What speed of home Internet do you really need.

User question

Hello.

Please tell me, I have an Internet channel of 15/30 Megabits / s, files in uTorrent are downloaded at a speed of (approximately) 2-3 MB / s. How can I compare the speed, is the ISP cheating on me? How many megabytes should be at a speed of 30 megabits / s? Confused about the values ...

Good day!

This question is very popular, people ask it in different interpretations (sometimes, very menacingly, as if someone had deceived someone). The bottom line is that most users confuse different units : both grams and pounds (also Megabits and Megabytes) ...

In general, in order to solve this problem, you will have to resort to a small excursion to the computer science course, but I will try not to be boring ☺. Also, in the article, along the way, I will analyze all the questions regarding this topic (about speed in torrent clients, about MB / s and Mbps).

Note

Educational program on internet speed

And so, with ANY Internet provider(at least, personally, I have not seen others) the speed of the Internet connection is indicated in Megabits / s(moreover, pay attention to the prefix "BEFORE"- no one gives a guarantee that your speed will always be constant, because it's impossible).

In any torrent program(in the same uTorrent), by default, the download speed is displayed in MB / s (Megabytes per second). That is, I am leading to the fact that Megabytes and Megabits are different values.

Usually, the declared speed in the tariff of your ISP in Mbit / s, divide by 8 to get the speed that uTorrent (or its analogs) will show you in MB / s (but see more about this below, there are some nuances ☺).

For example, the rate of the Internet provider, which was asked the question, is 15 Mbps. Let's try to translate it into a normal way ...

Important! (from the computer science course)

The computer does not understand numbers, for it only two values are important: there is a signal or no signal (i.e. " 0 " or " 1 These are either yes or no - that is, "0" or "1" is called " Bit"(the minimum unit of information).

In order to be able to write some letter or number, one unit or zero will obviously not be enough (for the whole alphabet it will definitely not be enough). It was calculated to encode all the necessary letters, numbers, etc. - a sequence of 8 Bit.

For example, this is the code for the English capital "A" - 01000001.

And so the code for the number "1" is 00110001.

These ones 8 Bits = 1 Byte(i.e. 1 Byte is the smallest data item).

About prefixes (and derivatives):

1 Kilobyte = 1024 Bytes (well, or 8 * 1024 Bits)
1 Megabyte = 1024 Kilobytes (or KB / KB)
1 Gigabyte = 1024 Megabytes (or MB / MB)
1 Terabyte = 1024 Gigabytes (or GB / GB)

Maths:

One Megabit equals 0.125 Megabytes.
To achieve a transfer rate of 1 Megabytes per second, you will need to connect to the network at a speed of 8 Megabits per second.

In practice, as a rule, they do not resort to such calculations, everything is made easier. The declared speed of 15 Mbit / s is simply divided by 8 (and ~ 5-7% is taken from this number for the transfer of service information, network load, etc.). The resulting number will be considered normal speed (an approximate calculation is shown below).

15 Mbps / 8 = 1.875 MB / s

1.875 MB / s * 0.95 = 1.78 MB / s

In addition, I would not discount the load on the Internet provider's network during peak hours: in the evenings or on weekends (when the network is used by big number of people). It can also seriously affect access speed.

Thus, if you are connected to the Internet at a rate of 15 Mbit / s, and your download speed in the torrent program shows about 2 MB / s - everything is very good with your channel and Internet provider ☺. Usually, the speed is less than the declared one (about this my next question, a couple of lines below) ...

Typical question. Why is the connection speed 50-100 Mbps and the download speed is very low: 1-2 Mbps? Is the ISP to blame? Indeed, even according to rough estimates, it should be at least 5-6 MB / s ...

I'll try to make it out point by point:

firstly, if you carefully look at the agreement with the Internet provider, you will notice that you were promised access speed "UP TO 100 Mbps" ;
secondly, in addition to your access speed, it is very important that where are you downloading the file (s) from... For example, if the computer (from which you are downloading the file) is connected via low-speed access, say 8 Mbps, then your download speed of 1 Mb / s from it is, in fact, the maximum! Those. try downloading the file from other servers (torrent trackers) first;
thirdly, maybe you already have some kind of the program downloads something else... Yes, the same Windows can download updates (if, in addition to a PC, you have a laptop, smartphone, etc. devices connected to the same network channel - look what they are doing ...). In general, check what your Internet channel is loaded with;
it is possible that in the evening hours (when the load on the Internet provider increases) there are "drawdowns" (you are not the only one who decided to download something interesting at this time ☺);
if you are connected via a router, check it too. It often happens that inexpensive models they cut the speed (sometimes they just reboot), in general - they just can't cope with the load ...
check driver for your network card(for example, on the same Wi-Fi adapter). I ran into the situation several times: after to the network card (90% of the drivers for the network adapter are installed by Windows itself during its installation), the access speed increased significantly! The default drivers that come with Windows are not a panacea ...

