How much Internet speed do you really need?

When you watch content over the Internet, the data does not necessarily travel directly between your home and the server.

It may pass through several networks and several locations before reaching you.

Think of an airplane trip

You want to travel from Montreal to Vancouver.

A direct flight takes only a few hours.

But imagine taking this route instead:

Montreal → Toronto → New York → Chicago → Denver → Vancouver

You still arrive in Vancouver, but you have taken many more detours.

The principle can be similar on the Internet.

A server can be very far away

If the server you use is in another country or on another continent, your Internet provider chooses a route to reach it.

That route is not always the shortest or most efficient.

You can therefore have:

• plenty of Mbps;
• an excellent local speed test;

but still experience:

• high ping;
• buffering;
• interruptions;
• timeouts;
• an unstable connection to that specific server.

Why a VPN can sometimes help

A VPN can make your connection take a different route.

For example, your device may first connect to a well-connected VPN server, which then sends the traffic to the final server over a different route.

In some cases, this new route is more efficient and can improve stability or response time.

This is not guaranteed in every situation, but when the problem is caused by routing, the difference can be significant.

The available Internet speed is shared among all the devices in the house.

If only one television is showing content, the requirements can be fairly modest.

But at the same time, there may also be:

• a second television;
• phones;
• tablets;
• a computer;
• a game console;
• downloads or updates.

They all use the same connection.

For one screen

A stable connection of around 10 to 15 Mbps can already work in some cases.

For more comfortable everyday use, we generally recommend around 45 Mbps or more.

This leaves more headroom for network variations and other devices.

Several screens

If several people are watching video at the same time, more available capacity is needed.

Two or three screens do not just use more data: they also share your connection with everything else in the house.

Picture quality matters

HD video requires less capacity than 4K video.

The more you increase:

• the number of screens;
• the video quality;
• other Internet uses;

the more useful it is to have extra headroom.

A simple example

A 45 Mbps connection can be very comfortable for one television.

But if three televisions are streaming at the same time while a computer downloads a large file, the situation is different.

Both can work very well.

But they do not always provide the same stability.

Ethernet

An Ethernet connection uses a network cable between your device and router.

When possible, it is generally the most stable choice for a television or box that always stays in the same place.

Advantages:

• a more consistent connection;
• less sensitive to interference;
• fewer signal variations;
• generally better stability for streaming.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is much more convenient, but its quality depends on your environment.

The signal can be affected by:

• the distance from the router;
• walls and floors;
• other Wi-Fi networks;
• certain electronic devices;
• the router’s location.

An excellent Internet connection can therefore become poor simply because the Wi-Fi signal does not reach the television properly.

The important test

Do not test your speed only next to the router.

Test it where your television or box is actually located.

That is the connection that matters.

Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz?

Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz generally reaches farther, but can be more congested and slower.

Wi-Fi 5 GHz generally offers more speed and less interference at short range, but does not pass through walls as well.

The best choice therefore depends on the distance and your environment.

Having plenty of Mbps does not guarantee perfect playback.

Buffering can come from several places.

Your home network

The problem may come from:

• weak Wi-Fi;
• interference;
• a poorly placed router;
• too many connected devices;
• a faulty cable or connector.

The Internet connection

Even if the speed test looks excellent, there may be:

• high ping;
• jitter;
• packet loss;
• congestion;
• poor routing to the server.

The server or source

The problem may also be completely outside your home.

A slow, overloaded or very distant server can cause interruptions even if your own connection is working perfectly.

The device or application

An outdated box, an unsuitable application or a device that lacks resources can also cause:

• slowdowns;
• freezing;
• stuttering video;
• decoding problems.

How do you know where the problem is?

You need to look at the whole chain:

Internet → home network → route to the server → source → application → device

Testing only the Mbps is not enough.

If your streaming cuts out or buffers, start by eliminating the causes one at a time.

1. Test where the television is located

Test your connection near the television or box, not only next to the router.

2. Try Ethernet if possible

If the problem disappears with an Ethernet cable, Wi-Fi is probably the cause.

3. Check what is using the Internet

Downloads, updates, games, other televisions and phones can use a significant part of your connection.

4. Test another application or source

If only one piece of content or one application has a problem, your Internet connection may not be the cause.

5. Consider routing

If the problem occurs mainly with distant or international servers, a VPN can sometimes provide a different route and improve stability.