Internet speed - how much of it do you actually need

[BloodTotal]

The faster your internet connection is the faster you an download at, and ect. But at what speed does performance stop increasing, or rapidly increasing. What kind of a connection would you need to play games with no server lag, and to browse with quick web page loading? 5mbp/s?

[AphexDreamer]

The faster your internet connection is the faster you an download at, and ect. But at what speed does performance stop increasing, or rapidly increasing. What kind of a connection would you need to play games with no server lag, and to browse with quick web page loading? 5mbp/s?

Iono I have Comcast with 6MBps Connection and download usally at about 400-500Kbps if the server connections is good and play games preaty much lag free with a ping of about 75 or less.

[BloodTotal]

I just needed to know how much of an impact that is form 5mbp/s to 1mbp/s or from 1mb/s to 5mbp/s

[btarunr]

There's no limit to how much we'd be needing with the demanding applications such as downloads, data sharing growing. To today's standards, 10 Mbps should be considered "comfortable". Mine is 8 Mbps (Dn), 2 Mbps (Up).

[JC316]

I run on a 1.5 to 3.0 most of the time. At 1.5 I see 180K and at 3.0 I see 300K download speeds.

[ktr]

At minimum, for me that is, 500 kbs down, 300 kbs up...Comcast says they give you 300 kbs upload, but i have only reach around 80 max, mostly 30. And I am a customer since they were Excite @Home. Now i am tired with them, and now in progress of switching to dsl...hoping to get a higher upload.

[oli_ramsay]

Well, I live in a crappy village in the middle fo nowhere and I have a 512 kbs download speed, and approx 300kbs up. I can play without any lag on CSS and watch streaming videos on sites like youtube and that. I would love to have a faster line tho'.

[BullGod]

Well I have a really cheap line. It's about 15 euros but it's blazing fast. Much faster than the 6Mbps line that I had in Spain. Also my upload isn't restricted. It doesen't hurt that I'm friends with the guy who runs the firm tho :) One thing I've noticed, If you can watch youtube with no problem and no loading then you're fine for gaming too...

[DanTheBanjoman]

For gaming you usually don't need much bandwidth. 1Mbit is far beyond what you require for most games. Latency often is the thing that matters, lower is always better here.

Webpages load fast as well on that same megabit line, however when looking at full size pictures a faster connection helps. When downloading other large files 10-20 Mbit probably is as much as you need right now. Few servers that actually serve you any faster, and at 2MB/s waiting isn't really something you're doing unless you're downloading full DVD's.

Personally I mainly care about upload, I like to access my stuff from anywhere, my current 1MBit upstream is limiting. ADSL can't go higher though, and local cable doesn't offer more than 1.5 or so for outrageous prices. Planning to move in 2008 and get fiber, will be nice :)

[btarunr]

Don't you guys have VDSL or simply wireless networks that serve 52 Mbps?

Yup. Asymmetric connections are horrible with their upload speeds, I get the pinch when uploading stuff that's >20 MB, Bit Torrents, etc.

[Jizzler]

I live out in BFE :)

Best possible line for me is 10Mb/2Mb cable for $385/month. I'm on a 7Mb/768K package (lowest-end business class). Would love the extra upload, but I can't afford it.

[DanTheBanjoman]

Nope, planned between 2007 and 2009 though. Though why would I want that when/if I can get FTTH instead?

@Jizzler, 385 USD/month? That's insane. We get 20/1 for 20 euros a month here from various providers.

[imperialreign]

this region where I live sucks for high-speed. Only two companies here are Cox and Verizon. Cox has their super cable junk - but we all know how they like to cap peoples lines, plus you have to deal with a local access point bottleneck . . .

Veriozn has their FiOS here, but they cap speeds too, you're lucky to get over 10Mbps. Their standard DSl is capped at 3Mbps. But, you get what they advertise, though. We have standard DSL at the house, and I get 2.9Mbps DL speeds.

For gaming, though - the big thing is the latency to the server your game is on. The lower the latency, the better the game will run. Plus, you also have to contend with other gamers who might have a high latency to that server, and they could potentially slow that server down some . . .

[ktr]

Well i got dsl now...

With comcast, with speedtest, I get 4-5 megs down, and 300 kb up. Now with AT&T dsl, I get the same 4-5 megs down, and around 700 kb up.

My latency with my favorite servers are slight improved by 5~10 pings. But i am most happy that DSL is $20 bucks cheaper than Cable.

[Jizzler]

Nope, planned between 2007 and 2009 though. Though why would I want that when/if I can get FTTH instead?

@Jizzler, 385 USD/month? That's insane. We get 20/1 for 20 euros a month here from various providers.

Yup. Uploads for resident lines top out at 512K, but offer 5Mb, 7Mb, and 10Mb, download speeds for $35, $50, and $65 per month.