Nevertheless, I do not exclude the possibility that your Internet provider (with old equipment, clearly inflated tariffs, which are only theoretically available on paper) may be the culprit for the low speed of access. Just, for starters, I wanted to pay attention to the above points ...

Another sample question... Why then indicate the connection speed in Mbit / s, when all users are guided by MB / s (and in programs it is indicated in MB / s)?

There are two points:

when transferring information, not only the file itself is transmitted, but also other service information (part of which is less than a byte). Therefore, it is logical (and in general, historically it happened so) that the connection speed is measured and indicated in Mbit / s.
the higher the number, the stronger the advertising! Marketing has not been canceled either. Many people, they are far enough from network technologies, and seeing that somewhere the figure is higher, they will go there and connect to the network.

My personal opinion: for example, it would be nice if providers indicated next to Mbps the real download speed that the user will see in the same uTorrent. Thus, the wolves are fed and the sheep are safe ☺.

By the way, to everyone who is dissatisfied with their speed of access to the Internet, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with this article.: .

Additions on the topic are welcome ...

You can pay through payment terminals, ATMs or at the company's office. At the same time, the operator himself will tell you the amount indicated in the receipt at the communication site. In the case of payment through terminals and ATMs, you need to know your personal account, it is always indicated in the contract. The amount owed can be viewed through Personal Area on the company's website or using the autoinformer phone by typing in tone mode number 8-800-7000-400.

I have an unlimited tariff for the Internet access service. Is it possible to temporarily suspend the service if I am going on vacation, and how can I do it?

Yes, this option is provided. To do this, you need to go to the communications section with your passport in advance and write an application. The office staff will help you compose it.

When paying through the terminal, how long does it take for the money to be credited to the account?

When paying through payment terminals, money is credited to the account within 24 hours, through ATMs - in real time, through cash desks of banks - within three working days.

I would like to connect to the Internet at an unlimited rate. If I do this in the middle of the month or near the end, will I have to pay for the whole month?

No, the subscription fee is calculated from the moment the service is provided. For example, if you connect 10 days before the end of the month, you will be charged only for these ten days. The rest of the money is spent in advance for the following months.

How much will the connection cost? How will the advance be spent?

Internet connection on all tariff plans is free. The advance is deducted as funds are spent. In the first month, only for the days used, then at the unlimited tariff the subscription fee is deducted from the remaining funds, for the rest - also the payment for the used traffic.

How do I change my tariff plan?

All tariffs change only on the basis of an application drawn up at the office of the company and with a passport. Note, when changing the tariff plan, the balance personal account must be positive and contain an amount equal to monthly fee under this tariff plan, otherwise the transition will fail.

Can I see the traffic detail?

You can, you need to go to your personal account. More detailed details can be obtained on the basis of an application at the company's office.

What if the internet doesn't work?

The specialists of our company have described the most typical situations in the section What to do in case of malfunctions?

In order not to be unawares, we suggest you download the technical cheat sheet in advance, print it out and keep it handy in case you really have problems with Internet access.

Why are some sites slower than expected?

The speed depends on many factors. First, from bandwidth the channel set by the owner of this resource, it does not always coincide with the speed of the provider. Secondly, is it a paid site or a free one. There are always more people willing to get free ones, so the channel width decreases with the growth of visitors. Thirdly, from the geography of this resource. If he is in America, of course, the path to him is long, and the speed is lower than on closer sites.

How to protect yourself from spam and not get infected by visiting other sites?

Update your antivirus software regularly. It is better to have several at once. Which ones interact more effectively with each other, ask the specialists on the company's forum.

If the tariff indicates a connection speed of 1 Mbit / s, then what file transfer speed should be displayed in the Internet browser?

Whereas the ratio of byte to bit is 1: 8 and 1 Mbps. = 1000 kbps, dividing 1000 kbps (1 Mbps) by 8 we get 125 kbps. This is the maximum theoretical speed of this Internet connection. Real payload rate effective technical features always less than the calculated one. Insignificant deviations indicate the amount of service technological information required for the connection to work, while significant differences may indicate other reasons: - significant geographic remoteness of the server and congestion of the main communication channels along the route; -insufficient performance of the resource from which the download is made; -the presence of problems on the subscriber's connection line.

Is 2 Mbps fast?

