If you're unfamiliar with how “bits” relate to your internet or why they are “Mega” or why we care how many can occur in a second, you may find it difficult to choose between different speeds in Spectrum Internet plans. We’ve got you covered with this post about how to ensure that you’ve picked the best Spectrum Internet plan for you.
Here, we detail some of the aspects of service you should consider before selecting your new no-contract Spectrum Internet plan or upgrading your connection to the next level. These considerations include what Internet speed actually entails and how many devices you plan to have connected to your Internet connection.
- Why Spectrum Internet Speed Matters
- What Should I Consider When Picking Internet Speeds?
- How Can I Tell if My Internet Speed Isn’t Fast Enough?
- What Can I Do if I Need Faster Internet?
- Spectrum Internet Speed FAQ
Why Spectrum Internet Speed Matters
For the short answer: your Spectrum Internet speed matters because higher speeds (more Mbps) help you do more things online at the same time.
For example, on a Spectrum Internet plan that provides you with 500 Mbps connection speeds, you could probably stream 4K video while playing an online game.
However, if you find yourself in a situation where one household member is watching 4K video content, another is playing an intense online video game, and still another is videoconferencing with their whole department for work… you’ll want to consider a higher Internet speed like Spectrum Internet Ultra.
For the long answer: “Mbps” stands for “Megabits per second.”
At the base of this initialization is the word “bits,” which indicates tiny units of data consumed when you do anything online.
“Mega” indicates how many bits we’re talking about, which is one million in this case.
Therefore, Mbps tells us how many millions of bits of data an internet connection can process at any given time.
So, for example, Spectrum Internet can manage 500 Mbps (or million bits of data per second). The more data your internet can handle, the more activities you can do simultaneously online.
Here’s an example breakdown, sorted by speed:
| Speed | 10 Mbps | 25 Mbps | 500 Mbps | 500 Mbps | 1 Gig |
| Potential Activities of a Single User | Casually surf the web while checking emails | Stream HD video content | Stream 4K video content while playing competitive game online | Stream 4K video content while playing competitive game online and videoconferencing with a large group | Let multiple people stream 4K content, play online, videoconference with large groups and transfer large files at the same time |
When you start thinking about what speed of internet you’re looking for, remember that multiple people in the home means that multiple instances of data consumption may be occurring at the same time.
So, if you have a family of four and each person has their own preferred manner of using the internet for work or entertainment, you must consider that these family members might want to do all of these activities at the same time.
For the best consistent experience of your internet, choose a speed that can accommodate the needs of all family members, even if those needs are simultaneous.
Bottom line: plan for the number of devices and users you believe will be consuming data all at once on your Spectrum Internet connection before picking the plan that’s right for you. You can check out Spectrum Internet plans here to get started!
What Should I Consider When Picking Internet Speeds?
Once again, you will want to consider how the members of your household will use the Internet. This includes anything that requires even a tiny bit of Internet connection, like opening a simple two-line email. Here are some questions you might consider:
- Is there anyone who likes to stream only the best 4K quality movies?
- Is there a competitive online gamer in the house?
- Does your home’s designated cook prefer to stream music from the web while they prepare meals?
- Is anyone working or schooling from home? How will they need the Internet to communicate with teams or instructors?
These are examples of pertinent questions to ask yourself before you commit to a Spectrum Internet plan. Now, here’s another aspect of Internet usage for you to factor into your choice: do you have any smart home devices hooked up? These include (but are not limited to):
- Lights
- Appliances
- Thermostats
- Security cameras or other surveillance devices
- Google or Alexa speakers
- And more!
Although these smart home devices require varying amounts of data, they must still be accounted for if you want your smart device to work alongside the activities your household members likely intend to use. Check up on the average data needs of your family members’ favorite activities along with your smart home devices. Add up those general data amounts for an estimate of how fast you’ll need your Internet to be.
How Can I Tell If My Internet Speed Isn’t Fast Enough?
Although one possible solution to your Internet woes is to increase your connection speeds, it bears noting that there may be many reasons for why your Internet may not be performing to the ideal standard. Some potential clues that might tell you that you may need a faster Spectrum Internet plan include:
- Your Internet works beautifully if you’re alone in your home, but slows to a crawl once others are in the house using their devices.
- In the hope that someone will at least get the Internet they need, you find yourself planning your device usage around the usage of others in your home.
- You’re thinking of implementing a rule that no one can use the Internet while you’re trying to videoconference from home for work.
- You seem to be one smart home device away from disqualifying all of your home’s devices from consistent Internet service.
This is, of course, not an exclusive list of options which might indicate to you that your Internet needs updating.
What Can I Do If I Need Faster Internet?
Before you consider upgrading you Spectrum Internet plan, you can certainly investigate a few other aspects of Internet management. These include adjusting device placement, renewing your WiFi password or updating your router.
Read up on ways to improve your Internet speeds if you’d like to know more about how you can investigate slowdown causes on your Internet connection.
If you’ve looked into other possible causes for slowdowns and you’re still experiencing slow speeds, it might be time to look into your next Spectrum Internet plan! Call the number above or visit our Spectrum Internet page to see what your options are.