Bandwidth Calculator

Bandwidth Calculator

How much bandwidth is right for you?

Check out our bandwidth calculator tool to understand what your household needs to run at its most optimal.

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Bandwidth Calculator Tool

Bandwidth vs speed: what’s the difference?

Internet providers frequently use the terms “bandwidth” and “speed” interchangeably. In fact, there is a subtle difference between them.

  • Bandwidth: the maximum amount of data that can be transmitted over an Internet connection, as measured in Megabits per second (Mbps).
  • Speed: the rate at which data can be downloaded (or uploaded) to a given device using that Internet connection, also measured in Megabits per second.

Bandwidth vs Speed: The Plumbing Metaphor

Think of it this way: data is traveling over the Internet cable like water in a pipe. Bandwidth is the width of that pipe — essentially, the maximum volume of water (data) that can pass through at once. Speed, meanwhile, is the amount of Megabits per second that can be downloaded by a given device using your home network. Speed is more accurately called “throughput,” meaning the rate at which data is “put through” to your laptop/phone/etc.

Bandwidth vs Speed: The Highway Metaphor

Another common way of describing the difference between bandwidth and speed is the “highway metaphor.” Essentially, you can imagine bandwidth as the number of lanes on the highway, and speed as the speed limit on each lane in the highway. Just like a highway, there’s a point at which the amount of cars will cause a traffic jam or slowdown due to congestion. However, using only one lane doesn’t increase the maximum speed — it just means that car (data packet) doesn’t have as much competition in the journey from point A to point B.

Top 20 Fastest Cities in America

CITY AVG. DOWNLOAD SPEED NO. OF PROVIDERS
1. Alexandria 292.61 Mbps 22 Providers
2. Hialeah 249.51 Mbps 19 Providers
3. Spring 235.18 Mbps 29 Providers
4. San Francisco 232.47 Mbps 42 Providers
5. Katy 232.34 Mbps 25 Providers
6. Dallas 231.39 Mbps 46 Providers
7. Henderson 230.23 Mbps 24 Providers
8. Austin 226.55 Mbps 43 Providers
9. Raleigh 223.10 Mbps 29 Providers
10. Nashville 222.51 Mbps 29 Providers
11. Mesa 214.97 Mbps 24 Providers
12. Fort Lauderdale 208.30 Mbps 26 Providers
13. Oakland 207.53 Mbps 30 Providers
14. Marietta 203.53 Mbps 26 Providers
15. Littleton 202.97 Mbps 25 Providers
16. Baton Rouge 202.84 Mbps 21 Providers
17. Houston 202.22 Mbps 49 Providers
18. Tucson 201.77 Mbps 33 Providers
19. Brooklyn 200.31 Mbps 35 Providers
20. Chicago 199.69 Mbps 58 Providers

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Bandwidth Calculator

  • What Does Mbps Mean?

    Megabits per second (Mbps) is the most common measurement of consumer-grade Internet connections. It’s not important to understand what a “bit” is, so long as you’re familiar with the range of speeds on the market.

    Internet plans can be anywhere from 1 Mbps all the way up 1,000 Mbps or more. Anything above 25 Mbps is considered usable for modern applications. Speeds below 200 Mbps can be challenging for a large household. Use the tool above to calculate what speed range you should be looking for when shopping for Internet service.

  • What Is Latency and Ping?

    Latency and ping refers to the “lag” on your connection. When you visit a website, all the data you see has to travel from a remote server to your computer. The amount of time it takes the request for that data to leave your home, reach the server, and start returning data is called latency.

    Latency: the “Long Distance Call” Metaphor

    You can think of latency as the issue you get on a long-distance phone call. Sometimes, you’ll hear your voice echoing a second after you speak, or accidentally talk over somebody due to lag in hearing their voice. “Latency” on an Internet connection is the same phenomenon as “lag” on a long distance phone call, just with data rather than voices.

  • How much bandwidth is enough?

    The amount of speed or bandwidth you need will vary widely depending on the size of your household, number of users, intended activities, and etc. The best way to find out exactly how much bandwidth you need to subscribe to is to enter your household details into the bandwidth calculator tool at the top of this page.