What speed do you need?
The broadband speed you get is determined by your internet connection, writes Blayne Slabbert.
Since the days of screeching dial-up connections we’ve been trying to get faster internet speeds.
The demand for more bandwidth is increasing as people spend more time streaming television shows, movies and YouTube.
People are turning to apps such as Netflix, Lightbox and Neon instead of relying on a satellite to watch their favourite shows on television.
This means you need faster internet speeds to cope with all that extra data required when streaming video.
So how much bandwidth do you need, and what is worth paying for?
All about speed
Before you find out what you need, you need to find out what you’ve got. Go to speedtest.net and measure your internet speed.
The results will show three numbers. The first is your ping (latency) measurement, which is the amount of time it takes data to travel from one computer to another on the network. The lower the number the better. Latency is really important for gaming.
The most important number for streaming video is your download speed, showing how many megabits per second (Mbs) your connection can carry. The higher the number the better.
The third figure is your upload speed, which is how fast you can upload files such as photos or videos to websites.
If you just want to check emails and do a bit of browsing on the internet, then 5 megabits per second (Mbs) is fine.
But you may find some mediaheavy websites are slow.
Trimmed down sites such as Google and Trade Me will still load quickly but others may be sluggish as all the photos and other elements load.
Netflix says 5Mbs is also the speed required for streaming highdefinition video but you’d need to expect a bit of buffering (a pause in playing while the video loads).
To get HD streaming without buffering you’ll need 15-20Mbs. That’s also what you’ll need if you want a second device streaming at the same time.
If you want to watch ultra-high definition (4K) video, then Netflix recommends 25Mbs but you’d need to expect some buffering at that speed, especially if other people in the house are streaming, too.
For seamless streaming of 4K and using multiple devices then you’ll need to be aiming for at least 70Mbs.
The speeds you get are mainly determined by what internet connection you have.
Broadband options
If you have ultrafast broadband (also known as fibre) in your street then it’s worth getting connected.
The standard version offers between 30- and 50Mbs download speeds at the same price as standard broadband.
One of the main advantages of fibre is that it offers a constant speed so it doesn’t fluctuate like older broadband connections, which also helps when several devices are streaming at the same time.
With fibre, you can pay extra to get 100Mbs, which is more than enough for the average user and it’ll mean you’ll never have to buffer even when streaming 4K video. The gigabit (1000Mbs) option is only really needed by hardcore users.
If you can’t get fibre then you have two options: ADSL (standard broadband), which uses your copper phone line, or VDSL – a faster version that uses that same connection more efficiently.
Try to get VDSL as it’s often a similar price and it offers speeds of up to 70Mbs compared to 24Mbs for ADSL.
However, these connections vary with speed and can be a lot slower depending on factors such as how far away your home is from the main connection box in your street.
The tech you need
If you want perfect streaming while watching on your television, then the best option is to have a wired connection. That means having a data cable connected to your TV and plugged into your modem.
But the chances of your home being wired are slim though you can use some existing telephone cabling but you’d need a technician to check it out. If you watch a lot of streaming television it might be worth getting cabling installed since one day all television and movies will be watched via internet streaming.
If that’s not an option, then invest in a good router, which ensures the best wi-fi signal for your home.
It’s worth getting one with two bands (2.4GHz, which is slower but has a higher range; and 5GHz, which is faster and has a shorter range). This spreads the load so some devices use one band and the rest use the other.
Kiwis are downloading nearly three times as much data as they were three years ago, and that is likely to continue rising.
Streaming video takes a big chunk of that and if that’s something you enjoy then you may need a new connection, new cabling or new router to ensure you get the speeds you need to watch your favourite show without any of that annoying buffering.
One of the main advantages of fibre is that it offers a constant speed so it doesn’t fluctuate like older broadband connections.