Is 100Mbps Fast?

What is a good internet speed?

Speed requirements taken from HighSpeedInternet.com’s How Much Internet Speed Do I Need? guidelines.

A good internet speed is about 100–200 Mbps. That’s enough bandwidth to let you stream videos, play games online, and participate in video chat meetings on a range of devices. And it will promise fast internet even when there are several people on your Wi-Fi.

Granted, you won’t always need internet that fast, especially if you mostly go online to check email, read headlines, and do a bit of streaming in HD. The Federal Communications Commission defines broadband internet as anything that can achieve a minimum of 25 Mbps download speeds and 3 Mbps upload speeds—which is plenty for low-key internet surfers.

How much speed do you need?

Take a spin through our How Much Internet Speed Do I Need? tool to see if you’re getting the best speeds to meet your everyday Wi-Fi needs.

On the other hand, 100–200Mbps is hardly the max connection speed you can get from an internet package. These days the fastest internet plans frequently top out at 1,000Mbps. Xfinity even has a fiber plan that delivers 6,000Mbps download speeds, which is not necessary for most people (and is  ridiculously expensive).

Still, plans in the range of 500–1,000Mbps are useful if you live with a lot of people and everyone is on the internet at the same time. You’ll require a ton more bandwidth as you have more users doing speed-intensive stuff like streaming movies, playing online games, and/or making calls on video-chat apps.

Is 100Mbps fast enough for you?

*We calculated these download speeds using the download calculator from OmniCalculator.com.

A connection speed of 100 Mbps will be fast enough for you to download small files quickly, stream movies in HD, play online games on a handful of devices, and operate a few smart-home devices.

But 100 Mbps won’t be fast enough if you live in a large household and a lot of people are using your Wi-Fi to do high-bandwidth activities at the same time. Also, 100 Mbps speeds will require longer wait times to download large files.

To make sure your internet speeds are fast enough, consider ordering an internet package that sets aside 25 Mbps for each person living in your household. If you’re living alone, then 25 Mbps may be enough. But if you’re living with three others, then 100 Mbps will be right on the money. However, any more roommates than that and you may want to upgrade to 200 Mbps, 500 Mbps or even 1,000 Mbps speeds depending on what you use your internet for.

What you can do with 100Mbps:

• Stream HD video on several devices
• Play multiplayer games online with two or three devices
• Run three to five smart-home devices
• Participate in group Zoom meetings with HD video switched on

What you can do with speeds faster than 100Mbps:

• Stream 4K video on half a dozen devices or more
• Play multiplayer games online with four to ten devices
• Run five or more smart-home devices
• Participate in group Zoom meetings while three or four housemates also do any of these activities

What’s the best 100Mbps internet plan?

Plenty of internet service providers have 100Mbps plans, or plans that hit speeds in the ballpark of 100Mbps. We like T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet plan because it’s cheap and runs over a fast 5G connection, which means you’ll have solid speeds and performance. T-Mobile has top-tier price and customer service ratings and it folds the usual extra prices (for equipment and installation) into the overall bill, so you’re getting a straight deal.

What’s the best router for fast internet?

The best router for fast internet is the TP-Link Archer AX11000. It’s a supercharged, tri-band Wi-Fi 6 router packing eight Gigabit Ethernet ports, multigig internet support, 12 streams, and loads of extras like free security and parental controls. It offers great W-Fi speeds at a great price that just can’t be beat.

If you don’t have a multigig connection (1.1Gbps+), don’t fret—any router with a Gigabit Ethernet internet port will do. We suggest going with a Wi-Fi 6 router since it’s newer, supports more devices, faster speeds, and better data management. But there are still plenty of great Wi-Fi 5 routers you can get.

For more router recommendations, check out these lists:

• Best Gigabit Routers for Superfast Wi-Fi
• Best Long-Range Routers for Extended Wi-Fi
• Best Routers for Gaming
• Best Routers for Streaming

Amazon.com Price (as of 6/28/23 10:15 MST). See full disclaimer.

What are the fastest internet providers?

Based on results from millions of internet customers who’ve used our speed test, Google Fiber has the fastest internet speeds in America. Although Google Fiber’s fastest-possible plans hit much higher speeds, the average customer gets upload and download speeds of around 167.1Mbps.

