Frequently Asked Questions
What is download speed?
Download speed measures how quickly data travels from the internet to your device. It affects everyday activities such as browsing websites, streaming videos, downloading files, loading apps, installing game updates and watching online content. A higher download speed usually means pages load faster and video streams are less likely to buffer.
For general browsing and email, around 10 Mbps can be enough for one person. HD streaming usually needs around 5 to 10 Mbps per stream, while 4K streaming often works best at 25 Mbps or more. Larger households with several people streaming, gaming or working at the same time may benefit from 100 Mbps or higher.
What is upload speed?
Upload speed measures how quickly data can be sent from your device to the internet. It matters when sending large files, backing up photos or videos, uploading content to social media, using cloud storage, hosting livestreams and joining video calls. If your upload speed is low, outgoing video may look blurry or files may take much longer to send.
For basic use, a few Mbps of upload speed may be enough. For reliable video calls, remote working and cloud backups, 5 to 10 Mbps is more comfortable. Creators, streamers and people regularly uploading large files may want much higher upload speeds.
What is ping?
Ping, also called latency, measures the time it takes for data to travel from your device to a server and back again. It is measured in milliseconds. A lower ping means your connection responds more quickly, which is especially important for online gaming, video calls, remote desktop access and other real-time services.
A ping below 30 ms is usually excellent, 30 to 60 ms is generally good, and 60 to 100 ms may still be usable for many tasks. Very high ping can make games feel delayed, cause video calls to lag and make interactive websites feel less responsive.
Read the full guide to ping.
What is jitter?
Jitter measures how much your ping changes from one moment to the next. A connection can have a good average ping but still feel unstable if the ping keeps jumping up and down. High jitter can cause audio dropouts, video call glitches, gaming lag spikes and inconsistent streaming quality.
Low jitter is important for real-time communication. A stable connection with low jitter often feels better than a connection with a very high download speed but unstable latency. If your jitter is high, try using a wired Ethernet connection, moving closer to your Wi-Fi router or reducing other network activity during calls or gaming.
Read the full guide to jitter.
How can I improve Wi-Fi speed?
Slow Wi-Fi can be caused by distance from the router, thick walls, interference, old equipment, router placement or too many devices using the connection at once. Try moving closer to the router, using Ethernet for important devices, restarting your router and reducing background downloads.
Read the full Wi-Fi improvement guide.
What internet speed do I need?
The speed you need depends on how many people and devices share your connection. For one person browsing, emailing and watching occasional HD video, 25 Mbps can be enough. For families, shared houses or homes with multiple TVs, consoles, phones and laptops, 100 Mbps or more will usually feel smoother.
Online gaming does not usually need a huge download speed, but it does benefit from low ping and low jitter. Video calls need both download and upload speed. If you work from home, upload large files, use cloud storage or stream live video, upload speed becomes much more important.
Read the full internet speed guide.