Average upload speed for WiFi: How fast is good and Ways to increase

WiFi internet connection is more and more popular these days thanks to its signature advantages like mobility, flexibility, and convenience. However, compared to the wired connection (Ethernet cable), the Wi-Fi connection appears to be slower and less stable. So what is the average upload speed for WiFi?

WiFi connection

Well, do you often connect to the internet using WiFi? Do you know that this type of internet connection is susceptible to things like distance, wireless interference, and physical obstructions?

So, what should you do to improve your WiFi upload internet speeds? How to speed up Youtube upload time? Sure, there are many solutions to boost your WiFi internet speeds. Right in this blog post, MySpeed will share with you simple but effective ways to have faster speeds for your WiFi connection.

First, let’s spend a few minutes learning what is a good upload speed.

What is a good WiFi upload speed?

Upload and download speeds are two important specs used to measure how good an internet connection is, no matter whether it is a wireless or wired connection.

Wireless internet

Upload speed, what exactly is it?

While download speed represents the rate at which your device can receive data (in the form of text, audio, videos, photos, ...) from the internet, upload speed refers to how fast the data is transferred from your device to somewhere on the internet.

Both download and upload speeds are measured in megabits per second - Mbps. The higher the Mbps value, the faster the internet speed.

Does upload speed matter?

In actuality, good download speed is considered more important than upload speed. That's because a large portion of online activities that average users regularly do use download bandwidth. Streaming video on Netflix, downloading large files, web browsing, online gaming, and many other activities all require downloading data.

Since most common online activities rely on receiving or downloading data rather than uploading, internet service providers give their priority to download speeds. But it doesn't mean upload speeds are not important at all.

Good download and upload speed

To be exact, we are also uploading at the time, but the amount of data involved is often too small. However, it's worth noting that sometimes, good upload speeds, not download speeds, are all that users need. 

Without a good internet speed for uploading, it’s hard for you to effectively do things like broadcasting a live stream on YouTube, sharing photos or videos on social media, attaching large files to Gmail messages, and more. 

In other words, whenever you engage in activities requiring uploading large amounts of data, fast internet upload speeds significantly matter for sure.

Good upload speeds for WiFi

As per highspeedinternet.com, FCC has defined broadband or high-speed internet as a connection with a minimum download speed of 25 Mbps and a minimum upload speed of 3 Mbps. Though some people need more Mbps while others need fewer, that’s a good speed for most average internet users.

25 Mbps for download speed

With 25 Mbps, you can watch Netflix shows or YouTube videos, attend Zoom meetings, gaming PS4, etc. But 25 Mbps is not good to play FPS games, stream 4K videos, download and save large files in a few minutes, ... However, 25 Mbps seems too much for basic activities like streaming music on Spotify, web surfing, using social media, checking emails, and more.

Fast internet speeds

3 Mbps for upload speed

Similarly, the upload speed of 3 Mbps is also enough to support activities like gaming, video calls on Skype, etc. But you will need more speed for broadcasting live streams, or group video calls in 1080p HD on Zoom. In contrast, for activities mainly involving downloading, 3 Mbps seems to be a very good internet speed for sure.

So, what is truly a good upload speed for WiFi?

Well, what we want to make clear here is that "a good upload speed" is determined by different factors, including the types of online activities you engage in, and how many people or devices using the connection.

Average WiFi speed

If you are a single user and just use the internet for basic activities that don't require sending large amounts of data, well, the speed of 1.5 Mbps for uploading might be called a good internet speed. 

But for office or home networks with multiple devices frequently uploading or sending data, the internet upload needs to be so fast to be considered a good upload speed for WiFi.

In a nutshell, what are good Wi-Fi upload speeds? Well, it depends on how you (and other people) use the internet, right? Don't forget that WiFi signals travel through the air, and the connection is not as strong and fast as the wired one. Hence in some cases, you might want higher upload speeds for WiFi to ensure perfect internet experiences.

To know what upload speed you should have for different things; check out the next part of this writing.

See also: Wifi upload speed faster than download

Upload speeds for common activities

So, how much speed of uploading do you need for gaming, live streaming, and making video calls?

Online games

For gaming

You don't need fast internet upload speeds for playing games. Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One just require at least 1Mbps, 2Mbps, and 0,5Mbps, respectively, to enjoy the games.

For live streaming

Different live streaming platforms have specific internet requirements for broadcasting a live stream.

Twitch recommends the bitrate ranges between 3,000 and 6,000 Kbps, while YouTube requires the video bitrate ranges of 20,000-51,000 Kbps for the highest resolution (4K/2160p at 60 frame rates per second) and 300-700 Kbps for the lowest resolution (240p).

Note that bitrate is the amount of data sent over a period of time. The higher the bitrate, the higher the upload bandwidth is required.

For video calls on Skype and Zoom

• For Skype:

At least 128 Kbps for both upload and download speed.

• For Zoom:

With one-on-one calling, it’s required at least 600 Kbps for both download and upload speed. 

With group calling, the speeds need to be at least 800 Kbps for upload and 1 Mbps for download. 

Skype

How to increase WiFi upload speed?

Many reasons can cause your WiFi internet speed to be slower than it should be. Well, do you want to know how to increase youtube upload speed, or how to have a better speed for your video calls, …? 

Following are some quick, simple suggestions for boosting upload speeds.

Get closer to the router

The further away from your wireless router, the poorer the WiFi connection and the slower the speed. So, try getting as close as possible to the router to see if you can upload faster. This way, you can also limit the effects of wireless interference and physical obstructions. 

Restart the router

How long has it been since the last time you restarted your router? If it's been a while, then now is time for you to do so. Reboot the device and notice whether the speed gets better.

Higher speeds

Close unnecessary programs on your devices

Close not-in-use apps that you don’t need to have running, especially ones using your upload bandwidth. This way, you will have more bandwidth to use, speeding up the connection.

Cut off unused devices

The more devices using the network at the same time, the more bandwidth is required. So, if you are running low on bandwidth, try removing other devices that don't immediately need to get the internet. 

Upload at non-peak hours 

If you need to upload data right away, this method is unhelpful. But it's true that uploading during non-peak hours is faster, so this solution is still good to consider when you want to speed up Youtube upload or upload something at quicker speeds. 

Use newer devices

If the device you are using to upload is outdated, it might be the cause for slower-than-actual speed. Try accessing the internet using newer devices, then run a speed test to see if the upload speed is faster or not.

Internet service provider

Upgrade your internet plan 

If your current internet plan offers too slow upload speeds for your needs, it appears that all of the above solutions can't help. Consider opting for a new internet package that offers better internet upload speeds if you frequently do activities involving uploading large amounts of data. Along with asymmetrical connections, Internet service providers also provide symmetrical internet connections - the connection with equal download and upload speeds.

Wrapping up

As you can see, upload speed also matters to our internet experiences. Many activities require fast internet speed for uploading data, and "what is a good WiFi upload speed" depends on how you use the connection. That’s all for this post: “Average upload speed for WiFi: How fast is good & Ways to increase”; hope you found it helpful.