What is the average upload speed for wifi? Fastest ISP in 2021

Each type of connection offers different internet speeds as its strength to compete with others. What is the average upload speed for Wifi? What good internet speed do you need for online activities? This article will help you make sense of a good network connection and then take the right internet plan that suits your needs. 

What is a good upload and download speed for wifi?

How to measure internet speed?

Internet speed refers to how much data your network allows you to receive (download speed) or send (upload speed) per second. Because digital data is delivered in both directions: download and upload so that to measure internet speeds, people check the speed of download and upload. 

For most basic activities, download speed plays a significant role and you often see advertised download speeds. That’s when you stream TV, download music, and browse social media. Whilst, upload speed determines the amount of data is delivered from your PC/ devices to the Internet. Upload speeds are important for video conferencing and transferring huge files to a server or cloud.

The speed is displayed in both situations as bits per second (bps). An internet connection transports thousands of bits each second, we use the prefixes k, M, and G to indicate the number of thousands of bits. If you're familiar with the metric system, you'll know that "k" equals 1,000, "M" equals 1,000k (1,000,000), and "G" equals 1,000M. (1,000,000,000).

Measurement of internet speed

In reality, you often see Mbps more regularly than others due to the fact that Mbps speeds are more suited to the purposes for which we use the internet. When it comes to internet speeds, there are some common confusing terms. Keep reading to distinguish them.

The difference between Mbps and Gbps

• One Mbps stands for one Megabit per second.

• One Gbps is one Gigabit per second or 1,000 Megabits. (1 Gbps is the maximum speed for most household Internet services, hence fiber providers sometimes promote "gigabit service" or "gig speed.")

If you just do simple activities such as sending an email or downloading a photo, the speed of Mbps is enough. However, selecting Gbps speed is better if you watch streaming tv or play heavily-graphic online games, downloading large files.

The difference between bits and bytes

• Bits: The speed at which you can move data

• Bytes: The amount of data you use

For example, a typical cable Internet package provides a download speed of 150 Mbps with a data cap of 1024 GigaBytes (GB).

The difference between MB and GB

• MB: MegaByte (a million bytes of data)

• GB: GigaByte (a billion bytes of data)

The word GB is frequently used in combination with data limits, which are used by certain carriers to limit the amount of data you may consume. These can be hard-capped (service is unavailable after surpassing the specified amount) or soft capped, which means you will just experience slower speeds – and possibly additional costs.

The difference between bandwidth and speed

• Speed: the maximum rate at which data is delivered through the Internet (Mbps)

• Bandwidth: the maximum amount of data that are delivered through the internet (Mbps)

Understanding the difference between speed and bandwidth can help you choose the best internet service for your requirements.

Difference between bandwidth and speed

What good internet speed do you need?

Which sort of internet connection you need depends on which online activities you often do.

 

• Light internet use: You only use the internet for basic tasks such as email, news reading, rudimentary video, phone calls, web browsing, and music streaming.

• Moderate usage: You engage in all of the activities listed under "Light" use, as well as one of the following: streaming HD video, HD video calling, multi-party video conferencing, online gaming, or telecommuting.

• High usage: You do everything in the "Light" use category and more than one of the “Moderate” uses.

Number of devices	Light use	Moderate use	High use
A single device	Basic	Basic	Medium
2 devices at a time	Basic	Medium	Medium/Advanced
3 devices at a time	Medium	Medium	Advanced
4 devices at a time	Medium	Advanced	Advanced

You are able to classify your demands for internet bandwidth based on online activities and the number of connected devices at the same time. For basic service, a good internet speed of 3 to 8 Mbps is enough. Medium service and advanced service will require from 12 to 25 Mbps, above 25 Mbps respectively.

It’s fast enough for you to send an email, web surfing, voice calls on a single device at 3 Mbps. This is still fine for 2 devices at a time. However, if there are 3 or more multiple devices connected simultaneously, switch to the medium service.

Basic service is just sufficient for those who use a single device at a time. They can do most based-internet activities even streaming videos at HD, 4K resolution, online gaming, or video conferencing. However, this case is difficult to happen in reality. Consider medium service or advanced when there are two or more users if you don’t want a slow internet connection. 

There are too many devices connected, you should select high use service

Keep in mind that the more devices you use, the more high-demand programs you run, the further your home network moves into the high use range. Ask yourself these questions before choosing a good internet plan.

• How many devices are connected and active at the same time?

• How many people use Netflix, YouTube, or another video-streaming service?

• Are you playing competitive gaming online on your home Wi Fi?

• Do you have to submit huge files for work on a regular basis?

• Do you routinely stream 4K video, or do you prefer to perform simple internet tasks?

• Do you become easily upset when your game lags or your website takes a long time to load?

What is a good upload and download speed for wifi?

Whats a good upload speed for wifi? How much speed is good for you? That depends on your bandwidth demand. Select a good type of connection to get higher speeds.

Connection type	Download speed	Upload speeds
Fiber internet	100–2,000 Mbps	100–2,000 Mbps
Cable internet	25–1,000 Mbps	5–50 Mbps
DSL internet	0.5–100 Mbps	Up to 1.5 Mbps
Satellite internet	Up to 100 Mbps	Up to 3 Mbps

Data from highspeedinternet.com

Like the table above, Fiber and cable internet are your best bets for fast internet speeds. Fiber-optic connection is also a good alternative for speed consistency since it is less susceptible to slow speeds during high usage times than cable.

