Are all your devices slowing down your Internet speed?

Having all your devices connected to a basic Internet connection can really inhibit your online activities. Recently, studies have shown that U.S. homes have an average of 6 devices connected to the Internet. Consider how many devices you have in your home using your Internet connection. For example, how many smartphones, entertainment devices like Xbox and Switch, iPads, Smart TVs, and streaming media players do you have connected to your Internet regularly? After considering your family’s usage, also consider the usage of your children’s friends and house guests.

Now that the devices are really adding up, do you know how much of your Internet speeds they are using at one time? Most people are surprised by the amount of bandwidth required to power all of today’s connected devices and the demand is growing exponentially.

CHECK OUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW:

 

Netflix
Amazon Prime Video
Hulu
Apple TV+
Disney+
Zoom/Skype/Facetime Video - 1 Connection
Zoom/Skype/Facetime Video - Multiple Connections
YouTube
XBox, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Other Internet-Connected Gaming Systems

SD Resolution

Netflix : 3 Mbps
Amazon Prime Video : 1 Mbps
Hulu : 3 Mbps
Apple TV+ : N/A
Disney+ : N/A
Zoom/Skype/Facetime Video - 1 Connection : 1 Mbps up/down
Zoom/Skype/Facetime Video - Multiple Connections : 3 Mbps up/down
YouTube : 1 Mbps
XBox, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Other Internet-Connected Gaming Systems : 3 Mbps

HD Resolution

Netflix : 5 Mbps
Amazon Prime Video : 3.5 Mbps
Hulu : 8 Mbps
Apple TV+ : 8 Mbps
Disney+ : 5 Mbps
Zoom/Skype/Facetime Video - 1 Connection : 2 Mbps up/down
Zoom/Skype/Facetime Video - Multiple Connections : 4-8 Mbps up/down
YouTube : 5 Mbps
XBox, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Other Internet-Connected Gaming Systems : N/A

4K or Ultra HD Resolution

Netflix : 25 Mbps
Amazon Prime Video : 15 Mbps
Hulu : 16 Mbps
Apple TV+ : 25 Mbps
Disney+ : 25 Mbps
Zoom/Skype/Facetime Video - 1 Connection : N/A
Zoom/Skype/Facetime Video - Multiple Connections : N/A
YouTube : 20 Mbps
XBox, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Other Internet-Connected Gaming Systems : N/A

If your home’s Internet connection was a 5 lane highway with 5 Mbps, each lane would carry 1 Mbps. According to the chart, a program that takes 2 Mbps of Internet space takes up multiple lanes of your highway, making your device a wide load. Furthermore, if you have 3 devices actively using 2 Mbps, it will take 6 lanes, and that’s one more lane than your 5 lane highway provides. So, you will have to switch off, sharing your speed, causing an Internet traffic jam. You will still get your information, just at a much slower pace.

In a full home with a lot of devices, your speeds can add up quickly. If your Internet connection is lagging, take notice of how many devices are connected. While you can disconnect many devices, the digital world we live in doesn’t always allow for that.

Consider super-sizing your Alpine Internet service if you are streaming media sites like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, or Apple TV. That way, you won’t have to wait while the movie loads, or buffers, and can enjoy hi-def video. For additional information on broadband speeds, click here, or call us at (563) 245-4000.