Broadband: How much Speed do you Need?

People who frequently use the internet for gaming, downloading pictures, video chatting and making phone calls need to have a fast broadband connection of at least 18 Mbps or more because as online applications become more advanced it’s not easy to enjoy your favorite activities without a fast connection. Hopefully this article will help you with your phone and broadband connection choices.

Average Use

If you plan on using your broadband connection for simple everyday things like checking email, watching YouTube videos or playing games on Facebook then a broadband connection between 5 Mbps and 10 Mbps would work just fine for your needs.

Contrary to public belief, you don’t need to have the fastest broadband speed possible especially if you’re a casual internet user. For people who spend more than two hours per day online it’s almost a necessity to have a fast internet connection because over the last ten years we all have become spoiled by the need for speed.

Broadband Connections by State

Not every state offers the highest broadband speed. This is due to underdeveloped broadband networks and a wide variety of other economic reasons that are forcing many internet users to continue relying on dial up connections.

How to Test your Broadband Speed

To see how fast your broadband connection is, use your favorite search engine and type in the keywords “speed test”. There are a variety of speed test websites that will let you see what your connection is and verify that you’re getting what you’ve paid for.

Clean Up your Computer

If your broadband connection is super slow it’s important to clean the cookies and temporary internet files from your computer at least once a week and also keep your anti-virus software up to date because Trojans and Malware can slow down any computer and make internet use frustrating.

After you’ve cleaned up your computer and are still dealing with a slow connection don’t forget to power down your modem for at least one minute and then power it back up again. This technique is the first thing that your internet company will recommend that you do and it will help to keep your modem running at peak performance.

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