Verizon Fios, Xfinity, and Astound Broadband all come in close behind Google Fiber. Customers of these providers get average download speeds of well over 100Mbps—and they each sell internet packages with much faster, gigabit speeds. These speed test results suggest that 100Mbps (or slightly faster) is a solid speed for most internet users nationwide.

How does internet speed work?

What’s the difference between upload and download speeds?

Upload and download speeds refer to different types of internet activities you do and how fast you can do them.

A download is data you receive from the internet, while an upload is data you send to the internet. Here’s a quick breakdown of examples:

Downloads

• Reading articles on news websites
• Downloading files from the cloud
• Streaming movies from Netflix

Uploads

• Posting on social media
• Uploading files to the cloud
• Sharing your screen over Zoom

In almost all cases, download speeds are a lot faster than upload speeds. Most of what we do online involves downloading data, so cable, DSL, and satellite internet providers have put a lot more effort into boosting download speeds while upload speeds have straggled far behind. Sometimes your upload speed could be as much as 10 times slower than your download speed.

The one exception is with fiber internet service providers like AT&T and Google Fiber , which deliver symmetrical speeds. That means your upload speed will be just as fast as your download speed, making it an ideal choice if you depend heavily on using things like Google Drive and Zoom, post a lot of stuff on TikTok and YouTube, or frequently host livestreams.

What is a good download speed?

Anything in the range of 100–200Mbps is a good download speed.

A slower download speed than 100Mbps can still be good. But a faster speed might be necessary if you live with a lot of people and everyone frequently uses the internet on multiple devices all at once—a common occurrence in this day and age.

What is a good upload speed?

A good upload speed is 5Mbps or faster.

Since most of what we do online involves downloading data, you don’t need to worry too much about whether you have adequate upload speeds. Many DSL internet plans give you a max of just 1.5Mbps for uploads, which is enough to support activities like Zoom group calls with your video switched on.

However, consider upgrading your upload speed if you struggle with long loading times or disconnections while you’re uploading files, attending a Zoom meeting, or hosting a livestream. You can also switch to a fiber package, if it’s available, which will give your uploads a Superman–style speed boost.

You can see what kinds of speeds internet providers offer in your area by searching with your zip code below.

Is 100 Mbps good for gaming?

Yes, 100 Mbps is a solid speed for gaming online. But you may need faster speeds depending on how often you play and what else you do online between runs on games like Fortnite and Overwatch.

A lot of games you can play online still work well even when you have relatively slow internet speeds. But having a plan that’s 100 Mbps or faster leaves enough bandwidth for downloading big video game files, chatting on gamer-friendly apps like Discord, and doing other tasks while you’re playing games.

Gaming and latency

*Data from the Federal Communications Commission’s “Ninth Measuring Broadband America Fixed Broadband Report.”

While speed is important for online gamers, low latency is also central to having a good gaming experience.

Latency refers to the slight delay (measured in milliseconds) when a signal is sent back and forth between a device to the network’s servers. Higher rates of latency lead to lag, which will cause headaches in fast-paced games like Call of Duty or Halo, slowing your controller’s response time as you fire weapons and maneuver your player.

Having a faster internet speed also often correlates to lower latency, but the best way to really reduce your latency is to get a fiber internet plan. A fiber-optic connection reduces the amount of interference you can get over a connection, bringing down your latency significantly.

FAQ about 100 Mbps speeds

Disclaimers

What’s the best 100Mbps internet plan? (return to top)

*w/ Auto Pay. Regulatory fees included in monthly price for qualified accounts. See full terms. Delivered via 5G cellular network; speeds vary due to factors affecting cellular networks, including data prioritization.

†Plus taxes & regulatory fees. $14 modem rental included in price. Upload & Download speeds may vary.

‡ For 12 mos, plus taxes. Price after $5/mo Autopay & Paperless bill discount (w/in 2 bills). Plus taxes $ fees. Limited availability. May not be available in your area. Call or go to att.com/internet to see if you qualify.

§ Regional price differences may apply. No contract required. 24 Month Internet Pricing. Equipment priced separately. Includes $5 discount for 12 months w/ ebill & autopay. Observed speeds may vary. Excludes surcharges and fees. New residential customers only.

# With enrollment in AutoPay & paperless billing. Equipment & speed availability vary by area. $10 off for 12 months on regular rate of $39.99.

** for 12 months with 1-yr. term agreement

| CenturyLink

Paperless billing or prepay required. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply. Get the fastest internet speed available at your location (max speed is up to 140 Mbps).

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