Understanding internet speeds can be complicated and confusing. What is a ‘good’ internet speed, and how do you know which speed is right for your home?
What is a good internet speed?
The term ‘internet speed’ simply means how fast your internet connection sends and receives data. No matter how you use the internet, you’ll need a speed that allows you to access or send that data without buffering, long wait times, or your connection timing out completely.
Internet speed is measured in megabits per second (Mbps), which indicates the number of megabits of data your internet plan can download and upload in one second.
You can safely say you’re getting a good internet speed if you’re recording download speeds of at least 25Mbps. While there are higher speed home internet plans available, 25Mbps will comfortably support most online activity such as high definition (HD) video streaming, basic online gaming, web browsing and general downloads.
However, if you’re expecting your home internet to support multiple devices and users at once, or simply want an improved experience, consider internet plans with download speeds of 50Mbps or higher. These speeds don’t just let you send or receive data quickly, but also give your connection more capacity, so more people can be online simultaneously.
Generally, most users prefer a fast download speed as this is what you’ll need for activities like video streaming, gaming, or browsing social media. However, a good upload speed will also make activities like posting media, saving files to the cloud or making video calls much faster and more reliable. If sending data is important to you, look for plans with at least 10Mbps upload speeds.
What internet speed do I need?
There are a number of factors that determine the internet speed you need for your household. As a guide, consider the following:
- How many people are in the house and will they be using the internet simultaneously?
- How many devices require connection to a WiFi network and will they all be used at the same time? This includes not just computers, phones and tablets, but also gaming consoles, smart TVs, smart home assistants, security systems, etc.
- What do you use the internet for? (General web browsing, sending emails, streaming video and music, online gaming, video calls, uploading and downloading large files, etc.)
Internet speeds compared
Below is a general guide on how different internet speeds compare, using the maximum download speeds offered by NBN’s residential speed tiers. We’ve calculated the estimated time each speed would take to download a 50GB (gigabyte) game update.
Please note that download times are approximate and depend on your internet provider, connection, plan and time of day.
12Mbps
- Recommended household size: 1-2 people, light users
- Recommended use: Light web browsing, emails and house phone
- Approximate time to download a 50GB game: 10 hours
25Mbps
- Recommended household size: 2-3 people, light to moderate users
- Recommended use: Moderate web browsing, social media browsing, sending emails, SD video streaming, music streaming
- Approximate time to download a 50GB game: 5 hours
50Mbps
- Recommended household size: 3-4 people, moderate to heavy users
- Recommended use: HD video streaming, music streaming, online gaming, sharing/uploading photos, video calling
- Approximate time to download a 50GB game: 2 ½ hours
100Mbps
- Recommended household size: 5+ people, heavy users
- Recommended use: 4K video streaming, downloading large files (faster uploading with 100/40 speeds), online gaming, heavy internet use over multiple devices simultaneously
- Approximate time to download a 50GB game: 1 ¼ hour
500Mbps
- Recommended household size: 6+ people, heavy users
- Recommended use: Concurrent 4K video streaming, uploading/downloading large files, online gaming, heavy internet use over multiple devices simultaneously, uninterrupted video calls
- Approximate time to download a 50GB game: <14 mins
750Mbps
- Recommended household size: 6+ people, heavy users
- Recommended use: Concurrent 4K video streaming, uploading/downloading large files, online gaming, heavy internet use over multiple devices simultaneously, uninterrupted video calls
- Approximate time to download a 50GB game: <9 mins
1000Mbps
- Recommended household size: 6+ people, heavy users
- Recommended use: Concurrent 4K video streaming, uploading/downloading large files, online gaming, heavy internet use over multiple devices simultaneously, seamless high quality calls
- Approximate time to download a 50GB game: <7 mins
2000Mbps
- Recommended household size: 6+ people, heavy users
- Recommended use: Concurrent 4K video streaming, uploading/downloading large files, online gaming, heavy internet use over multiple devices simultaneously, seamless high quality calls
- Approximate time to download a 50GB game: <4 mins
Good internet speeds by broadband type
Good internet speeds for NBN and fibre internet
Most Australian households are now connected to the NBN, which currently offers eight main residential speed tiers. The speeds listed are the maximum download and upload speeds customers on each tier can access (although some plans and providers may allow you to slightly surpass maximum download speeds in some circumstances).
- Home Basic I or NBN 12: 12Mbps download, 1Mbps upload
- Home Basic II or NBN 25: 25Mbps download, 5Mbps or 10Mbps upload
- Home Standard or NBN 50: 50Mbps download, 20Mbps upload
- Home Fast I or NBN 100: 100Mbps download, 20Mbps or 40Mbps upload
- Home Fast II or NBN 500: 500Mbps download, 50Mbps upload
- Home Superfast or NBN 750: 750Mbps download, 50Mbps upload
- Home Ultrafast or NBN 1000: 1000Mbps download, 100Mbps upload
- Home Hyperfast or NBN 2000: 2000Mbps download, 100Mbps or 200Mbps upload
According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), NBN 50 is the most popular NBN speed tier in Australia. Download speeds of 50Mbps should be more than enough for web browsing, social media and HD video streaming. NBN 50 may be one of the fastest speeds available to some NBN connection types.
