Internet Connection Types: Explained and Ranked

Every kind of internet connection exists for a reason, and for each type, there’s someone it perfectly fits (except you, dial-up.) That said, some are definitely better than others, so if you have a choice, it’s usually a pretty straightforward decision.

We’ll walk you through the basics of what you need to know before you start looking for an internet provider.

Last place—GSO satellite

The great thing about satellite internet is that you can basically connect to satellite internet anywhere in the world. The bad thing is everything else. Your standard communication satellites in geosynchronous orbit (GSO) are located in a very high orbit above the Earth. This means that even traveling at the speed of light, the trip to the satellite and back adds about half a second to the time it takes data to reach your computer (known as latency). This makes real-time activities like online games and video calls difficult, if not impossible, over satellite.

The other problem with relying on huge satellites tens of thousands of miles into space is that it’s really expensive to put them up there. Satellite plans are usually more expensive than terrestrial plans with similar speeds. Satellite plans have improved a lot in recent years as new, more powerful satellites are put into orbit. But it hasn’t improved as quickly as other connections have, which means that satellite is still in last place.

You should get satellite internet if it’s the only option in your area. As soon as any other options open up, you’re probably better off switching to one of those.

LEO satellite

Low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites require a huge constellation of smaller satellites to ensure that, as soon as one satellite passes out of view of your antenna, another one is there to take its place. LEO satellite constellations share a lot of the problems with GSO satellites, but they’re much closer to the Earth, which puts the connection’s latency much closer to that of other connections.

Most people are familiar with Starlink’s LEO constellation, but there are other LEO satellite providers like OneWeb, which provides internet connections on airplanes, ships, and trains. There are also other constellations in the works, like Amazon’s Project Kuiper and Inmarsat Orchestra.

As with all satellite connections, you’re probably going to get better speeds and lower prices with almost any other option, but if low-latency pursuits like online games and Zoom calls are important, it might be worth looking into Starlink.

Hybrid satellite

Hybrid satellite connections solve a similar problem to LEO Satellite constellations by combining both a GSO satellite signal and a terrestrial wireless signal to reduce latency. Currently Hughesnet Fusion is the only plan to use this type of setup.

If you have a connection that uses both satellite and wireless equipment, why not just use the wireless connection? Since the bulk of your data is still coming through the satellite, hybrid connections can operate in areas where the other wireless signal would normally be too weak to support an internet connection. But it can handle a small amount of latency-sensitive data to help reduce lag when you’re online.

Of course, if you can get another kind of wireless internet connection, that’s probably a better choice, but hybrid satellite is a simple solution to the latency problem that isn’t powered by a daily ritual of sacrificing several small spacecraft to the mesosphere.

4G home internet

4G internet connections (sometimes called 4G LTE or just LTE) use cellphone technology—specifically, fourth generation (4G) cellular technology. It’s widely available, covering about 80% of households, according to the FCC. There’s a lot of overlap between wireless technologies, especially cellular technology, so often providers market their plans as 5G, even in areas that don’t have the infrastructure to provide 5G speeds.

4G home internet isn’t always available in all areas that have 4G cell phone service. That’s because cellular providers will only offer home service in areas where they have strong enough signal to support the homes in that area. On the flip side, because they know you’re staying in one place, they can plan out their home internet coverage better and offer plans that are faster and cheaper than mobile data plans.

Mobile internet

Mobile internet connections generally use 4G or 5G technology, though mobile satellite plans also exist. You can get mobile internet connections using a wide variety of devices, but mobile hotspots are probably the most convenient, as they create their own little Wi-Fi network that you can use to connect all your laptops, phones, and other devices. Most modern smartphones also allow you to use them as a hotspot.

Like phones, hotspots require a data plan in order to connect you to the internet. These are typically linked with one of the major nationwide cellular networks, so you can access the internet anywhere these networks have coverage.

There’s also a difference between a device being mobile and being portable. Mobile devices, like phones, can be used as you’re walking around the city or riding around in a car. Portable devices have to be stationary to connect to the internet. You can pick them up and take them with you (unlike most home internet equipment), but you can’t use them again until you get where you’re going.

Mobile internet is very situational. If you want an internet connection that you can take on vacation or to a friend’s house, it’s a must-have feature. If you’re just going to be using it at home most of the time, a 4G/5G home internet connection would probably be better.

DSL

Like dial-up, DSL runs over your phone lines, but reaches speeds hundreds of times faster. Unfortunately, by today’s standards, DSL is one of the slower connection types (especially for uploads). Most DSL providers are replacing their old copper networks with fiber-optic connections and existing copper lines are being left in disrepair.

