What Affects Internet Speed?
Internet speed is influenced by many factors: your ISP plan sets the maximum bandwidth. Network congestion reduces speeds during peak usage hours. Wi-Fi interference from walls, other devices, and neighboring networks can slow wireless connections. Router capability — older routers may bottleneck faster internet plans. Distance from the server affects latency and throughput.
Latency vs. Bandwidth
Latency (ping) measures the time it takes for data to travel to a server and back — measured in milliseconds (ms). Lower is better: under 20ms is excellent, 20-50ms is good, over 100ms may cause noticeable lag. Bandwidth measures how much data can be transferred per second — measured in Mbps. Think of latency as the speed of a car and bandwidth as the width of the highway.
Speed Requirements
Video calls require 1.5-4 Mbps. 4K streaming needs 25+ Mbps. Online gaming needs low latency (under 50ms) more than high bandwidth. Working from home with video conferencing and cloud apps typically needs 10-25 Mbps per person. For households with multiple users, multiply these numbers accordingly.