Your smart home network is like a brain for your house. But if you don’t know how much “brainpower” each smart device uses, you could end up with a slow network – similar to the slow, foggy way your brain feels when there’s too much happening at once. By making sure your Internet has enough bandwidth to handle all of your devices, you can get the most out of your smart home.
HTC Internet for Your Smart Home
Which smart gadgets use the most bandwidth?
Believe it or not, smart homes don’t generally require a lot of bandwidth. When you ask a smart speaker like Alexa to tell you about the weather, it only requires the same amount of data as it does to search the web on your phone. The same thing is true when you tell Google Home to turn on a lamp that’s plugged into a smart plug outlet. The command is uploaded to the server, then downloaded to the other device. Once that’s finished, you’re not using bandwidth until you make another command.
However, smart devices that are fully “engaged” with the Internet take up more of your bandwidth. For instance, a Ring Doorbell camera is constantly scanning for motion, and uses the Internet to send video to your smart phone when movement is detected. Streaming videos or playing live video games on smart TVs also consume lots of data, which requires bandwidth for uploading and downloading that data. It’s no surprise that if you have a lot of people in your home streaming Netflix or gaming with friends, you’ll need more bandwidth to prevent the Internet from lagging.
How do I calculate my home’s bandwidth requirements?
To help you figure out if your Internet plan can handle your household’s needs, calculate how many Megabits per second (Mbps) each gadget or activity requires. It’s usually best to choose a package that will meet a little more than your current needs, just in case you add a device or have guests in the home periodically. In general, 5 Mbps should be able to accommodate about 12 smart home items that don’t require a lot of data upload and download, such as smart light bulbs, a smart thermostat, and smart door locks.
5+ Mbps
- Browsing the Internet
- Asking Alexa questions
- Using smart home gadgets such as outlets and thermostat
- Streaming music
- Enough for 1 person
10+ Mbps
- Streaming HD videos
- Using a smart doorbell or indoor camera such as a Furbo pet camera
- Playing games on tablets or phones
- Enough for 2 people
20+ Mbps
- Streaming Ultra HD videos
- Gaming frequently on phones or tablets
- Enough for 2-4 people
40+ Mbps
- Streaming simultaneous HD videos
- Live gaming
- Enough for more than 4 people
What’s the best way to know if I have the right Internet plan?
Still not sure if you have enough bandwidth for all of your smart devices in addition to preventing frustrating slowdowns? Our HTC technicians would be happy to discuss which gadgets you have and whether or not your current plan can handle them. We want you to get the most out of your Internet service, so give us a call today at 618-939-6112.
Harrisonville Telephone Company is a provider of reliable, cost-effective Internet (for streaming, gaming, surfing, viewing, listening, downloading, and more), television (hundreds of channels, free HD, VOD access and more), and phone ( unlimited local and long distance, voicemail, caller ID, etc.). Want to learn more about our great home or business bundles? Visit our website, call us at 618-939-6112, or fill out our Contact Us page. We look forward to hearing from you.