The business-class lines start with my package, 7Mb/768K with one static IP ($95), and top out at 10Mb/2Mb with 5 static IPs ($385). Will be long time before FiOS makes it out here :)

[AsRock]

The faster your internet connection is the faster you an download at, and ect. But at what speed does performance stop increasing, or rapidly increasing. What kind of a connection would you need to play games with no server lag, and to browse with quick web page loading? 5mbp/s?

How much you need is depends on your needs. The main problem is upload speeds even more so when it comes to gaming or running dedicated servers.
My line connection is 16mb\1mb but it would be much better if it was 8mb down and 8mb up due to me being a gamer who plays on a server with many people and i do host a server for beta testing missions as well.

If your just down loading upload speed is not all that important compared to playing games online.

Our 100mb server over a day uploads 1.6GB and downloads 800MB.

All though the problem is companys restrict the upload speed how ever with ISP's like FIOS with 5mb should be more than enough for massive online gaming as long as there server can cope with it. It's pointless for you be able to get the data if you cannot reply ASAP. So higher the upload the better.

[GLeN]

With virgin broadband Im meant to get 2 mbs. When I did a speedtest it said 1mb then next time it said 2mb. its cable btw. I only lag because of my crappy pc, my ping is usually low like 50 for america server!

[AsRock]

With virgin broadband Im meant to get 2 mbs. When I did a speedtest it said 1mb then next time it said 2mb. its cable btw. I only lag because of my crappy pc, my ping is usually low like 50 for america server!


Aah forget speed test only works for some well ( Kinda like 3DMark to me )..... I get real crap speeds of there and is nothing like what i do actually get of real sites.

I get about 1000kb\ 500kb though Speedtest but Downloading of fileplanet \ UBI 1.2MB down and with our server 125KB up. unless i use a 3rd party program to a comcast user i can get 200KB up.

[amd64skater]

my score

http://www.speedtest.net/result/245605823.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

[AphexDreamer]

Check out my score in my Avatar... Is it good or am I getting ripped off?

[amd64skater]

Check out my score in my Avatar... Is it good or am I getting ripped off?

its not bad look at mine now im gettin a good deal

[ktr]

That is just powerboost f-ing your benchs...its just a comcast marketing scam.

[CrackerJack]

most comcast user have 6mb dl and 356kps up. But comcast is going thur a battle with upload speeds. People are only getting around 30-80kps. You want notice not in less your ftp or p2p. They tried to stop the p2p sharing so they limited the bandwidth on the upload, Which then limit also ftp. It also effects Video Conferences. But yeah, It's powerboost messing with your head. They had to come up with something to get around the upload battle.

[AsRock]

most comcast user have 6mb dl and 356kps up. But comcast is going thur a battle with upload speeds. People are only getting around 30-80kps. You want notice not in less your ftp or p2p. They tried to stop the p2p sharing so they limited the bandwidth on the upload, Which then limit also ftp. It also effects Video Conferences. But yeah, It's powerboost messing with your head. They had to come up with something to get around the upload battle.


Well my upload has allways been 120-125KB unless using Simple Socket with another comcast user which runs about 190-200KB.. it was only yesterday i was downloading of steam at 2.2MB..

[CrackerJack]

Well my upload has allways been 120-125KB unless using Simple Socket with another comcast user which runs about 190-200KB.. it was only yesterday i was downloading of steam at 2.2MB..

well not everybody is affected, yet!?! I've talk to some buddy. And we found loop holes. It mostly effects in download speed between 6-10. Anything above doesn't have the limit. 8mb is the highest i can go, so i don't bother. Just last year is when i notice the limit. I was getting around 500-800kps upload, then all a sudden i get 50kps MAX. It sucks!!! It takes me almost 30 min to upload a 30mb video on my site:banghead:

[niko084]

Hmm, I would say somewhere around a OC-32 should about do me fine....

I have had full pipe access to a full T3 and found it to be slow at times... The issue is obviously other servers, and then of course, the more I have the more I will use... So give me 1000mb guess what I'll use it all...

[AsRock]

well not everybody is affected, yet!?! I've talk to some buddy. And we found loop holes. It mostly effects in download speed between 6-10. Anything above doesn't have the limit. 8mb is the highest i can go, so i don't bother. Just last year is when i notice the limit. I was getting around 500-800kps upload, then all a sudden i get 50kps MAX. It sucks!!! It takes me almost 30 min to upload a 30mb video on my site:banghead:

Well been with Comcast now 3 years and i must say this time of year has been better for me as i normally have connection issue's to many people using it maybe thats due to cutting down P2P i could not say for sure but i bet just has many joined comcast if not more this year around.

Speedtest is not reliable test of service to a lot of people. Used to be better dunno what they did but it's horrid now but i guess it's like that with any benchmark program. Best tests are the real thing so why the obsession from so many peeps...

Thinking more about it done more harm as i normally get 2 free months lol.