The following table shows approximate data transfer times for high-speed (xDSL or FTTx / PON) and dial-up file transfers:

File type	xDSL / FTTx / PON (2 Mbps) download time	Dial-up access (56 Kbps) download time
Large photo (1 MB)	4 sec.	2.5 minutes
Large documents (1.5 MB)	6 sec.	4 minutes
Music mp3 file (5 MB)	20 sec.	12 minutes
Video clip (30 MB)	2 minutes.	1 hour 13 minutes
Full-length movie (800 MB)	54 minutes	1 day 9 hours
HD movie (8 GB)	10 hours	2 weeks

If the rating of the high-speed channel differs from the specified 2 Mbps, you should adjust the values accordingly: for 4 Mbps. - divide the specified time by 2, for 8 Mbps. - divide by 4, etc.

How do I check the actual internet speed from my computer?

To test the speed, you can use the website www.speedtest.net and test using the instructions on the website. It is recommended to repeat the check several times (preferably at different times of the day, since the result may vary depending on the resource load and the load of the Internet backbone segments). If possible, during the speed test, it is also advisable to terminate all programs using an Internet connection - anti-virus software (anti-virus database updates), Windows updates, firewalls, download managers, etc.

What is a static IP address?

A static external IP-address is a permanent address on the Internet that can be accessed by anyone to remotely connect to a specific computer. A static IP address differs from a dynamic one in that the latter changes once a day or every time an Internet connection is made. A static IP address will be assigned to the contract at a time, and will not change throughout the entire period of its validity. A static address is also required if planned active use file-sharing networks (torrent).

What does the concept of "normal Internet speed" mean, what it should be for optimal work and leisure time on a personal computer. One and the same connection will seem to someone quite sufficient, and to someone - the impossibility to work effectively. What is normal for an Internet cafe, for the University of Moscow State University, for example, "will not be enough."

Using computers at home raises reasonable questions for users: what Internet speed is considered normal for the home and how to choose a suitable tariff plan.

If the finances of the PC owner are limited, when choosing a tariff for home internet he will surely face a number of offers from providers that prevent him from accepting correct solution... To avoid errors, you should know some parameters that determine quality work internet at home.

To determine what an Internet speed rate is, you first need to familiarize yourself with the basic concepts.

Bits, kilobits, megabits

The data transfer rate is usually measured in bits / sec. But since the bit is very small, kilobits or megabits are used:

Kilobits = 1024 bits.
Megabits = 1024 kilobits.

With the advent of optical cables, Internet speeds have skyrocketed. If earlier the indicator of 128 kbps was considered normal, today the parameter is measured in megabits and is 100 megabits per second (Mbps).

Therefore, megabits per second is the standard unit of measure for speed. modern internet. Conditional classification Internet connection is as follows:

slow - 512 Kbps;
low - 2 Mbps;
average - 10 Mbps;
high - 50 Mbps;
very high - 100 Mbps.

It should be understood that the lower the speed, the lower the tariff.

A byte is not a bit

Internet users are interested in working with files, their size is usually measured in bytes, kilobytes, megabytes and gigabytes, equal to:

Byte - 8 bits.
Kilobytes = 1024 bytes.
Megabytes = 1024 kilobytes.
Gigabytes = 1024 megabytes.

Inexperienced users confuse byte with bit. And they get megabytes (Mbps) instead of megabytes. This leads to a serious error, for example, when calculating the download time of files.

It is unrealistic to determine the exact download period of the file, because:

Providers indicate the maximum connection speed. Average (working) will be lower.
The speed reduces interference, especially when using a remote router.
The remote FTP server limits downloads, so much so that everything else becomes irrelevant.

But the approximate time, nevertheless, can be established. Calculations will be easier if you round up:

byte = 10 bits;
kilobyte = 1 thousand bytes.

But it is better to just start downloading and determine the download time using the program than to calculate the time theoretically.

What tasks affect the choice of speed

The lower the Internet connection speed, the smaller the range of available tasks, but the tariff is cheaper. Right choice allows you to feel comfortable without wasting money.

Outline the circle of interests

The Internet is used to solve various problems:

Surfing in social networks, listening to music.
Online games.
Streaming organizations (stream).
Video calls.
Watching videos online.
Downloading music, movies, other files.
Uploading files to cloud storage.

Choosing a connection

When the circle of interests is determined, we set ourselves tasks and choose the appropriate tariff.

Providers offer different kinds connections, for example, 300 rubles per month for Internet access at a speed of 15 Mbps.

There are two numbers in the tariff descriptions:

the second is transfer (Upload).

If the second number is missing, then the speeds are equal. If necessary, check with your internet service provider.

