The best internet provider will offer a variety of internet speeds. So, choosing the right speed for your new household can be a little overwhelming when adding it to your list of things to do before moving. The speed you select will determine your experience. If you are successful in choosing the right speed, you will have a seamless experience downloading content or playing games. By the end of this article, you will have a fair idea about the internet speed you should choose for your new household.
Types of Internet Connections
Before you decide what internet speed is ideal for you, you should know the different types of internet connections available at your new home. It is a small detail in your moving process but it should still be considered because the type of connection and internet plan you choose can also have an effect on the speed. The last you want it to get to your new house and be stuck with a slow connection. This is particularly true if you share the internet connection with others.
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Fiber Optic
If you want to enjoy the best internet connection, you should go for fiber optic. This type has tapped into a new and innovative way to transmit signals through the light conveyed through cables that are made of flexible and special glass or plastic. Light travels faster than everything else. This is the reason fiber optic provides such a high-speed internet connection. It is an excellent option for houses that have multiple device usage. Your connection speed is unaffected by the internet usage of your neighbour. This is not something that other types of internet connections can provide.
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Cable Internet
Instead of phone lines, cable internet operates over cable TV lines. This is a type of broadband service. Even though it is fast enough, its speed largely depends on how you access it, and whether you are downloading or uploading files. Coax cable offers much greater bandwidth over DSL telephone lines or dial-up, you can therefore enjoy faster access.
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DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)
With DSL, the service is delivered through the phone landline. However, you can still use your phone to make calls while you are connected to the internet. This is because it uses two lines. It is a type of broadband communication that might use fiber-optic cables or phone lines for transmission. DSL is a high-tech version of a dial-up internet. So, it is significantly faster and of higher quality in comparison to dial up connections.
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Satellite Internet
Places that don’t offer broadband, usually offer a satellite internet connection. So, it is one of the most common connections used in rural areas. It offers your desktop a connection by communicating with the satellite that orbits earth. To get connected, it needs a satellite dish that has a clear line-of-sight. The satellite dish and plan must be purchased from one of the few, yet reliable satellite internet providers. The issue with satellite internet is that the signal from the satellite has to travel a long way and so, the connection might be delayed. This makes it slower than broadband. It can offer good speeds, but it isn’t a good option for video streaming or online gaming since you have to share bandwidth with others in the area.
The Meaning of Mbps
Megabit per second, a.k.a. Mbps, is a measure of internet bandwidth. To put it simply, bandwidth is the download rate for the internet connection. It is the optimum speed at which you can download data from the internet on your mobile device or computer. Internet speed and bandwidth aren’t the same. Bandwidth is the amount of data your connection can handle at a given time. While internet speed is the fastest rate at which your data travels with optimum bandwidth. Your Wi-Fi signal can also impact the speed of your internet. There are various ways of improving your Wi-Fi signal such as placing your router in the middle of your house. You can test your internet speed connection very easily. There are various websites on the internet that let you test the connection speed. The test will give you the upload and download speed.
The Internet Speed You Need Based on the Lifestyle and Size of Your Household
The number of people connected to the internet plays a significant role in the difference in internet speed. Your type of internet usage is also very impactful in determining the speed you’ll need.
Internet Speed You Need
| Lifestyle | Size of Household | Speed |
| Student | Single person household | 25 Mbps |
| Students | Living with a roommate | 50 Mbps |
| Casual Internet User | Single person household | 10 Mbps |
| Casual Internet Users | Two person household | 15 Mbps |
| Family | Three person household | 50 Mbps |
| Large Family | Over three person household | 75+ Mbps |
| Heavy Gamer | Single person household | 100+ Mbps |
| Heavy Gamers | Two person household | 150+ Mbps |
Conclusion
Figuring out the type of internet speed you need for your household isn’t difficult. In general, opting for more mbps can be a safer choice, but you don’t really need more than 200 Mbps unless you are streaming 4K videos all day long or playing multiplayer online games. The best internet providers will have multiple choices when it comes to speeds. In fact, Coextro was named one of the best internet providers in Toronto by MovingWaldo in 2021.
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