What Internet Speed is Best for Me?

Picking an internet plan can feel like guesswork. Too little speed and you’re stuck buffering. Too much and you’re paying for bandwidth you don’t use. Here’s are a few tips on how to find your sweet spot.

Start with how many devices are connected

Every phone, laptop, smart TV, and gaming console pulls from your bandwidth at the same time. A household with two people streaming shows needs a lot less speed than a family of five with tablets, smart speakers, and a gaming setup all running at once.

Think about what you actually do online

Checking email and browsing social media takes very little speed. Streaming in HD or 4K, video calling for work, and online gaming all need more. If your household does a mix of these things at the same time, you’ll want a plan that can keep up without slowing down.

Consider who’s home and when

If everyone logs on during the same evening hours to stream, game, and video chat, your connection gets more of a workout than if your household’s usage is spread throughout the day.

Don’t forget uploads, not just downloads

Download speed gets most of the attention, but upload speed matters too. If you work from home, post content, or back up photos and files to the cloud, a plan with strong upload speed will save you a lot of frustration.

When in doubt, go a little bigger

Smart devices, streaming quality, and the number of connected gadgets in the average home keep growing. Choosing a plan with a little extra room can help you avoid needing an upgrade again soon. Not to mention, our team is always happy to help you figure out the right fit!

If you have questions or need help exploring your services, check out our Online Learning Hub at bluestreamfiber.com/learning.

Need additional support? We’ve also partnered with Asurion to offer expert tech help for all your eligible devices—even the ones we didn’t provide. See how you can take advantage by visiting bluestreamfiber.com/protect.