Exploring Internet Connections From Slowest To Fastest

Did you know that there are 245 million internet users in the United States of America alone? When it comes to internet speed, there is no doubting that the slowest internet is the worst. Anyone that grew up during the 90s or early 2000s knows all about the difficulties that come with broadband internet.

Technology continues to change at a rapid pace and internet speeds are changing with technology. There are different technologies used with the internet that produce a massive boost in internet speed that you and your household get to enjoy.

If you’ve never thought about the different internet connections and speeds then you’ve come to the perfect place to learn about them. Continue reading this article to learn all about the different types of internet connections and the internet speeds that they provide.

What Is Internet Speed?

You might be wondering what internet speed is and why you should care. The speed of your mobile connection or internet is determined by the amount of data packets that get transferred through your connection. It is measured during a particular time period as a means to determine the internet speed.

This works when your mobile device or computer connects to the internet and transfers these data packets to other devices. Anything that you do on the internet, from gaming to using social media, uses these data packets to work. It should come as no surprise that the internet uses a ton of data.

Online gaming, online shopping, and social media use all require tons of data packets every second in order to work in the way that you want them to. This is especially noticeable if you’re using a social media platform like TikTok or if you’re trying to stream your favorite shows and movies.

If you don’t have a fast enough internet connection then you’ll be stuck watching these videos a few frames at a time. This is because your internet can’t transfer the data packets at a fast enough rate for the videos to load. Having a good internet speed is more important than ever as students take remote classes and employees work on a remote basis.

How Is Internet Speed Measured?

There are two different things that you should test in order to determine your internet speed. The first thing to look at is your download speed. Your download speed is the speed that information reaches your devices from other devices on the internet. This is noticed when you open an app and wait for it to load.

If your apps take a while to load when you first open them on your device, that is a sign that your download speeds are slow with your internet connection.

The other thing you should test when you’re looking into your internet speed is your upload speed. Your upload speed is how long it takes for you to upload or send data from your device onto the internet. This is noticed most often when you choose to post content on social media. Poor upload speeds will make posting take much longer than if you had fast internet.

Types of Internet from Slowest to Fastest

Now that you’re up to speed (pun intended) on how the internet works and the different things to look at for your internet speed, it is time to learn about the different types of internet. Each type is capable of different levels of data packet transfer. This means that there are some types of internet connections that are better if you need a fast internet connection.

Here is a closer look at the different types of internet available today.

Dial-Up

Millennials will all remember the joy of using dial-up internet as children. The strange noises and the difficulties using the internet while someone else in the household uses the phone are classic and bring back a tinge of nostalgia. It is also important to remember that dial-up internet is the slowest form of internet.

Dial-up internet uses a phone connection to connect you to the worldwide web. It works by using a telephone line to hook into the internet and give you the speed to browse or shop. The internet speed that you should expect from a dial-up internet connection is an impressive 56 kilobits per second.

This makes dial-up internet almost ten times slower than the slowest broadband internet connection. It is a much worse option than going with analogue or optical internet services. This is an option that you shouldn’t even consider unless there are no other options available to you for internet service.

Wireless Internet

Wireless internet is a faster form of internet connection than dial-up and it provides enough speed for most professionals to get work done. Wireless internet can come through a mobile connection through your smartphone or it could be through WiFi provided by your cable and internet provider.

Wireless internet tends to produce internet speeds that are similar to the lower range of cable internet speeds. The real issue with wireless internet starts to occur when too many people are connected. This drags down the internet speeds for everyone using it. Another big limit for internet speed with wireless internet is the WiFi technology you’re using.

The router and modem play a big role in determining how fast your wireless internet works. This is especially true if you’re using a VPN. Be sure to compare Express VPN to the other options on the market today.

DSL

DSL internet connections are similar to dial-up internet in that they use phone lines to provide the data transfer. The big difference is that DSL is capable of much greater internet speeds. You can expect internet speeds in the same realm as what you’d get from cable internet services.

It works by using space on the phone line that goes unused in order to transfer information to the internet. The big factor that determines if you can get DSL internet is how far you’re located from the service provider’s facilities. Phone line conditions also play a big role in your internet speed.

Cable Internet

Cable internet is one of the most popular forms of the internet in use today. Cable internet uses coaxial lines to transfer data packets to and from your devices and computers. These cables are run by the cable companies in your area and they’re used to offer internet access to the households and consumers in the area.

It works by connecting a coaxial cable to your TV cable modem in order to generate the internet connection. From there, you’ll need to run an ethernet cable from the back of the modem to your computer or your router.

A good rule of thumb when it comes to cable internet is to expect average to slightly above average internet speed. Most cable internet connections will provide you with internet speeds between 1 megabit per second and 20 megabits per second. This is plenty of internet speed to participate in streaming or online gaming.

Fiber Internet

Fiber internet is the most recent internet technology to become available to the public. It is also the fastest way to get internet for your family and household. With this massive increase in speed comes higher prices. It all comes down to how important having fast internet speeds is to your household.

Fiber internet works by sending the data packets through cables. The data packets are converted from electricity into light and then that light gets sent through the cable. The fiberoptic cables are filled with small fragments of glass that help the light travel at amazing speeds.

This helps your data get from your devices to the receiving location of the internet signals at staggering speeds. This is especially true when compared to the other internet options available on the market today. More and more areas are gaining access to the internet over fiberoptic cables.

This is the perfect internet option for families that have multiple people using the internet for large portions of the day. With more and more people working from home and learning from home, fiberoptic internet connections are a valuable thing to have.

Fiber internet is also the perfect solution for any household that has someone that loves online gaming. Poor internet connections result in high amounts of lag which takes away from the gaming experience. It also makes it difficult to download new games and the updates that come with them.

You’ll also find streaming shows and movies to be much easier when you invest in a fiberoptic internet connection. With fiber internet, you can expect internet speeds in the hundreds of megabits per second range. Some fiber internet connections even allow for gigabit internet speeds.

Invest in the Internet for Your Home Today

The internet is a wonderful tool for learning, social interaction, as well as gaming. More people are using the internet than ever before and that doesn’t look to change any time soon. Even if you’re working with one of the slowest connections, you can still get value from your internet connection.

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