How much bandwidth customers need depends on what they plan to do online.
Streaming Services
Most people are surprised to learn that the size of your TV or the size of the video window on the computer screen have no impact on the amount of bandwidth the service uses. With most streaming services, the more motion/action in the picture the more bandwidth the service requires. Also, the higher the definition of the picture you are streaming the more bandwidth required.
Most TVs, DVD players, or streaming players (like a Roku) will have a buffer that allows a small amount of video to be downloaded to the device before it is displayed on the screen allowing the device to overcome minor interruptions in video downloaded. Some devices are better at overcoming video problems than others. In addition, some streaming content providers can be configured to make minor adjustments in your picture definition to adjust for a lack of bandwidth available. Streamed video is a complicated process, you should check with your streaming video provider to get a better understanding of how they operate.
Online Gaming Consoles
Depending on the settings, it is not uncommon for a gaming console such as an Xbox or PlayStation to use as much as 15 to 20 Mbps of bandwidth. Customers having bandwidth issues where gaming consoles are involved should try un- plugging the gaming console from the wall completely to see if the bandwidth issues are resolved. Also, the more remote features that are configured on the console, the more bandwidth the console will use.
How Bandwidth is Used
As you can see from the above information, it can be easy to “max out” the capability of your broadband connection. Using an online gaming console and watching Netflix at the same time can use between 8 and 30 Mbps! A 4 Mbps broadband connection is not capable of handling that much activity! You can adjust your bandwidth usage by turning off some of the devices until your use does not exceed your broadband service size, however if your current broadband connection is just not meeting your bandwidth needs, call our office at (800) 624-0082, we may be able to upgrade your service to a higher bandwidth plan.
