What 'speed' should I get for my high speed internet service?

Question

Will I really notice a big difference if I get a 500kbps instead of the 4Mbps. How about if I got the 4Mbps instead of the 6Mbps.

My cable company charges different monthly rates depending on what speed internet you choose, so I'm trying to save the most money w/out feeling like I've slowed down from what I'm used to, which is currently 6Mbps.

Any advice? Thanks!

Answer 1

NOTE to the GUY ABOVE, DELLPRO you said "In most local libraries, you can get 100mbps (I'm just saying)"

You cant get a 100mbps connection to the internet, its highly impossible and not even invented yet. the 100mbps is the network the computers are on, the ethernet card in almost any machine has a 100mbps capability, but thats for local networks, thats not how fast you are connected to the web.

For the average home user, it goes about like this...


For sending emails, browsing the web
100kbps-1000kbps

For music download or streaming video or website building/publishing
1000kbps-4000kbps (4000kbps = 4mbps)

For the highest end applications and if you do a lot of major online stuff you should go with the 6mbps which is 6000kbps.

Note: All internet companies advertise a set speed they can give you, and generally speaking the speed you actually get is about 7/8ths of what they tell you, due to network traffic and caps on your network card and the box they send you.


500kbps is perfect for someone who just wants to browse the web and look at things and send email... It will cost much less, and will work just fine...

Just because you have a highly fast internet does not mean pages will load quicker, any webpage has a certian amount of data in it, and generally speaking there are not many pages which have more than 500kbps...


You cant go wrong if you get the 4mbps. You would be able to do voice online and webcam etc...

Answer 2

Your parents may have wasted their youths, just in front of a different screen. You can talk back to this one, that's all. You can't give up the internet in this age. It's simply misguided to think you can, unless you live in the outback. You're also more likely to find something to pique your interest, make you listen, inspired or cry in this magical world where a billion people can effortlessly connect for the price of a modem. Just think, you are more powerful than Hitler, Roosevelt, Churchill, Genghis Khan, Christopher Columbus, Henry VIII and Queen Victoria put together. They couldn't discover almost the entirety of human history from the comfort of home. That being said, I recently switched to a writing course, and I found it hard to stay off the internet. I had to read a lot more than usual, and I felt I became more intelligent because of it. It really informed my writing. If I were you, I'd just stay off the soul-crushing Facebook and the other places that make you want to rip the internet to shreds. Try making things. You don't always have to be the consumer of media or products; if you keep the internet and can - ration? - yourself so you don't have to take a hissy fit with the keyboard when you feel unfulfilled, you can feel good and maybe even squeeze out some enjoyment. I recommend writing short stories, but if you've spent enough time on the computer to get pissed off, it sounds like you may be more visually minded. Short films might be your thing. If you're more into craft, do carvings and ****, all you need is a fist of wood and a whittling knife. I admire your intentions, but it sounds like too much of a crash diet to do without a big shake up in your life.

Answer 3

Another option you may not have considered... Assuming you goal is to Save Money...

Since you have fast access now... Why not use it for more then surfing...

Do you still have a regular phone line in your home? If so, what is it costing you monthly $$.

You could switch to a VOIP (Voice [phone] over Internet) service like Vonage (best known) or some other one. Vonage is about $25 per month.

That's what I did back in Jan 2004. That was how I could afford my cable internet.

Just a thought...

Answer 4

lol... my Telus internet company told me that my 6 MB is like @ 700 KPS normal dl speed. so your getting quite a good speed as it is. But if you need faster just go buy a new router... make sure no other computer is using your wireless signal if your on a wireless connection... or the simplest thing to do would be to go buy a new computer and make sure you don't load up the HD or else it might sorta lag your surfing. Only go for a faster connection speed if you dl lots of huge files and you need it like fast.. or else it's just a waste

Answer 5

If you go from 6 Mbps to 500 Kbps, you're going to see a HUGE difference, if you downgrade from 6 Mbps to 4 Mbps, you won't see that much of a difference in browsing, mostly downloading files.

Answer 6

It depends on what you do on the internet. If you hardly ever download files, then going down to even 500K, you probably won't notice a huge difference.

Personally, I wouldn't go below 1.5Mbps. I guess it depends on how much you REALLY want to save.

Answer 7

It really depends on your needs. If you are going to stream video from the Internet to your computer then 6Mbps is reasonable. However, if you just occassionly download songs from iTune or surfing the Internet then you don't need the extra speed.

Answer 8

I have the standard 56K Dial-up modem. I recommend you get something like 500kbps. In most local libraries, you can get 100mbps (I'm just saying). 500kbps is really fast. But if you get Verizon. www.verizon.com. It has 700 something kbps.