How do you know how much Internet speed you need for your household? Many families are using more than one device at a time. For example, you may be streaming a movie on Netflix while updating your Facebook status and while your kids are connected to Xbox Live. If you multitask or have several devices running off the same broadband connection, the demand on your system will increase, and you may need more speed.

Household Broadband Guide

DEVICES – laptop, tablet, smartphone or game console	LIGHT USE Basic functions only: email, web surfing, online banking	MODERATE USE Basic functions plus one high-demand application: HD video streaming, video conferencing, OR online gaming	HIGH USE Basic functions plus more than one high demand application running at the same time
Number of Devices	DSL │ Fiber	DSL │ Fiber	DSL │ Fiber
User on 1 device	1-2 Mbps│ 5 Mbps	3-7 Mbps│ 250 Mbps	12 Mbps│ Whole Home Gig
2 Devices at a time	1-2 Mbps│ 5 Mbps	7-12 Mbps│ 250 Mbps	12-18 Mbps│ Whole Home Gig
3 Devices at a time	1-2 Mbps│ 50 Mbps	12 Mbps│ 250 Mbps	30 Mbps│ Whole Home Gig
4 Devices at a time	3-7 Mbps│ 50 Mbps	12-18 Mbps│ 250 Mbps	30 Mbps│ Whole Home Gig

^{Chart adapted from information published on FCC.gov.}

What is broadband speed? Every page, picture and video on the web comes to your home as small pieces of data. The speed at which these pieces of data move on the network is measured in Megabits per second (Mbps).

A broadband connection has two speeds: download and upload. Download speed is how quickly information gets from the web to your computer, and upload speed is the opposite.

Contact the experts at Hamilton to get an analysis on the best speed for your home.