What internet speed is enough

A number of tasks that are necessary for him in working with a PC help the user to determine this indicator:

For social media and music

You don't need high speed for surfing social networks and listening to music. The user will feel quite comfortable with 2 Mbps. Even a speed of 512 Kbps will do, but website pages will open more slowly.

To watch videos online

The following speed indicators are considered normal for watching video online, depending on the quality of clips and films:

SD video (360 p, 480 p) - 2 Mbps.
HD video (720p) - 5 Mbps
Full-HD (1080p) - 8 Mbps.
Ultra-HD (2160p) - 30 Mbps

100 Mbps - this speed is more than enough for watching online videos in any quality. Because browsing is buffered, small drops in speed do not affect browsing.

For streams

You need a stable internet connection to organize streaming. For a quality stream, the speed should not fall below the critical level. For video stream:

480 p - 5 Mbps.
720 p - 10 Mbps.
1080 p - 20 Mbps

But these are risky values. The transmission is the most critical, since broadcasting is uploading data to the Internet, so we focus on it.

No matter how stable the Internet is, horse racing is still possible. The tariff is chosen so as to neutralize them.

We calculate the optimal speed for the Internet by multiplying the speed of a quality stream by 2.5. For example, let's calculate the speed for 480 p: 5 x 2.5 = 12.5 Mbps.

Taking into account the fact that the boundary values are risky, we select Upload at least 15 Mbps.

Online Games

Games are undemanding to speed parameters. For most popular games 512 Kbps is enough. This value is suitable for:

“Dota 2”.
"World of Warcraft".
“GTA”.
"World of Tanks".

But downloading the game and downloading updates at a speed of 512 Kbps will be very slow, since you will have to download tens of gigabytes. In order not to wait for hours, it is better to provide a speed of up to 70 Mbps.

For games, the determining factor is the quality of the communication channel, characterized by the ping parameter. Ping is the time it takes for a signal (request) to reach the server and return back (response). Ping is measured in milliseconds (ms).

Ping is affected by:

The reliability of the Internet provider, which consists in the ability to maintain the declared quality of the connection.
Distance from client to server. For example, the player is in Sevastopol, and the World of Warcraft game server is in London.

Acceptable ping values:

A constant ping value above 300ms on any server is considered a symptom serious problems network connection. The reaction time is extremely low.

For smartphones and tablets

If the device is connected to a router via Wi-Fi, it will work in the same way as a computer. The difference is that advanced sites offer pages for gadgets with convenient placement of information on a small screen.

But smartphones and tablets are "sharpened" for the mobile Internet. Mobile operators for working with the Internet offer:

3G standard - up to 4 Mbps;
4G standard - up to 80 Mbps.

The operator's website contains a coverage map with marked 3G and 4G zones. The relief of a specific area makes adjustments, then instead of 4G there will be 3G, and instead of 3G there will be 2G - the standard is too slow for the Internet.

4G communication is provided only by devices equipped with modern radio modules.

V mobile internet the client pays for traffic, not speed. A matter of choice normal speed the Internet for the device is not worth it. The user selects the appropriate amount of megabytes of traffic.

For video calls

voice calls - 100 Kbps;
video calls - 300 Kbps;
video calls (HD standard) - 5 Mbps;
voice video communication (five participants) - 4 Mbps (receive) 512 Kbps (transmit).

In practice, these values are multiplied by 2.5 to compensate for spikes.

Factors affecting connection speed

The following factors affect the quality of the connection:

The Wi-Fi standard supported by the devices.
The frequency at which the data is transmitted.
Walls and partitions in the signal path.
Computer and browser settings.
VPN and proxy.
Outdated drivers.
Interference from other networks.
Viruses and malware.

You can find out the current connection speed (it is better to check it at night) using the SpeedTest service. If it is very different from the one declared by the provider, you need to find the reason.

When choosing a connection speed, the number of users connected to Wi-Fi, the speed characteristics of tasks used in parallel mode and taken into account when choosing a suitable tariff are taken into account.

Conclusion

There are many ways to use the Internet. It is difficult to list all the tasks set. But among those considered, you need to find a similar one and decide on the connection.

Today, the Internet is needed in every home no less than water or electricity. And in every city there are tons of companies or small firms that can provide people with access to the Internet.

The user can choose any package for using the Internet from a maximum of 100 Mbit / s to a low speed for example 512 kb / s. How do you choose the right speed and the right internet provider for yourself?

