How Many Mbps Do I Need
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A good internet speed is anywhere between 25 and 100 Mbps. Speeds of 25 Mbps allow up to 2 devices to stream, surf the web and check emails. 50 to 100 Mbps allow a few more people to stream in HD or even 4K, stream music, game, browse social media, and work from home.
Here’s a quick look at what you can do with other speeds and bandwidth commonly offered by internet service providers (ISPs):
What can you do with different internet speeds?
5–25 Mbps
1–2
Casual web browsing, emails, social media, streaming SD video, streaming music
25–50 Mbps
1–3
Streaming HD and 4K video, streaming music, online gaming, light work from home
50–100 Mbps
2–4
Streaming 4K video, online gaming, working from home, using home security devices
100–500 Mbps
2–5
Streaming 4K video, online gaming, running a home office, using home security and smart home devices
500–1,000 Mbps
3–5+
Running a home office or creative profession, streaming in 4K, live streaming, online gaming, using home security and smart home devices
But really, finding the right internet service provider and internet speed for you is more of a balancing act. If you don’t have enough bandwidth or Mbps, you’ll get a visit from the nasty buffering icon. If you have too many Mbps, you might be paying too much for your internet plan.
To find that sweet spot, you’ll want to follow these steps:
How to figure out how much internet speed you need
Top 5 internet service providers
$49.99–$119.99‡300–2048 Mbps300–2048 MbpsView PlansSpectrum Internet$49.99–$89.99^300–1000 Mbps10–35 MbpsView PlansViasat$30–$169.99°12–100 Mbps3 MbpsView PlansData effective 08/15/22. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
* For the first 12 months. Some packages require a 1- or 2-year contract.
† Price after $5/mo Autopay & Paperless bill discount (w/in 2 bills). Plus taxes $ fees. Limited availability. May not be available in your area.
‡ w/ Auto Pay + taxes & equip. charges.
^ For the first 12 months.
1. Count how many people use your internet
The more people using your internet, the more speed, or Mbps you need to keep everyone happy.
Don’t forget to count yourself when you tally up everyone who connects to your internet. Other potential internet users can include your partner or spouse, children, housemates, and even frequent visitors, like friends, grandkids, or siblings.
Have a gamer in the family?
Whether it’s you or someone else who likes to hop online and game with friends, it’s important to know that internet speed isn’t the only thing affecting gameplay.
Gamers also need an internet connection and router with low latency and good bandwidth—and maybe some upload speed to top it off. Find out which ISPs we recommend for online gaming so you or your gamer housemate doesn’t get pwned.
2. Look at all the devices using your Wi-Fi
Like people, the more smart devices you have that use the internet, the more Mbps you need.
You might only have 2 or 3 people using your internet, but each person can have multiple devices connected to your Wi-Fi at one time so this may take some thinking. There are so many smart devices that use your wireless network in today’s world. It’s easy to forget how many you have at home, but this list of common connected devices might help jog your memory:
What devices use your internet?
* Smart TVs and apps: Netflix, Youtube, Hulu, Amazon Video, HBO Max, etc.
* DVRs: DIRECTV Genie, DISH Hopper, etc.
* Streaming devices: Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Roku, etc.
* Gaming consoles: PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, etc.
* Computers, laptops, tablets
* Mobile devices, digital cameras and smart wristwatches
* Smart appliances: Nest thermostat, smart locks, smart printers, smartbulbs, etc.
* Smart home hubs: Amazon Echo, Anova Precision Cooker, etc.
* Security systems: Hubs and cameras for ADT, Vivint, Simplisafe, Ring, etc.
3. Get an idea of what you and others do online
What do you do when you’re online? Do you game? Watch Hulu? Stream music on Spotify? Or maybe you’re a pretty casual internet user who just checks email and Facebook.
Each of these activities needs different speeds—otherwise you’ll run into laggy internet or that dreaded buffering icon. Here’s a quick look at the bare minimum internet speed you’ll need for a few common online activities.
