Internet speed guides

Short, practical guides that explain what your speed test numbers mean and what to do about them.

How much speed do you need?

• How many Mbps do I need?A simple guide by household size and what you do online.
• What internet speed do you need for 4K streaming?Netflix and YouTube figures, and why we use 25 Mbps.
• What internet speed do you need for Zoom and Teams calls?Zoom and Teams figures, and why upload and jitter matter.
• What internet speed do you need for online gaming?Why ping, jitter and bufferbloat matter more than Mbps.

Understanding the numbers

• What is a good ping?Ping ranges from excellent to poor, and what lowers yours.
• What is bufferbloat, and how do you fix it?Why a fast connection still lags when it is busy, and how to fix it.
• What is jitter in internet speed?Why a steady ping matters more than a low ping that jumps around.
• Mbps vs MB/s: what is the difference?Bits vs bytes, with a conversion table and download times.
• Download vs upload speed: what is the difference?Why plans are lopsided, and who really needs upload speed.

Fix it and compare

• Why is my internet slower than I pay for?The usual reasons, and a fair test to run before you call.
• Why is my Wi-Fi slow? Nine fixes that actually helpFind out if Wi-Fi is the problem, then fix it in order of effort.
• Why do speed tests give different results?Why two tests disagree, and how to compare them fairly.

Ping, lag and gaming

• What ping is good for gaming?Ping targets by game type, from shooters to strategy games.
• What is considered high ping?Where lag starts, and what usually causes it.
• How to lower your ping: 8 fixes that workCable, server choice, busy networks, VPNs and bufferbloat.
• How to check your pingOn Windows, Mac, phones and in games.
• Ping vs latency: what is the difference?Ping, latency, jitter, packet loss and bandwidth in plain words.
• What is packet loss?Signs, causes and a simple way to check it.

Wi-Fi, cables and slowdowns

• Wi-Fi vs Ethernet: which is better?When a cable is worth it, and when Wi-Fi is fine.
• 2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz Wi-Fi: which should you use?Range, speed and crowding, and how to choose.
• Cat5e vs Cat6 Ethernet cable: which do you need?What each supports, and how to check the cable you have.
• Why is my internet slow at night?How to tell if it is your home, your Wi-Fi or your provider.
• Why is my upload speed so slow?Normal lopsided plans, and the fixable causes.
• Does a VPN slow down your internet?What to expect, why, and how to measure it fairly.