How much internet speed do I need?

Download and upload are not the same

• Download: what you receive. Watching video, browsing, downloading.
• Upload: what you send. Video calls, cloud backups, cameras viewed remotely, sending files, live streaming.

On symmetric connections the two are equal. If they aren't, upload is usually the bottleneck for businesses and remote work.

What each use consumes

• Browsing and email: very little.
• Streaming video: a few megabits per screen in high definition, and several times more in 4K.
• Video call: a few megabits up and down per participant.
• Cameras viewed remotely: continuous upload while they're being watched.
• Cloud backups and video uploads: all available upload for hours.

How to work it out

1. Count how many people or devices use the network at the same time at the worst moment.
2. Add up what each simultaneous use consumes.
3. Add headroom for peaks and devices working in the background.

In an ordinary home, any current fibre covers download needs. In a hotel, a full restaurant or a content creation studio, you need to do the sums.

When your plan isn't the problem

• A wired test next to the router gives the contracted speed, but WiFi doesn't.
• It's only slow in some rooms.
• It's only slow when someone runs a backup or large download: you need prioritisation, not megabits.

When it is worth upgrading

• The wired test already gives less than you need at peak times.
• Video calls degrade during a cloud backup that can't be rescheduled.
• You live stream or upload video every day.
• The number of connected guests has grown a lot.

Stability before speed

For a business, a connection that doesn't drop is worth more than a very fast one. A 4G/5G backup line and a router that switches over automatically protect the till, bookings and phones.

The internal network counts too

Very fast fibre is no use with an old router, low-category cables or a 100-megabit switch in the middle. Real speed is that of the slowest link.