Recommended minimum speed by online activity1,2,3
Streaming SD video (480p)
3 Mbps
Streaming HD video (1080p)
5 Mbps
Streaming 4K video (2160p)
25 Mbps
Streaming music
1–10 Mbps
Gaming
3–4 Mbps
Downloading large files (HD movies, PDFs, etc.)
10 Mbps
Making video calls
0.5–1.5 Mbps
Checking email and social media
1 Mbps
A good internet speed comes down to what you’re doing online. For example, if you’re making a simple video call to your extended family, a good speed is somewhere between 0.5-1.5 Mbps. But, if you’re trying to stream a 4K video, you’re going to want at least 25 Mbps. However, these recommended speeds only work if it’s just you doing one of those online activities at a time. Who does that?
It’s more likely you’re a multitasking machine when it comes to doing things online. You’re streaming Dopesick on Hulu while you check email, download an HD video to watch later tonight, and hop into a Call of Duty match. And your roommate, kid, or partner is doing the same things at the same time that you are.
This is why most ISPs don’t offer internet plans with just 5 Mbps—they’re offering you 50, 100, or even 1,000 Mbps plans, so you can keep doing what you do best online.
Upload speed vs. download speed
Things like live video calling a friend or sending an email require a good upload speed. Upload speed refers to how fast data can transfer from your computer to the internet.
Download speed is how fast data is being transferred from the internet to your device. A bulk of most people’s internet usage relies on a fast download speed to load web pages, music, and streaming videos.
4. Add up the Mbps you need per person and device
Okay, now that you’ve got a general idea of who and what uses your internet and how they use it, it’s time to do some math. (Don’t worry, it’s just some simple addition.)
We’ll start by going over our recommended baseline speed per person and device.
Recommended internet speed per person or device
We recommend giving each person who uses the internet in your home 25 Mbps. And for every device, you can allot 10 Mbps. (But if it’s a 4K device, bump that up to 25 Mbps.)
* People: 25 Mbps per person
* Devices (not 4K): 10 Mbps per device
* Devices (4K): 25 Mbps per 4K device
Okay, now let’s see how those recommended speeds add up with an example.
Let’s say we have a home with two adults and two children who all use the internet. Here’s a list of the internet speeds each person gets, plus the internet speeds each of their devices gets.
* People: 25 Mbps x 4 = 100 Mbps
* Desktop computer: 10 Mbps x 2 = 20 Mbps
* Laptop: 10 Mbps
* Tablet: 10 Mbps
* Mobile device: 10 Mbps x 3 = 30 Mbps
* Smart TV (4K): 25 Mbps x 2 = 50 Mbps
* Xbox gaming console: 10 Mbps
* Wi-Fi printer: 10 Mbps
* Home security system hub: 10 Mbps
* Home security camera: 10 Mbps x 2 = 20 Mbps
* Total: 270 Mbps
The recommended internet speed for this family is 270 Mbps. That may seem like a lot of speed, and you’re probably right. This recommendation assumes that every person and every wireless device is online at the same time.
That’s where online activities can factor in. If the family knows they usually stream 4K videos on one of their TVs about once a week and in the evening when no one’s on their computers, gaming on the Xbox, or using the printer, they can probably knock this speed down a bit to 200 Mbps.
If the family knows no one uses the computers and tablet for working or studying from home, they might even be able to get away with 100 or 150 Mbps.
Got a home security system?
We don’t recommend going below 100 Mbps download speed if your home security system has cameras. This ensures that your cameras always have an online internet connection so they can capture, save, and store any critical footage you might need to view later.
Even though it’s not a definitive answer, adding up the speeds needed for the people and devices using your internet gives you a ballpark estimate of where your internet speeds need to be.
5. Find an internet plan that works for you
Next stop? Now that you have a good idea of what goes into choosing an internet provider and the things you need to consider, it’s time to find an internet provider and plan that has good internet speed for your needs. Sometimes this is easier said than done, but we can help.
Enter your zip code, and we’ll pull up a full list of internet providers available in your area. Then you can easily check what plans they have for you and how much each plan costs. Easy, peasy.
Now that you know how much internet speed you need, check this out next.
Look for internet providers with the speeds you need in your area.
Find out which ISPs are the best in the US.