Internet Speed Test

Choosing the fastest broadband internet plan can seem like an overwhelming process with so many options, each with their own features, benefits and incentives. We've broken down five key factors to consider when deciding which broadband plan is best for your home: Speed A casual internet user who checks email or surfs the web may not need the fastest internet speeds, but balancing Zoom work meetings, internet gaming and streaming movies and TV eats up bandwidth quickly. All of the plans in our rating above include internet speeds of 1 Gbps or higher, but knowing whether you need one, two, or even five gigs can be hard to tell. Your need for speed is not only affected by the number of people in your household, but also by how many devices each person uses. Most people have between two and five internet devices, which means that each person should have between 50 and 100 Mbps for basic web browsing, email, social networking and video streaming. If one is a serious gamer or live streamer, share large files or enjoy streaming 4k movies, they may need even higher speeds – in the 250 to 500 Mbps range. A household of four could easily enjoy speeds between 1,000 and 2,000 Mbps. Connection type Another key factor to consider is the type of connection that brings the internet to your home. For high-speed internet above 1 Gbps, you will need to find an ISP that offers fiber optic connections in your area. Fiber allows significantly higher speeds than other types of connections and allows for symmetrical download and upload speeds. Symmetrical speeds mean you'll enjoy the same download and upload speeds, and remain especially important for live streamers or those sharing large files. Fiber coverage is available through several providers, including Google Fiber, Verizon Fios, Comcast's Xfinity, and AT&T. It's most common to find fiber in dense urban areas, but all of these companies are expanding coverage to more rural areas every day. Cable Internet (using a coaxial connection) usually cannot reach a maximum speed of more than 1 Gbps, but you will find many providers that offer speeds of 1 Gbps via a fiber connection. This is great for anyone who not only needs high download speeds, but doesn't need matching upload speeds. Coverage area The third factor to consider when determining the best high-speed internet for your home is to find out what coverage areas you live in. This will likely also determine the speeds and types of connections you have available, so customers may want to consider all of these factors at the same time when looking for the best plan. In fact, most high-speed Internet providers, especially those that offer fiber connections, have a small monopoly on different regions. Verizon Fios dominates New England, while Google Fiber offers hotspots in cities like Austin, Kansas City, and Atlanta, but virtually nowhere else in the US. Most ISPs will offer a page on their site where you enter your address or zip code to find out what type of service (if any) they offer in your area. Customer reviews Once you've found a few companies and checked out their different high-speed plan options, we strongly recommend reading customer reviews on sites like Google, the Better Business Bureau, and Consumer Affairs. Keep in mind that customer reviews can often overemphasize negative feedback because happy customers aren't as inclined to write reviews. We recommend reading 2, 3 and 4 star reviews. Another great way to find out about ISPs available in your area is to talk to your friends and neighbors who live nearby. This can be a great way to find out which ISPs are good and bad and what types of speeds and connections you can expect. Benefits and incentives If you've narrowed it down to a few companies but still aren't sure how to decide, check out what benefits and incentives each company has to offer. It's common for companies to offer discounts or free access to various streaming services like Disney+, Hulu, and HBOMax. Other companies like Verizon and AT&T offer discounts if you bundle your service with their cell phone plans. Finally, some cable internet providers like Cox give you discounts if you bundle cable TV with your internet service. In addition to these kinds of packages, you should regularly check what other types of promotions each company offers. Some will have registration discounts at certain times of the year, while others may offer discounted or free high-end equipment.

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