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HOLIDAY 2017

11

How much speed you need depends on your answers

Questions to AskWhen

Picking an Internet Plan

T

here’s no single “best speed” when

it comes to internet service, which

is why choosing a plan can be confusing.

The speeds that work fine for your

neighbor might not be even close to what

your household needs, since there are

many factors to consider and differences

in how people use the internet.

To help you figure out the best internet

plan for you, answer these questions:

What are your current download

and upload speeds?

Download speed is the speed at which

you can get information from the web to

your device. Upload speed is the speed

at which you can send information from

your device to the web.

You can test your internet speed for free

at

www.speedtest.net

. That way, you’ll

know where you are now with your

internet connection.

How many internet-connected

devices do you have in your home?

Add up all the computers, tablets,

smartphones, smart TVs, Blu-ray disc

players, video game consoles, streaming

media devices, and smart home moni-

toring/automation equipment you use.

According to survey results released by

Pew Research in May 2017, the typical

(median) American household contains

five of them, and nearly one-in-five

American households are “hyper-con-

nected,” meaning they contain 10 or

more of these devices.

The more devices you have, the more band-

width/speed you need. Since bandwidth is

shared by every user and device connected

to your home network, multiple online

demands going on simultaneously will

require an internet plan with speeds at

the higher end of the spectrum. Remem-

ber, even background processes like

software updates use your bandwidth.

How do you use the internet?

If you only have a desktop computer

that’s used to check email and surf the

net, then a relatively slower internet

connection (such as 10 Mbps) may suf-

fice. However, if you have a family of

several people simultaneously using your

internet connection for data-intensive

activities—such as streaming HD video

and music, online gaming, sharing photos

and videos online, video chat, and cloud

storage—then you’re probably going to

be happiest with speeds in roughly the

50-200+ Mbps range.

What are your internet

performance expectations?

Let’s say you only occasionally watch

videos online. In this case, you may be

willing to tolerate slow load times and

buffering. But if streaming HD movies is

a cherished part of your routine, you’ll

be frustrated by slow speeds and the

annoying lag that comes with them.

Make sure the internet speed you

choose is in line with the value you

place on internet performance quality.

Do family members or

houseguests complain about

your internet connection?

If your answer to this question is

“Yes,” it’s a sign that you might need

more bandwidth/speed. However, it’s

important to note that other factors

can also negatively impact your inter-

net performance.

For example, if your wireless router is

outdated, you may not be getting the

speed you expect from your plan. Some

older routers have a speed cap limiting

the maximum internet speed possible.

Replacing your router may be all that’s

necessary to get the speed you need to

keep everybody happy.