Determining the Best Internet Speed to Work From Home

If you work from home, you know how crucial clear video calling, fast file sharing and effortless access to apps are to your productivity. The shift towards remote work shows no sign of slowing down, so it’s important to have the internet speed you need to work from home efficiently. Discover if you have enough bandwidth to maximize your productivity and enjoy a seamless work-from-home experience.

Understanding Internet Speed

Internet speeds measure how fast data is transferred over an internet connection in megabits per second (Mbps) and gigabits per second (Gbps). When most people think of internet speed, they typically only consider download speeds, but upload speeds are equally important when working from home. Fiber internet is the only type of connection that offers symmetrical speeds—upload speeds are typically lower than download speeds for all other types of internet.

Download speeds measure how quickly information is retrieved from the internet. Web browsing, checking emails, downloading files and streaming video rely on download speeds to quickly deliver content to your computer. Video conferencing, sharing files and working in cloud-based documents like Google Docs all need faster upload speeds for an uninterrupted experience. 

Having multiple devices connected to your network at once means they have to share a limited amount of bandwidth, impacting the performance of the whole family. For example, if someone in your home is streaming a movie while you’re on a Zoom call, your audio and video quality will be affected. An internet package with higher speeds may be required to work from home most effectively.

Differences in Internet Speeds

Typically, any speed over 200 Mbps is considered fast internet. Depending on how many connected devices you have, speeds much higher than that may be needed to support your online activities. Here’s what each internet speed is capable of:

• 2 – 100 Mbps: Web browsing, sending emails, scrolling social media and streaming video and music
• 200 – 500 Mbps: Streaming video and music, casual gaming and light working from home
• 1 – 2 Gig: Streaming 4K video, competitive gaming, working from home and using home security devices 
• 2+ Gig:  All of the above, plus running a home office and connecting home security and smart home devices

Determine Your Internet Speed Requirements

When assessing your internet needs, consider the number of people and devices in your household. A minimum of 100 Mbps download speed and 10 Mbps upload speed per person is a good starting point for remote work. For high-tech households that enjoy streaming, gaming and working from home, you may need even higher internet speeds to accommodate these high-bandwidth activities simultaneously.

Recommended Speeds for Common Network Activities

When working from home, some activities require much faster speeds than others. Sending a quick email doesn’t require as much bandwidth as joining a virtual all-company meeting, so it’s important to have the speed you need to perform all your tasks efficiently. Keep in mind that these speeds are per device, so multiply these recommendations by the number of devices for a more accurate assessment of your speed requirements.

Evaluating Your Current Internet Speed

Waiting for a large file to download or having glitchy audio and video during a meeting could indicate that your current internet speed isn’t up to par. For a more accurate assessment, an online speed test analyzes your connection and provides details about your download speed, upload speed and latency. If your internet speed is insufficient for your personal and professional digital life, it’s time to upgrade to a faster plan.

Some Wi-Fi routers allow you to prioritize your preferred devices so you won’t experience lag if someone is streaming or gaming at the same time. By optimizing your bandwidth by device, activity or time period, low-priority devices won’t slow your home network down during your big presentation.

Work Smarter, Not Harder with Lumos Fiber Internet

Tired of slow home internet preventing you from reaching your full potential at work? Whether you’re joining a video conference or sharing a large file for review, 100% Fiber Optic Internet² from Lumos makes it easy to upload, download and connect faster than ever. We offer 500 Mbps, 1 Gig, 2 Gig, 5 Gig and 8 Gig internet speeds so you can stay on top of your tasks like never before.

Check for Lumos Fiber near you and experience internet designed for maximum productivity.

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