In this video, I detail how to calculate the minimum internet speed you need from your internet plan.
For more content on similar topics, check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs-hXDMwqs1Ri9Yh9QRgaqQ
If you would like to read about other ways to improve your home network, check out my blog:
https://www.network-from-home.com
0:30 How to think about internet speed
3:00 How to estimate the internet speed you need
7:42 What to do after calculating the minimum internet speed you need
As I mentioned in the video, here is the FCC page that details the minimum bandwidth required for different internet activities: https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/broadband-speed-guide
How to calculate the internet speed you need for your home network
When it comes to calculating the speed you need for your internet plan, there’s only one major question you need to answer:
You need to determine how many people are streaming different things at the same time during times of peak internet usage in your home.
Streaming online videos is the highest bandwidth activity you can perform, so if you design your home network so that it can support times when internet demand is at its peak, you know you won’t have any issues.
Once you have identified the maximum number of people that will be simultaneously streaming in your home, the rest of the calculation is pretty simply.
You just need to multiple this number of people by 30. This is due to the fact that the FCC recommends at least 25 Mbps of bandwidth for each streaming session that is happening in your home (I use 30 Mbps to add a factor of safety to this number).
I then take this number and double it. This accounts for the fact that most people access the internet via WiFi in your home, and the fact that you don’t usually see the maximum bandwidth promised to you by your ISP as part of your internet plan. In other words, this is basically another factor of safety to ensure you don’t undersell how much bandwidth you need.
This will give you the minimum bandwidth needed by your home network. You can use this number to find the internet plan offered by your ISP that most closely aligns with your bandwidth needs.
Conclusion
If you have any questions about how to calculate the internet speed you need for your home network, please leave a comment below.