What speeds do I need to access the content I want, e.g. video games, Netflix?
Here are the recommended connection speeds for many popular Internet activities. If you are doing multiple things at once online or sharing a connection with multiple computers, then these recommended speeds may not be enough. All speeds are provided in the Speedtest.net default of Mbps (megabits per second).
Netflix
- Recommended broadband connection speed: 1.5 Mbps download
- For HD quality: 5.0 Mbps download
(source: Netflix Help)
YouTube
- Recommended: at least 0.5 Mbps download
YouTube offers several quality levels for videos. The lower numbers (360p) indicate that the video is smaller and uses less bandwidth, but is also less detailed. The more detailed the video (480p, 720p, or 1080p), the more bandwidth it takes to stream. Choose the highest video quality that allows you to stream without repeated stops and starts.
(source: YouTube Help)
Hulu
- Recommended: at least 1.5 Mbps download
Hulu also offers several different quality levels for different connection speeds. Using the gear icon, you can tell Hulu to auto-select the best quality for your bandwidth.
(source: Hulu Help)
Online Video Games
- Recommended: a low ping (less than 100 ms)
For playing video games online, download and upload don’t matter as much as ping, which measures how responsive your connection is. The lower the ping to servers and other players, the less lag you will have in your game. To lower ping, connect your computer to the router using ethernet instead of Wi-Fi, and avoid downloading/uploading files while playing games.
Spotify
- Recommended (standard quality on web and desktop, high quality on mobile): 0.15 Mbps
(source: Spotify FAQ)