Internet speed is determined by how robust the connection is between your Internet modem and your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

The following is a brief explanation of the terms used.

 

  • Bandwidth – the actual speed of your internet connection at any given point in time. Consists of two main components, which are upload speed and download speed.


  • Download Speed – the actual speed at which your computer receives information from the internet. This is information such as websites and streaming services such as Netflix, Youtube, etc. 


  • Upload Speed – the actual speed at which your computer sends information to the Internet. Your upload speed affects the connection when you using services such as online gaming, video-conferencing such as webinars and skype calls. 


  • WiFi Signal Strength – The intensity of your wifi signal. For more information, please refer to the article “How to share WiFi”


  • Megabits per Second (Mbps) – the speed at which download and upload are measured.

 

What are the different types of internet connections available today?

 

There are two main categories of internet connections available for residences today.


1-Wifi Hotspots Mesh Networks, these Wifi networks vary from country to countries, check your computer's connection to see if you are in your local Wifi hotspot mesh network range.


2- 3G, 4G wireless mobile telecommunications technology - This type of internet is obtained through the cellular/mobile phone network.

Users activate a feature called cellular/mobile data on their mobile devices and they can access the internet. Typical download speeds vary between 1 to 10 Mbps while upload speeds are in the 0.5 to 2 Mbps range, depending on your location and mobile signal strength.  

 

3-Hardwired home broadband – These types of connections involve a physical cable, which is brought into your house by an Internet Service Provider so that you can access the Internet.

 

There are many different types of home broadband connections available in the market today. The most common types are as follows:

 

  • Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL) – These types of connections involve getting internet access through the landline telephone system. The most common type of DSL found in homes is Asynchronous DSL (ADSL). In this type of connection, your download speed is significantly higher than your upload speed. Depending on how far your location is to the Central exchange, download speeds can vary from 10 Mbps to 24 Mbps. Upload speeds vary from 0.45 Mbps to 2 Mbps.


  •  Cable Internet – refers to internet connections via the use of landline TV cables. This type of internet is generally better than DSL as it allows for more faster connections using an existing TV network with your ISP.


  •  Fibre Optic – This type of connections uses laser light to provide the optimum and fastest type of internet connections available to residences. Typical download speeds would be 40 to 100 Mbps and maximum download speeds would be well over 100 Mbps depending on how much you are paying your ISP. Upload speeds would vary between 25 to 40 Mbps.


  •  Wireless Internet – This is a new type of connection available to residences. A wireless modem generates a WiFi signal to which users can connect with a username and password provided by the ISP directly and gain access to the Internet. Typical speeds vary between those of DSL and Cable internet.

  


What internet speed for normal households?


Unless you are downloading large files or doing online gaming, multiple tasks can be done on a connection with a speed of 1 to 2 Mbps download and 0.5 to 1 Mbps upload.

With 1 to 2 Mbps you can watch movies on streaming services like Netflix. It is also able to simultaneously perform multi-tasks like web surfing, social media sites. (Individual results may vary).



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