need 25 Mbps.
For social media
Social networks are dynamic, so you need to take the package in advance. Now only 2 megabits will be enough for comfortable viewing of videos, pictures, and communication if you remove visual content and leave only correspondence – enough 512 kilobits.
This is enough for messengers, social networks (VK, Instagram), and e-mail. In the same category falls and speed for work. With 2 megabits, you can accept/send a document, open and edit online tables, participate in conf-correspondence.
For Skype and video calls
Corporate communication is often done on Skype or Discourse. If you need a clear picture without breaking the connection (which usually happens in Skype and with a good speed), then it is necessary to comply with such norms:
- For voice messages and correspondence – up to 300 kbps;
- For video calls in good resolution tete-a-tete – 5 Mbps;
- for conference calls on Skype – from 5 Mbps and up.
These are the averages stated by software manufacturers. These figures are desirable to multiply by 2. There will be no resets of the call and a sudden interruption of communication.
What affects the speed of connection?
In general, the speed of the Internet for the home is often unstable. In enterprises, this is monitored by the department of administrators, and in the apartment – no one.
A home connection may be broken due to:
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- Malware. “Catch a Trojan,” or even a miner, is very simple if you download programs from dubious sources. It is recommended to install an antivirus that can also slow down!
- Turning on the VPN. You can even run a proxy by accident. For example, in Opera, the VPN icon is near the address bar.
- Screening the signal. The router may not break through the wall. It’s a good idea to learn how to choose a WIFI router for your apartment.
- Outdated drivers. Sometimes they are dumped on their own. In this case, the device may not work properly.
- Any interference. They can appear from adjacent electrical appliances if the receiver has no protection. Especially a lot of them occur when wirelessly connected.
- Distance from the coverage area. If the device is too far from the router, it is worth outweighing it.
- Bad weather. It can cause both accidents at the provider and local breakdowns.
Why the actual speed of the Internet is different from the stated?
First, you need to study what measures the speed of the Internet. Usually, if you connect 80 Mbps, the top speed is 10MB.
But the stated speed is always (!) higher than the actual one. There are many reasons for this:
- Unscrupulous provider. The most common problem in Russia, especially in the provinces. Many providers do not deliver the speed that has been claimed.
- Interference. They are always present, especially when wirelessly connected. During bad weather, they are particularly amplified, and, in addition, local accidents can occur.
- Router. It can slow down because of internal errors. In this case, you can only change the router to a more reliable one.
You can also read: How to use your router as a Wi-Fi repeater.
For home use, such errors are normal. It is impossible to transmit the signal perfectly. Gradually, the speed drops slightly at each site.
The problem is solved by fiber, connection, a good router, and a good provider. In this case, the losses will be lesser, but still will be!