AT&T, CenturyLink, Cox, Frontier FiberOptic, Optimum, Spectrum, Suddenlink, Verizon Fios, Xfinity, and Windstream are some of the most popular cable or fiber-optic internet service providers. Most internet service providers offer internet speeds ranging from 940 to 1,000 Mbps in certain places, but Xfinity is the only service that now offers an internet speed of up to 2,000 Mbps.

Fastest ISP in 2021

Company	Download speed	Upload speed	Cost
Xfinity Internet	50 Mbps - 2,000 Mbps	5 Mbps - 2,000 Mbps	$45 and Up
Mediacom Internet	60 Mbps - 1000 Mbps	5 Mbps - 50 Mbps	$29.99 and Up
AT&T Internet	0.8 Mbps - 940 Mbps	0.4 Mbps - 940 Mbps	$35 and Up
Verizon Internet	200 Mbps - 940 Mbps	200 Mbps - 880 Mbps	$39.99 and Up
Frontier Internet	Up to 940 Mbps	Up to 880 Mbps	$34.99 and Up

Data advertised speed from https://www.usnews.com/

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines internet speeds above 25 Mbps as fast internet connection. In detail, the minimum upload speed of 3 Mbps and minimum download speed of 25 Mbps is fast internet connections. To determine the average cost of high-speed internet, you are able to check the internet plans offered in your region as well as compare their download speeds and upload speeds, data caps.

Xfinity

Xfinity ranks first position in the list of the fastest ISP in 2021. Its Gigabit Pro fiber internet plan can offer a good internet speed with up to 2 Gbps download and upload speeds.

However, this is also the most expensive internet plan on our list, the plan starts at $299 monthly. Its data cap is 1.2 TB but you need to sign a 12-month contract. Xfinity Internet is available in various states so that you can easily register it. 

Xfinity is available in various states

Mediacom

The internet service provider Mediacom ranks No.2 of the fastest internet providers of 2021. It can provide the maximum download speeds of 1Gbps while a good upload speed can be given just 50 Mbps. The plan has a data cap of 6GB and you don’t need to get a contract.

For new users, they will need to pay $79.99 for the first year and $139.99 for subsequent years. Mediacom claims that with this package, everyone in your home may be on a device at the same time without bearing slow internet speeds.

AT&T

AT&T Internet 1000 data package is a fiber internet service with download speeds of up to 940 Mbps and upload speeds of equal magnitude. According to the AT&T internet provider, the plan allows internet users to download a 1 GB file in under a minute and watch videos in 4K Ultra-high-definition (HD) on multiple devices. 

The plan does not have a data cap, but consumers may need to sign a 12-month contract to get the best rate. It is generally $60 per month and accessible in 21 states.

AT&T multiple users can watch streaming video, download large files simultaneously

Verizon Fios

The Verizon Fios Gigabit Connection is a fiber service that offers download speeds of up to 940 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 880 Mbps. Good Mbps upload is great for video chat, send files even minimum upload speed of this plan is good for many users. The Gigabit Connection costs $79.99 per month and includes unlimited bandwidth with no obligation.

Verizon also offers two different fiber options with equal download and upload speeds, starting at $39.99 per month for a 200 Mbps plan and $59.99 per month for a 400 Mbps plan. Verizon provides DSL internet service in regions where Fios is not accessible.

Frontier

Standing the last position in our list is Frontier. Its FiberOptic 1Gbps Service package starts at $79.99 per month and features download speed and upload speeds of up to 940 Mbps and 880 Mbps, respectively. The plan has no data internet speed restriction and is ideal for multiple devices households, at-home business owners, online gaming players, and smart homes.

Frontier provides a good internet speed

How to increase wifi upload speed?

Using a speed test, wifi upload speed slow or slow download speed or even both slow, how to get faster speeds?

• Use wired connection: If possible or you take up the majority amount of bandwidth like streaming, playing heavy-graphic games, the ethernet cable is better. 

• Turn off all unnecessary devices/ applications: Even you are not using them, they still can be consuming your bandwidth. That’s might be why your average wifi speed is slow.

• Restart both the modem and the router: Unplug the power cables, wait one minute, and then reconnect them. Connected devices should be restarted on a regular basis to improve wi fi signal performance.

Restart your router

• Change your VPN: Consider switching to a different VPN service if your VPN is slowing down your online experience.

• Replace your router: Place your router far from 2.4 GHz devices such as Microwave, Bluetooth, baby monitor, or hard building materials such as glass, concrete

• Change your router: Each router should be used in 3-5 years. Using an older router can influence wi fi connection. Consult with your service provider to see whether upgrading your equipment will help you enhance your fast internet speed.

• Change your Wifi password: Maybe your average speeds are not good due to others stealing the bandwidth that you don’t know. To prevent illegal usage, you can also password-protect the wireless network.

Change Wifi password to get better speed test result

• Install a Wifi extender: A WiFi repeater or extender is a device that extends the range of your WiFi network. Your download speed and upload speed are spread most corners in your house. Even playing online gaming, you still get a seamless experience.

• Contact your internet providers to check for problems outside the home. A faulty connection in an outdoor utility box might be the source of the problem. Your service provider can dispatch a technician to test for this and fixed wireless issues.

• Find new internet providers that offer faster speeds.

If you see Youtube upload speed slow, you still try out these tips to get more speed to do online smoothly.