How much Bandwidth and Speed do you actually need for your NBN?
It’s a question we’ve all considered when deciding upon a broadband or NBN plan for the family home.
These days, most of us have internet needs that go beyond the basic package – from video conferences while working from home, to online gaming and streaming. Most family homes will have multiple users all trying to access the internet at once on different devices.
How do you ensure your internet service is set up to cope? When choosing an internet plan for your family, you’ll have to consider bandwidth.
What is bandwidth and how does it work?
Bandwidth is a measurement indicating the maximum capacity of a wireless communications link to transmit data over a network connection in a given amount of time. It is represented in the number of megabits or gigabits that can be transmitted in one second.
The term bandwidth refers to the transmission capacity of a connection. It’s an important factor when determining the quality and speed of a network or the internet connection.
Here’s a simple way to think about it: Bandwidth is the highway, and cars are the data. The more cars on the highway, the more traffic. So if you’re on a video call from home, you might notice the quality degrade as your kids start their virtual learning and your partner joins an online whiteboard session.
It sounds complicated! But really all you need to remember is: the higher the bandwidth, the better and faster your internet connection will be.
If you’re a big household of streamers, you may require a high-bandwidth internet plan.
Bandwidth vs speed
People often confuse these two terms, but they’re not quite the same.
Speed refers to the rate at which data can be transmitted, while bandwidth is the capacity for that speed.
How is bandwidth measured?
Bandwidth was originally measured in bits per second (Bps), however today’s networks have much higher bandwidth and are generally measured as megabits per second (Mbps).
What is considered a good bandwidth speed?
Internet speeds are typically measured in download speeds, as most online activity uses downloads. You can safely say you’re getting a good internet speed if you’re recording download speeds of around 50Mbps.
While home internet speeds can get a lot faster, 25Mbps or more will support most homebound online activity such as HD streaming, online gaming, web browsing and general downloading.
What speed does my family need?
When you’re choosing a plan, you’ll need to review your household situation and determine what bandwidth is most suitable for your family’s needs.
Assess your internet usage to understand what is the right plan for you.
You should consider the following:
- How many people are in the house, and will they be using the internet simultaneously?
- How many devices require connection to a Wi-Fi network and will they all be used at the same time? Think smart TVs, gaming consoles, mobiles, tablets, computers and smart home assistants.
- What do you use the internet for? Is it for web browsing and sending emails, or are you a family of streamers who enjoy online gaming, watching Netflix and listening to Spotify?
- Do you have security cameras or doorbells?
Activities such as general web browsing and social media may only require around 1-2Mbps, whereas a standard-definition video stream requires around 3Mbps. If you want to stream videos in high definition or 4K, you’ll need much faster speeds of around 50Mbps.
Keep in mind that Upload speeds are now just as important in today’s world so don’t skimp on this when considering your plans.
As usual, have a chat with me at Connect My Tech and I can help you to navigate the confusion and arrive at the best solution for your individual or family needs