DSL customers have also been historically overcharged for less-than-stellar speeds. Back in 2020, nearly 90% of Americans had access to at least one DSL provider, but only 4% had access to two or more. These regional monopolies often meant that DSL customers had no other options, even if their experience was sub-par.

Today, DSL is a more affordable and often faster option in rural areas than satellite and some other wireless options, but it’s definitely overshadowed by cable and fiber.

5G home internet

5G technology is a huge step up from 4G, with 5G connections technically capable of reaching multigigabit speeds in some situations. The most important thing to know about 5G connections is that their speed varies a lot depending on your location.

5G connections achieve their higher bandwidth by incorporating a number of new technologies, but one of the most important is its use of higher frequency radio waves that can carry more information. Unfortunately, higher-frequency waves also travel shorter distances and are more easily blocked by objects that low-frequency waves pass right through.

Early in the development of 5G, it was mainly restricted to dense urban areas where it made sense to build tons of short-range transmitters. As providers began trying to reach beyond major cities, they had to compromise by using lower frequencies, which meant lower speeds, though still a step up from 4G.

Now most home 5G home internet providers advertise prices less than 300Mbps, often with a fairly large range depending on your location. Still, home 5G plans are some of the most affordable and widespread plans in the U.S., while offering enough speed to meet the needs of the average household.

Fixed wireless

Fixed wireless is kind of a catch all term for any wireless plan that’s not on a mobile device, which technically includes 4G and 5G home internet. Since all these connections essentially connect you to the internet with radio waves, they all use a lot of similar technologies, but when fixed wireless is distinguished from 4G and 5G, it’s often referring to wireless plans that require the installation of a large fixed antenna on the outside of your house.

While an involved installation process is definitely a downside when compared with a 5G plan, a large exterior antenna means that many of these plans can reach much higher speeds than other wireless plans, even in rural areas. In fact, fixed wireless transmitters are often built in rugged or remote areas where it would be too expensive to run cables to individual houses.

Since fixed wireless connections are often built to serve communities that fall between the cracks of other service providers, many fixed wireless providers are small local or regional companies. This is another reason why it’s important to do your research before choosing an internet plan.

Cable

Cable connections have a copper wire at their core, but it’s surrounded by layers of additional protection to reduce interference, increase reliability, and deliver faster speeds. Cable plans often offer speeds up to 1Gbps (1,000Mbps), which is enough speed for everyone in your house to watch a different 4K video at the same time while still having plenty of speed to spare. Cable plans are fast, reliable, and often have very reasonably priced options.

The one thing cable connections often lack is upload speed. Cable speeds are highly asymmetrical, with upload only reaching around 5% of the speeds you get for downloads. For most people, this isn’t an issue, since the most bandwidth-intensive activities like streaming videos need lots of download speed but hardly any upload speed. Lack of upload speed can be a problem for content creators, those working from home, or anyone else who frequently has to upload large files.

Cable connections can often experience slowdown during peak usage times, usually after work when people want to relax and watch a show. If you also run on a standard 9-to-5 schedule and want to avoid dealing with network congestion, it might be worth it to upgrade to a plan that gives you slightly more speed than you’d normally need.

First place: Fiber

Fiber-optics are by far the best type of internet connection, which is why the backbone of the internet has been fiber since the 90s. Fiber to the home is a more recent development, gaining traction in the 2010s after the launch of Google Fiber.

Fiber connections are the fastest, most reliable connections available. They offer symmetrical upload speeds, which means that your uploads will be just as fast as your downloads, making them ideal for online learning, working from home, and content creation. They also have the lowest latency of any connection, making them good for online games and livestreaming.

Although other internet technologies like cable and satellite have made some significant improvements in recent years, fiber is advancing even faster, widening its lead over other technologies. This has led to some pretty ridiculous plans, like Google Fiber’s 20Gbps plans it announced in 2023. For reference, that’s enough speed to invite 800 people over to your house to each stream a different movie in 4K before running out of bandwidth. At that point, the limiting factor is probably the fire marshal showing up at your front door, not your internet connection.

If fiber is an option at your location, it’s almost always going to be the fastest option and the best value in terms of speed versus cost. Your main consideration is simply making sure you don’t spend money on bandwidth that you’re never going to use. If all you do on the internet is check your email and pay your bills, you don’t need to pay for a 2Gbps connection, even if it is an incredible value. Look for the most affordable plan that meets your household needs, and you’ll end up with a frictionless online experience at a very reasonable price.

Do you know how much bandwidth you actually use on a daily basis? If not, use our handy tool shown below to help you determine your internet speed needs.