How Much Internet Speed ​​Do You Really Need Nowadays?

When we activate a new Internet connection we are often unaware of the real “weight” of the connection that was sold to us: will the speed promised by the telephone operator be felt in daily use or are we just wasting money? Were we right to choose an FTTC instead of a FTTH? Is ADSL still sufficient for modern services?

In the following guide we will try to answer all the questions posed, showing you how much Internet speed we really need to navigate and to access certain servicesso that we can immediately know if the connection we have activated will be sufficient for the years to come or we will have to upgrade to higher technologies as soon as possible.

READ ALSO -> Internet speed test for Windows 10 and 11 (upload and download)

1) Number of connected devices and family members

The first question we must ask ourselves is how many devices will we connect to the home Internet network? This question is essential to understand if the Internet line in our possession is sufficient to provide a decent speed to any connected device.

A hint about speed based on the number of devices can be seen in the following bulleted list:

• up to 5 devices: almeno 25 Mbps in download, 10 Mbps in upload;
• up to 10 devices: almeno 35 Mbps in download, 10 Mbps in upload;
• up to 15 devices: almeno 50 Mbps in download, 15 Mbps in upload;
• up to 20 devices: almeno 100 Mbps in download, 20 Mbps in upload;
• more than 20 devices: oltre 100 Mbps in download, 20 Mbps in upload.

Obviously those who live alone have an advantage, given that whatever the maximum speed is, he will have it all for himself and for his devices; speeches change radically if at least two people live in the house or we have to connect the devices of an entire family!

Combining the information seen in the previous list we can also obtain the recommended speed for families:

• 2 people: almeno 50 Mbps in download, 10 Mbps in upload;
• 3 people: almeno 100 Mbps in download, 15 Mbps in upload;
• 4 people: almeno 200 Mbps in download, 20 Mbps in upload;
• 5 people or more: almeno 500 Mbps in download, 100 Mbps in upload.

Considering that Italian families are made up of an average of 2.3 peoplethe average speed we need to get from a decent internet line is between 50 and 100 Mbps for download and at least 10 Mbps for upload.

The larger the family, the faster the Internet must begiven the exponential increase of connected devices.

2) Speed ​​required by Internet services

Another aspect not to be underestimated is the type of Internet services that are used on a daily basis: Having 10 devices that are only used for social media or email weighs differently than having only 2 devices that are used for online gaming or 4K streaming.

To fully understand how much speed is required for the Internet, we have collected the recommended speeds for the main services; where not specified we talk about the download speed.

• Netflix: 7 Mbps (FullHD) o 25 Mbps (4K UHD HDR).
• Amazon Prime Video: 3,5 Mbps (HD) e 15 Mbps (FullHD e 4K).
• Sky Q: At least 15 Mbps.
• DAZN: At least 6 Mbps.
• Spotify for free: At least 2 Mbps.
• Paid Spotify (or any HD audio stream): At least 5 Mbps.
• Zoom: 1 Mbps (video standard), 2,6 Mbps (HD) o 3,8 Mbps (FullHD).
• Gaming online: almeno 5 Mbps in download, 5 Mbps in upload.
• Cloud gaming: almeno 25 Mbps in download, 10 Mbps in upload.
• 4K UHD video playback: at least 25 Mbps download.
• Home automation: At least 1 Mbps.
• Social media: At least 5 Mbps.
• Email: At least 1 Mbps.
• Cloud documents: At least 2 Mbps.
• File exchange (P2P): At least 25 Mbps.

If we use even only a part of the services listed, it is easy to understand that, in order to take full advantage of all Internet services An average download speed of 25 Mbps and 10 Mbps upload is requiredvalue easily achievable with the FTTC lines or with the new ones FWA lines.

3) Modem or router depending on the type of connection

When we subscribe to an Internet subscription we will also have to check that our modem or router is ready to support the latest technologies.

Many think that just connect any modem to navigate, when instead (if we have a recent FTTH connection) the speed offered by the modem of a few years ago may not be enoughalso given the progress made in the field of transmission technologies.

To understand if we are using the right modem for us, just read the indications provided in the following list:

• ADSL or FTTC: both technologies can be managed with a simple telephone cable (RJ11). Let’s make sure that the modem has support for VDSL technology up to 300 Mbps, as is the case with theAVM FRITZ!Box 7530 AX WI-FI 6.
• FTTH: if we have FTTH technology we will have to use proprietary modems or connettere all’ONT only modem with Gigabit Ethernet port (for FTTH up to 1000 Mpbs) or modem with 2.5G Ethernet port (for the new FTTH up to 2500 Mbps). A modem suitable for all FTTH networks is theAVM FRITZ!Box 4060 AX Edition.
• Router cascade: if we want to keep the proprietary modem e cascade a new router we will have to make sure that both the modem and the router use a Gigabit Ethernet or 2.5G Ethernet port. The best in class is theASUS RT-AX86U Router Gaming.

To learn more, we can read our ai guides best modems of the moment and you have best routers for fiber.

Conclusions

Summing up we can definitely say that the Internet speed is never enough: Even when it seems that we have a high speed there can always be a factor affecting the speed of the Internet. Sometimes it can be a lot of connected devices, sometimes too many Windows PCs updating together, sometimes someone in the family is downloading games or streaming a 4K movie.

To find the right balance it is advisable to have a modem with bandwidth divisionas seen in the guide to how limit WiFi bandwidth from the Router on specific devices or computers.

Always on the same topic we can read our ai guides programs to increase speed on slow connections come on what connection speeds are available in Italy from providers.