How Fast Does My Internet Need to Be?

With internet providers advertising speeds of 2 gig, 5 gig, or even 10 gig, many people assume they need the fastest plan available. But in reality, speed isn’t the most important factor in your internet experience. Instead, you should focus on latency, upload speed, and—most importantly—the quality of your networking equipment.

What Does Bandwidth Really Mean?

When you pay for a 1-gig or 2-gig internet plan, that number doesn’t actually refer to how fast your connection is. Instead, it represents how much data can be downloaded at one time—similar to the number of lanes on a highway.

Think of bandwidth like a highway:

• A 1-gig plan is like a highway with a single lane that allows traffic (data) to flow at a steady pace.

• A 10-gig plan is like a 10-lane highway, allowing more cars to move at once.

• But just because you have 10 lanes doesn’t mean the speed limit increases. If traffic is light (you don’t have many devices streaming or downloading large files), you might not need all those extra lanes.

How Much Bandwidth Do You Really Need?

Here’s a breakdown of how much bandwidth some common services actually use:

Activity	Bandwidth Needed
Zoom or Teams Video Call (HD)	2–3 Mbps
Zoom or Teams Call (1080p HD)	3.8 Mbps
Netflix (Standard HD)	3–5 Mbps
Netflix (4K UHD)	15–25 Mbps
YouTube (1080p)	5–8 Mbps
YouTube (4K)	20–25 Mbps
Online Gaming (PC/Console)	3–6 Mbps (low latency needed)
Xbox/PlayStation Game Download	40–100+ GB per game (high bandwidth helps here)
Web Browsing, Email, Music Streaming	1–5 Mbps
Security Cameras (per 1080p stream)	2–6 Mbps (upload)

Even if your entire household is streaming, gaming, and video calling at the same time, most families won’t need more than 300–500 Mbps of bandwidth to support everything.

The Hidden Culprits: Latency & Upload Speeds

For things like video calls, remote work, and online gaming, low latency (the delay in sending/receiving data) and solid upload speeds are far more important than just download speed.

For example:

• A 2-gig plan with high latency or poor equipment might make Zoom calls glitchy.

• A 300 Mbps plan with a clean signal and solid upload speed will likely perform better.

The Real Bottleneck: Latency & Upload Speeds

For activities like gaming, video calls, and working from home, latency (the delay between sending and receiving data) and upload speed matter more than raw bandwidth. Even with a 10-gig plan, if your network has high latency or poor upload speeds, your experience will suffer.

The Most Important Factor: Your Network Equipment

The biggest mistake people make is assuming their internet speed is the only factor affecting performance. Your router and Wi-Fi setup determine how well your internet actually performs inside your home.

Most ISP-provided routers are basic at best. To truly get the most out of your internet, you need enterprise-grade or professional-grade networking equipment.

The best setup includes:

• A fiber-optic connection for reliable, high-speed internet.

• At least a 1-gig plan, which is more than enough for most homes.

• A enterprise-grade router and separate wireless access points (WAPs) to distribute Wi-Fi efficiently throughout the house.

At a minimum, I recommend using Eero Pro 6 or Eero Pro 7 systems for reliable whole-home coverage. However, for homes with higher demands—such as 4K/8K streaming, heavy gaming, or multiple smart home devices—we provide even more advanced solutions that ensure seamless performance.

Bottom Line

Instead of chasing the highest bandwidth your provider offers, save the extra money each month and focus on quality equipment, fiber internet, and proper network setup. That’s how you get the best possible experience—whether you’re working, gaming, streaming, or running a smart home.

If you’re ready to optimize your internet experience, we can help design and install a network that works flawlessly for your home or business. Contact us at Executive Technology Group to get started!

Schedule a Free Network Assessment