When you’re comparing NBN plans, you may notice reference to ‘evening’ or ‘typical’ speeds — this might be in the name of the plan itself or the provider’s NBN speed guide. These terms refer to the average speeds during evening peak times (between the hours of 7pm and 11pm) when there is typically more congestion on the network.
When choosing a new NBN plan, look at the ‘typical evening speeds’ a provider advertises to determine how fast a plan actually is.
Good internet speeds for home wireless and mobile broadband
As with NBN or other fibre internet, a good speed for home wireless (4G and 5G home internet) or mobile broadband will generally begin at 25Mbps for downloads.
4G home internet and mobile broadband plans can typically reach speeds of up to 25Mbps, while 5G home internet and mobile broadband is capable of speeds between 300Mbps to 500Mbps.
However, some providers may cap your internet speeds, especially on 5G. Several telcos offer 5G home internet plans with download speed caps of 50Mbps or 100Mbps, which typically cost less than plans with no speed restrictions.
As 5G connections are much faster than 4G, customers looking for this technology type specifically will probably prefer plans with at least 50Mbps to support higher internet usage.
Good internet speeds for satellite internet
Starlink’s satellite internet is available across Australia and offers average peak hour download speeds from 100Mbps and up (depending on your plan), so plans are more than fast enough to cover even intensive internet usage and big households.
In comparison, customers on NBN’s Sky Muster satellite can select plans with speeds starting at 12Mbps, up to 100Mbps (with average peak hour speeds of 50Mbps).
What can impact a good internet speed?
The actual speeds you experience on your plan can be impacted by a range of factors, such as:
- Your internet connection type.
- Your distance from the server you’re trying to connect to.
- Network congestion (how busy the network in your area is at any time).
- Mobile network coverage (only applicable to home wireless and mobile broadband).
The evening peak busy time between 7pm and 11pm can also have a significant impact on performance. This is why it’s a good idea to look at a plan’s average typical or evening speeds, not just the advertised maximum.
If the speeds you’re experiencing aren’t what you’re paying for, get in touch with your internet provider.
What is a good internet speed for gaming?
Plans with 50Mbps download speeds or more are currently recommended by NBN Co for online gaming, however a small household might be able to manage with 25Mbps. For more intensive online gaming and regular game downloading, households may want to look at a minimum speed of 100Mbps, or even 500Mbps or more for multi-player homes.
Some internet providers also offer optimised plans for gaming, which include features and tools to help improve your online gaming performance and lower latency.
Good internet speeds for different users
What is a good internet speed for seniors?
Seniors in small households might not require super-fast internet speeds. If you only use your home internet for basic tasks like checking emails, phone calls and web browsing, you might find a plan with downloads speeds of 12 or 25Mbps to be suitable.
However, seniors with greater needs, like streaming HD videos and making video calls, might want to consider a plan with 25-50Mbps speeds or faster.
What is a good internet speed for renters?
If you’re renting, there are a few things to consider when choosing an internet plan, especially in a sharehouse with other tenants. Consider how and when everyone in your home uses the internet to help determine the best speed.
You may also want to look for plans that are month-to-month and not tied to a contract. This gives you the freedom to cancel or move to another plan or speed as needed.
Why is my internet so slow?
There are plenty of reasons why your internet could be slow, such as tech issues, your internet provider, or external factors like outages and high traffic. However, before you call your provider, you might want to run through the possible reasons for slow internet and how to fix your slow speeds.
- Internet outage: If your internet slows down unexpectedly, your NBN provider could simply be performing maintenance, or the network could be experiencing issues. Check your NBN provider’s website to see if there’s a planned (or unexpected) outage.
- Your NBN connection might not be that fast: It’s not uncommon for an internet connection to run slower than advertised by the provider. NBN Co and some NBN providers may state that some speed tiers might not be as fast on certain connection types. Perform a speed test and compare your results to your NBN plan — you might just need a faster speed tier, or there could be an issue with your plan.
- Virus or malware: If your internet is running at different speeds on different devices, you could have an infected device, as these run in the background and use your computer’s resources. Perform a virus scan with antivirus software — if there are no issues, it could be an anomaly, so take some speed troubleshooting steps.
- Your modem/router needs a reboot: Devices can slow down when they’re left on for a while. Using the power button on your modem or router to turn it off for up to one minute, and turning it back on again (which will take a few minutes to boot back up), can sometimes make all the difference.
