What is more important Upload or Download speed? Detailed information!

What is more important Upload or Download speed? 

Online experiences are heavily influenced by download and upload speeds. 

While you view Netflix video calls or use smart home devices like cameras, smart washers, dryers, etc, they are simultaneously uploading and downloading data. 

Download and upload happen around us daily, however, there are still many people confused about the differences between Download vs Upload speed and their roles.

If you’re also in this situation, let’s dive into this article to understand more about these 2 metrics.

What is more important Upload or Download speed?

Download vs. Upload speed

Let’s start with the first basic measurement of an internet connection.

Digital data is transferred in 2 ways from your devices to the Internet.

They are downloading and uploading.

Download speed is how quickly you receive data over the internet, whereas upload speed is how quickly you send it.

What is a Download?

Are you wondering “What is download speed or What is Mbps download?”?

Download speed refers to the number of megabits of data per second (Mbps) required to download data from a server in the form of photos, videos, text, files, and audio to your device.

In general, your download speed is determined partially by your ISP and internet plan. 

Besides, some other possible reasons include

• Age of the devices ( Desktop computer, laptop, tablet, modem).

• Type of internet connection ( Cable, fiber, satellite, DSL, or cellular)

• Number of users

• ….

What is download speed?

Activities that are dependent on download speed such as

• Streaming a Netflix movie or program.

• Online purchasing.

• Going through social media.

• Watching YouTube videos.

• Reading articles on the internet.

• Music streaming services.

• ….

What is an Upload?

Contrary to download speed, upload speed is the rate at which you may transmit data from your computer to another device or server on the internet.

Uploading speed also depends on your internet package.

A higher plan will allow users to send large files, video chat freely without any internet issues. 

Certain activities do need some upload bandwidth. 

Some of the following activities may cause reduced internet speeds or buffering if you don't have enough upload bandwidth:

• Conference calls or video calls.

• Tournament-style gaming in real-time.

• Sending big attachments through email.

• Data backup to internet or cloud storage services.

• Social media video uploading.

• Working with real-time, cloud-hosted documents such as Google Sheets or Docs.

What is upload speed?

Difference between download and upload

To sum up, the download works inversely with the upload.

Through several simple examples of online activities that require downloading data or uploading data, hope you distinguish.

Furthermore, the picture below visualizes the transferring way of both metrics.

Take a look at this and remember about the difference between them better.

The difference between Download vs. Upload speed

What is more important Upload or Download speed?

When registering internet services, the download speed is frequently advertised. 

Most providers prioritize download speed over upload speed since most internet activities require more download capacity than upload bandwidth.

Upload speeds for residential internet are sometimes 1/10 of your download speed.

What is more important: Upload vs Download speed?

For the ordinary internet user, download speeds are far more significant than upload speeds because the majority of your activity is dependent on them. 

For example, download speeds are used when streaming videos, but upload speeds are only used when a user uploads an image to social sites.

However, fiber internet connections are an exception. Upload internet speeds that match download speeds are common among fiber internet providers.

Activities that are dependent on download and upload speed

Generally, the download speed is higher than the upload speed.

Nowadays, this feature is changing gradually.

Especially, when a dramatic Covid-19 epidemic has occurred, the demand for faster uploading has increased sharply.

During Covid-19, billions of people must work and learn at home. 

Sending more emails

Doing more video calls

Uploading more videos to Youtube or Tiktok to earn money online,....

All require uploading data.

Thus, both download speed and upload speed are essential to internet users.

What is a good download speed?

What is a normal download speed?

That’s a download speed of 25 Mbps. 

Your speed should be at least 25 Mbps because it is acceptable according to the FCC's basic broadband standard. 

With this speed, just only one person can do video conferences, play an online game, or do other online activities without interrupting.  

The normal download speed is at least 25 Mbps

However, keep in mind that the number of devices, internet users, and online activities in your home can all influence what is deemed a reasonable download speed for your family.

So, What is a good download speed?

Now, it’s believed that anything over 100 Mbps will be better.

A download speed of 100Mbps is suitable for most families of more than 4 people.

What is a good upload speed?

Upload speeds of 3 Mbps are generally regarded as acceptable because they satisfy the FCC’s minimum standard. 

However, if you or anybody in your family often uploads movies to YouTube or works from home, you may want a plan with faster upload speeds.

Good upload speed 

 

That should comfortably support most tasks that require data uploadings, such as HD video calls and online gaming. 

Of course, as with download speeds, faster speeds will almost certainly provide a better experience.

What’s a good speed for my connection type?

Most internet providers offer various speeds at different prices.

However, internet performance is also impacted by the internet type.

Connection type	Advertised download speeds	Advertised upload speeds
DSL	3–145 Mbps	1–20 Mbps
Cable	25–1000 Mbps	1–50 Mbps
Fixed wireless	25–300 Mbps	1–50 Mbps
Fiber	30–5000 Mbps	30–5000 Mbps
Satellite	12–350 Mbps	3 Mbps

 

If you frequently make YouTube videos and want to upgrade your internet so you don't have to wait so long when uploading them, your current provider won't be able to significantly reduce your wait times if they only offer DSL. 

On the other hand, even the slowest fiber plans offer faster upload speeds than DSL, so switching may even save you money on your monthly bill.

Thus, you should also consider the type of connection you are going to choose.

Check your download and upload speeds with a speed test

What are your current download and upload?

Want to check them?

Are they good enough?

Using a free tool to make an upload and download speed test, you can find out what your internet upload - download speed is. 

Moreover, both Ping and Jitter are also measured in a speed test. 

These include speedtest.net by Ookla, fast.com by Netflix, and gospeedcheck.com by MySpeed… 

You could track outages and log your speeds on different days and at different times using the free programs provided.

To ensure consistency and determine whether you need to upgrade your Wi-Fi connection at home, we recommend testing internet speeds in several areas of your home. 

How to check internet speed?