Of course, you need to choose the speed of the Internet based on what you do on the network and how much you are willing to pay per month for Internet access. From my own experience, I want to say that the speed of 15 Mbit / s is quite suitable for me as a person who works on the network. Working on the Internet, I have 2 browsers turned on, and each has 20-30 tabs open, while problems arise more from the computer (for working with big amount you need a lot of tabs random access memory and a powerful processor) rather than from the side of the Internet speed. The only moment when you have to wait a little is the moment of the first launch of the browser, when all the tabs are loaded at the same time, but usually this takes no more than a minute.

1. What do the Internet speed values mean?

Many users confuse the Internet speed values thinking that 15Mb / s is 15 megabytes per second. In fact, 15Mb / s is 15 megabits per second, which is 8 times less than megabytes, and at the output we will get about 2 megabytes of download speed for files and pages. If you usually download movies for viewing in the size of 1500 MB, then at a speed of 15 Mbps the movie will be downloaded for 12-13 minutes.

We are watching a lot or a little of your internet speed

The speed is 512 kbps 512/8 = 64 kbps (this speed is not enough for watching online video);
The speed is 4 Mbit / s 4/8 = 0.5 MB / s or 512 kB / s (this speed is enough for watching online video in quality up to 480p);
The speed is 6 Mbit / s 6/8 = 0.75 MB / s (this speed is enough for watching online videos in quality up to 720p);
The speed is 16 Mbit / s 16/8 = 2 MB / s (this speed is enough to watch online video in quality up to 2K);
The speed is 30 Mbit / s 30/8 = 3.75 MB / s (this speed is enough to watch online video in quality up to 4K);
The speed is 60 Mbit / s 60/8 = 7.5 MB / s (this speed is enough to watch online videos in any quality);
The speed is 70 Mbit / s 60/8 = 8.75 MB / s (this speed is enough to watch online videos in any quality);
The speed is 100 Mbit / s 100/8 = 12.5 MB / s (this speed is enough to watch online videos in any quality).

Many people connecting to the Internet worry about the possibility of watching online video, let's see what kind of traffic is needed for films with different quality.

2. Internet speed required to watch online videos

And here you will find out a lot or a little of your speed for watching online videos with different formats quality.

Broadcast type	Video bitrate	Audio bitrate (stereo)	Traffic Mb / s (megabytes per second)
Ultra HD 4K	25-40 Mbps	384 kbps	from 2.6
1440p (2K)	10 Mbps	384 kbps	1,2935
1080p	8000 kbps	384 kbps	1,0435
720p	5000 kbps	384 kbps	0,6685
480p	2500 kbps	128 kbps	0,3285
360p	1000 kbps	128 kbps	0,141

We see that all the most popular formats are reproduced without problems at an Internet speed of 15 Mbps. But to watch video in 2160p (4K) format, you need at least 50-60 Mbps. but there is one BUT. I do not think that many servers will be able to distribute video of this quality while maintaining such a speed, so having connected the Internet at 100 Mbps, you can never watch online video in 4K.

3. Internet speed for online games

By connecting home Internet, every gamer wants to be 100% sure that his Internet speed will be sufficient to play his favorite game. But as it turns out, online games are not at all demanding on the speed of the Internet. Consider the speed required by popular online games:

DOTA 2 - 512 kbps
World of Warcraft - 512 kbps
GTA online - 512 kbps
World of Tanks (WoT) - 256-512 kbps.
Panzar - 512 kbps
Counter Strike - 256-512 kbps

Important! The quality of your game online is no longer dependent on the speed of the Internet, but on the quality of the channel itself. For example, if you (or your provider) get the Internet via satellite, then whatever package you use, the ping in the game will be much higher than that of a wired channel with a lower speed.

4. Why do you need the Internet more than 30 Mbps.

In exceptional cases, I might recommend using a faster connection of 50 Mbps or more. Not many will be able to provide such speed in full, the Internet to Home company is not the first year in this market and quite instills confidence, the more important is the stability of communication, and I want to believe that they are at their best here. A high speed Internet connection may be necessary when working with large amounts of data (downloading and uploading them from the network). Perhaps you are a fan of watching movies in excellent quality, or you download large-volume games every day, or upload large-volume video or work files to the Internet. To check the connection speed, you can use various online services, and to optimize the work, you need to do it.

By the way, the speed of 3 Mbps and below usually makes working on the network a little unpleasant, not all sites with online video work well, and downloading files is generally not happy.

Anyway, there is plenty to choose from on the Internet services market today. Sometimes, in addition to global providers, the Internet is offered by small-town firms, and often the level of their service is also at a height. The cost of services in such firms is, of course, much lower than that of large companies, but as a rule, the coverage of such firms is quite insignificant, usually within a region or two.