- Multiple devices online at once: Sometimes slow internet can be caused by having multiple devices online at the same time performing high-intensity activities — especially if your plan doesn't include super-fast speeds. If it’s big downloads slowing things down, try stopping or pausing one (or more) of them to see if that fixes things. Ideally, you should download games or updates at times when it won't impact your internet use, such as overnight or while you're busy offline.
- Your WiFi isn’t optimised: If your WiFi signal is unstable or slow, your modem might not be in the best part of your house, or there could be obstacles blocking the signal. Review your modem’s placement in the home — and it’s an old modem, it could be time for an upgrade.
- It’s a website issue: If you’re having trouble accessing one particular website, but are able to visit others, the issue is probably with that specific website. Websites such as Down Detector show if websites are down for everyone, or just you. This can also be especially useful for checking when social media apps are struggling.
- Your modem-router needs a firmware update: Keeping your modem’s firmware up to date is an easy way to avoid slow internet. Most modems today typically update firmware automatically, but some might need you to approve updates in the backend. Log on to your modem-router’s website and navigate to the updates section.
If you’ve done the basic troubleshooting steps yourself but you’re still having an issue with your internet speed or service (and it’s not simply a need to upgrade to a faster speed tier), you should contact your provider for help.
How to increase internet speed
If you’re not getting the good internet speeds you need, and you’ve established that there aren't any issues with your service, there are a few ways you can improve your performance.
Upgrade your internet plan
The simplest way to fix slow internet speeds can be to upgrade to a faster speed plan. In the case of NBN, this might not be possible for homes with some connection types (such as having an FTTN, FTTC or FTTB connection and being on an NBN 100 plan). But if you’re on an FTTP or HFC connection type, you can upgrade all the way up to 2000Mbps.
If you’re happy to stick with the same provider, switching to a faster speed tier (if available) should be a quick process, however switching to another NBN provider might take a little more time.
You might also be able to upgrade your speed for other internet connections, such as switching from a 4G home internet plan to a 5G home internet plan (if available), or moving to a 5G home internet plan with uncapped speeds.
Upgrade your devices
Another simple way to improve your speeds is to upgrade your modem. If you have an old modem, it might not be capable of keeping up with those faster speed tiers. NBN Co recommends modems with WiFi 6 or WiFi 7 for accessing fast NBN speed tiers.
You might also look at upgrading your other tech, such as your computer or phone, if the device is now five or so years old. This is easier said than done if a new laptop or smartphone is currently out of your budget, so consider refurbished but newer devices, wait for sales periods or look at a device that offers good value at a cheaper price.
Improve your WiFi and use Ethernet
If you’re not sure how to boost WiFi signal to extend your WiFi range, there are a couple of easy solutions you can try first.
Plugging a desktop or laptop computer directly into your modem via an Ethernet cable will be more reliable than using WiFi. However, the downside is that your computer needs to be close enough to your modem for an Ethernet cable to reach. This won’t help with devices like smartphones and tablets.
You can also try switching between the WiFi channels, such as switching your modem from a 2.4GHz channel to a 5GHz channel. If your modem only supports 2.4 GHz, choose channels one, six, or 11 for the best performance. Otherwise, buying a WiFi extender or booster can improve your in-home WiFi by extending the range.
Extend your WiFi range
If you can, consider moving your router so that your WiFi signal can reach more of the house. To get the best placement, you’ll need to put the modem somewhere close to your home’s Ethernet access port, or near its coaxial port. Ideally, it should be in a central position with no obstructions to best reach all areas of your home.
You can also try a powerline adapter, which runs an internet connection through the power of your home, sending it to a receiver, which is plugged in elsewhere in the house. From here the signal is retransmitted, and can usually be used through a wired or wireless connection.
Alternatively, a WiFi extender or booster can extend your WiFi range throughout the home, although speeds may drop off in these extended areas. However, Mesh WiFi (which are sometimes offered by NBN providers as an add on to your plan), offers a more reliable solution by replacing your modem-router with a network of devices that you place around your home, creating a ‘spider web’ style of WiFi where signal strength is equally distributed. This alone can help improve internet speed in areas where signal was previously weak.
What is the best WiFi extender?
Finding the best WiFi extender may depend on your needs and budget. Not all extenders are built the same, with how much distance, range and surface area covered varying between brands and models. It’s best to calculate how much distance there is between your current modem and where you’ll often use the internet (such as your office), to determine how much of a boost you need.
WiFi extenders also come in either desktop or plug-in models, so you’ll need to consider which type will suit your needs. Also, the physical size of the range extender impacts where exactly you can put it in your house.
Consider what type of WiFi extender will suit your home and needs before making a purchase. You might also find it’s going to help with WiFi coverage in your home or if there are other options available to you.
