What Is a Good Download Speed and Upload Speed?

Having fast and reliable internet is more important than ever in our increasingly digital world. But with so many factors affecting internet speeds, it can be confusing to know what constitutes a "good" download and upload speed. Keep reading as I break down internet speeds, factors affecting them, and provide tips to troubleshoot slow connections.

What is Considered a Good Download Speed?

Download speed refers to how fast you can pull data from the internet to your device. This affects activities like loading websites, streaming movies, downloading files, video chatting, and online gaming.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) currently defines broadband as internet with download speeds of at least 25 Mbps. However, many experts consider that too low for a quality internet experience today.

For perspective, here are some common online activities and the recommended download speeds:

• Browsing, email, social media: 5-25 Mbps
• Streaming HD video: 25+ Mbps
• Video conferencing: 1-4 Mbps per stream
• Online gaming: 15-50 Mbps
• Downloading files/media: 50+ Mbps

For a household with several connected devices running simultaneously, the FCC recommends download speeds of at least 100 Mbps. Verizon Fios suggests speeds of 200-400 Mbps for three or more 4K streamers.

Bottom line: For smooth performance with multiple users/devices, aim for download speeds of at least 100 Mbps. Faster is better if you can get it.

What Makes for a Good Upload Speed?

Upload speed determines how fast you can send data from your device to others over the internet. This affects video calls, gaming, and sharing large files through email or cloud services.

Most home internet plans prioritize download over upload speeds. But with remote work and learning so prominent, fast upload is increasingly vital.

Here are some common upload speed requirements:

• Email, web browsing, social media: 1-5 Mbps
• HD video call: 4-8 Mbps
• Online gaming: 3-15 Mbps
• Sharing large files: 10+ Mbps

The FCC suggests upload speeds of at least 20 Mbps to meet a household‘s needs. For optimal performance, aim for at least 25-50 Mbps.

Why Download Speed Matters More For Most People

For typical residential use, download speed is the most important factor for a few reasons:

• Consuming online content: People spend more time streaming movies and videos than uploading their own. Fast downloads enable smooth streaming.

• Web browsing and social media: You‘ll download far more data viewing websites and apps than you‘ll upload interacting with them. Quick downloads make pages load faster.

• Multiplayer gaming: Fast downloads provide smooth, uninterrupted game play. Uploads mainly transmit your in-game actions to other players.

• Smart home devices: Internet-connected devices like cameras, thermostats and assistants require hefty downloads but minimal uploads.

If your main uses are entertainment, shopping, social media and web surfing, download speed should be your priority. But for work-from-home and other upload-heavy tasks, upload speed matters too.

When Upload Speed Becomes More Important

While downloads take priority for most, here are some cases where upload speed matters just as much:

• Video calls and conferencing: Smooth video requires fast symmetrical bandwidth to both upload your video feed and download others‘.

• Cloud storage/backup: Uploading large files to cloud servers depends heavily on upload speed.

• Gaming livestreams: Streaming your gameplay requires strong, steady upload bandwidth.

• Web and video hosting: Anyone hosting websites, videos, podcasts or other content relies on fast uploads.

• Working remotely: Uploading/sharing large documents and files for work necessitates solid upload speeds.

If you regularly use your internet connection for any of those tasks, upload speed should be a top priority too.

Download vs. Upload Speeds: How Do They Compare?

Most home internet plans are asymmetric, meaning download and upload speeds differ significantly. Here are some typical home internet speed tiers from major providers:

• Xfinity cable internet offers download speeds from 50 – 1200+ Mbps but uploads of just 5 – 35 Mbps.

• Verizon Fios fiber advertises 100 – 940 Mbps downloads with uploads of 100 – 880 Mbps.

• Viasat satellite internet claims download speeds of 12 – 200+ Mbps but uploads of just 3 – 20 Mbps.

• T-Mobile 5G home internet offers 50 – 182 Mbps down and 6 – 23 Mbps up.

Fiber optic connections can deliver symmetrical speeds with equal downloads and uploads. Cable, DSL, fixed wireless and satellite offer much higher downloads compared to uploads.

Aim for services marketed as "gigabit internet" if you want matchy upload and download metrics. Gigabit refers to maximum speeds of at least 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps).

Key Factors That Determine Internet Speeds

Many technical factors influence your real-world internet speeds. Here are some of the most impactful:

1. Your Internet Service Provider

Your ISP and the infrastructure they use greatly affect speeds. These include:

• Connection type: Fiber optic and cable typically offer faster speeds than DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite.

