What is the average mbps download speed

So the best place for a router to be is somewhere centralized, away from too many obstacles like walls, furniture or metal appliances. If the router is hidden away in your bedroom closet, try moving it to the living room. Routers get outdated after many years of use as firmware standards improve and faster speeds become more readily available.

You might be limited to a slower connection type like DSL or satellite instead of fiber or cable or there might be a cap on the bandwidth you can get. According to data collected from our internet speed test , the national average internet speed is Of course, this average is always changing, and that number might not reflect your internet experience.

Mbps stands for megabits per second. Internet providers use Mbps to measure bandwidth. One megabit is a million bits, each of which is a tiny piece of data.

When your internet speed is 25 Mbps, for example, that means your connection is capable of transferring 25 megabits of data per second. The faster your internet connection is, the faster you can get your data. Because tech language is weird sometimes, a megabit Mb is not the same thing as a megabyte MB. One megabyte is actually eight megabits.

You usually use bytes to talk about file sizes and bits to talk about data transfer rates. Anything faster than 10 Mbps is a good enough internet speed for Wi-Fi, but you can have Wi-Fi with pretty much any internet speed. Just keep in mind that connecting by Wi-Fi can dilute your internet speeds due to distance, interference, or the number of devices connected to the signal. Wired Ethernet connections take better advantage of your bandwidth.

So if you have a slower internet connection, it might be better to connect your main devices with a wired connection for the best possible performance. How much internet speed do I need? Residential Start Business Start. How many people in your household work from home? What video quality do you use for streaming TV and movies?

I don't stream video HD 4K. How intensely does your household participate in online gaming? No online gaming Casual and recreational Seriously competitive Professional level. Does your household download large files from the cloud or via the internet? No Yes, occasionally Yes, frequently. Our minimum speed recommendation for you: 00 mbps. Find providers near you Enter your ZIP to see internet speeds and providers available in your area.

Search by zip code Search Providers. What is a good internet speed? Speeds under 20 Mbps take longer periods for downloads and only works best for single-user streaming. Following Alaska for the slowest Internet speeds in the country are Mississippi These states are okay for a couple of people to stay connected but are not ideal for businesses or those who are serious gamers.

Average Internet speeds and providers for any zip code can be checked on HighSpeedInternet. Hover over Click on a tile for details. Here are the 10 states with the fastest average internet speed: Maryland Fastest State. Average Internet Speed By State Show Source.

But of course, you probably don't use the internet for just one activity at a time — in fact, you probably don't even use one device at a time. You might also need higher internet speeds if you video conference or upload files often. The average internet download speed ranges from 12 to 25 Mbps. This is what most people in the US have. But there are other options: "Basic" service will go from 3 to 8 Mbps download speed, while "advanced" service will exceed 25 Mbps that's also defined as "fast internet" by the FCC.

Be aware that internet providers may have different standards for upload versus download speeds. Download speeds tend to be higher, so that's what you'll see advertised. Research both download and upload speeds to figure out your best option.

For reference, the FCC sets the minimum upload speed for fast internet at just 3 Mbps. Upload speeds usually range from 1 Mbps to 15 Mbps.

To figure out which what sort of internet speeds you'll need, you need to be aware of how you're using the internet, and how that breaks down in the grand scheme of things:. Light use: You only use the internet for basic things like email, reading news, basic video, voice calls, and music streaming. Moderate use: You use all the things included in the "Light" use category, as well as one of the following — streaming HD video, multi-party video conferencing, online gaming, or telecommuting.

High use: You do all of the things included in the "Light" use category, and more than one of the "Moderate" uses. If you plan on moderate use, you're likely going to want to go with those average speeds in the 12 to 25 Mbps range. If your household consists of a single user on one device at a time, and you fall into the moderate use category, you could probably get away with basic service speeds. On the other hand, if you have four or more users or devices at a time, or you frequently stream 4K video or transfer large files, you'd probably want to upgrade to advanced service speeds.

But even if you stick to a particular usage category, you may still wish to go for more speed to gain more freedom in the way you use the internet.