Speed Basics
What is a Good Internet Speed in 2025?
Speed requirements by use case: streaming, gaming, WFH, video calls, and multi-device households.
Speed Guide
Everything you need to understand and improve your internet connection.
Featured Guide
The Complete Guide to Internet Speed: What the Numbers Actually Mean
Understand download speed, upload speed, ping, jitter, and what they mean for streaming, gaming, working from home, and everyday browsing. Includes targets for every use case.
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Quick Guides
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Troubleshooting
10 Ways to Fix Slow Internet Speed
Step-by-step fixes from restarting your router to upgrading DNS, from WiFi optimisation to calling your ISP.
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Gaming
Internet Speed for Online Gaming: Ping vs Speed
Why ping matters more than speed for gaming, what targets to aim for, and how to reduce latency.
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Streaming
What Speed Do You Need for Netflix, YouTube & 4K?
Minimum and recommended speeds for every streaming platform and video quality from SD to 8K.
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Home Network
WiFi vs Ethernet: When It Actually Matters
The real speed and latency difference between WiFi and wired connections, and when to use each.
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Connectivity
4G vs 5G vs Broadband: Which is Fastest?
Real-world speed comparison between mobile data and home broadband, with use case recommendations.
The Complete Internet Speed Guide
Understanding Mbps
Mbps stands for Megabits per second. Note: bits, not bytes. Since there are 8 bits in a byte, a 100 Mbps connection gives you around 12.5 MB/s (megabytes per second) of file download speed. When you see a file download size like "500 MB", divide by your MB/s speed to estimate how long it'll take.
Speed Targets by Use Case
| Use Case | Minimum | Recommended | Ping |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web browsing / email | 1 Mbps | 10 Mbps | Any |
| HD video streaming | 5 Mbps | 25 Mbps | <100ms |
| 4K streaming | 25 Mbps | 50 Mbps | <80ms |
| Video calls (Zoom) | 1.5 Mbps ↕ | 10 Mbps ↕ | <50ms |
| Online gaming | 3 Mbps | 10 Mbps | <20ms |
| Working from home | 10 Mbps | 50 Mbps | <50ms |
| Smart home (5+ devices) | 50 Mbps | 200 Mbps+ | Any |
Top 5 Reasons Your Speed is Slow
- WiFi interference — walls, microwaves, and neighbouring networks all degrade signal
- Outdated router — older routers can't handle modern internet speeds
- Network congestion — peak hours (evenings) mean shared bandwidth with neighbours
- Background processes — updates, cloud sync, and streaming on other devices eat bandwidth
- ISP throttling — some ISPs reduce speeds for certain types of traffic or after usage caps