• Network capacity: More users competing for bandwidth can slow speeds during peak congestion.

• Distance to network: Living further from network equipment may mean slower service.

• Throttling practices: Some ISPs intentionally slow speeds during peak times.

So your location, service type and ISP policies all influence speed capabilities. Higher-tier plans with your provider usually deliver faster rates too.

2. Your Network Equipment

Your Wi-Fi router, devices and connections impact your speeds:

• Router model/age: Newer routers with 802.11ac or Wi-Fi 6 support faster speeds. Older routers may underperform.

• Distance/obstructions: Being farther from the router or having objects blocking the signal slows Wi-Fi speeds.

• Bandwidth congestion: More devices connected to your network consume bandwidth and can hamper speeds.

• Ethernet vs. WiFi: Ethernet cables provide faster, more reliable speeds than wireless networks.

Upgrading your router or switching some devices to wired connections can help maximize speeds.

3. Device Capabilities

Your computer, phone or other device‘s hardware and software determine how fast it can process data:

• Hardware: Newer devices tend to have faster Wi-Fi radios and ethernet ports to support faster internet capabilities.

• Operating system: Some systems manage network connectivity better. Make sure your OS and drivers are updated.

• Browser: Some browsers process and display web content faster. Chrome and Firefox tend to be snappier than older versions of Internet Explorer.

• Activity usage: Video streaming, gaming or VPN use require more bandwidth than simple web browsing, so adjust speeds accordingly.

4. Website/Server Factors

Issues beyond your network can affect speeds:

• Server location: Accessing distant servers leads to slower response times due to physical latency.

• Time of day: Websites and services often experience more congestion and throttling during busy evening hours when traffic spikes. Off-peak times may be faster.

• Site optimization: Some sites are heavier, with more ads trackers and multimedia content slowing page loads.

Tips for Faster Speeds at Home

If your internet isn‘t as fast as you would like, try these tips:

• Restart equipment: Restart your modem, router and devices regularly to clear any glitches.

• Update equipment firmware: Make sure your modem and router firmware is updated to the latest version for performance improvements.

• Limit bandwidth congestion: Reduce the number of devices connected to Wi-Fi so there‘s more bandwidth available per device. Close any unused apps too.

• Try a wired connection: For stationary devices like desktop PCs or smart TVs, use ethernet cables instead of WiFi for the fastest, most stable connection.

• Adjust router placement: If using Wi-Fi, make sure your router is centrally placed in an elevated location away from objects that could cause interference.

• Dual-band routers: Use 5GHz Wi-Fi instead of 2.4GHz for faster speeds. Dual-band routers support both spectrums.

• Upgrade your plan: Contact your ISP about plans offering faster upload and download speeds to better suit your usage.

• Test alternate providers: Check availability from other ISPs like fiber or cable providers which may offer faster speeds in your area.

• Get a VPN: A VPN can help avoid network congestion and throttling by encryption traffic. See the fastest VPNs here.

How to Check Your Internet Speeds

The easiest way to check your real-world download and upload speeds is to run a speed test. Speedtest.net and Fast.com offer quick, easy tests.

For the most accurate results:

• Close other programs and tabs to ensure nothing else is using bandwidth during the test.

• Use a wired connection if possible, for the most reliable speeds.

• Run multiple tests at different times of day to account for fluctuations.

• Compare results from different speed test services, as they use different methodologies.

• Test on different devices on your network to confirm speeds are consistent.

Ideally, your speed test results should align closely with the download and upload rates advertised by your ISP. Major discrepancies indicate an issue limiting your speeds.

If your speeds are much lower than expected, contact your provider to troubleshoot potential problems.

Final Thoughts on Internet Speed Requirements

With so many factors affecting internet performance, it can be hard to define what makes a universally "good" speed. But for smooth streaming, downloads, conferencing and other modern demands, experts recommend aiming for:

• Download: At least 100 Mbps for households with multiple users/devices. Even faster is better for serious media streamers and gamers.

• Upload: 20 Mbps or more for seamless video calls, online backups and work-from-home activities requiring large uploads.

Symmetrical download and upload speeds are ideal but not widely available to homes yet. If your connection falls short of those benchmarks, try the tweaks above to optimize your network. And consider upgrading to faster internet if available.

With a few adjustments, you can troubleshoot internet slowdowns and maximize your download and upload speeds. Just be sure to choose a plan rated for the performance your household needs.