How Fast Can My Internet Go?
Understanding Your Internet Speed
Your internet speed can vary depending on what you're using to connect to the internet. Think of fiber optic internet like a superhighway. It uses light pulses to transmit data, offering incredibly fast and reliable speeds. In our higher packages, we advertise speeds "up to 2.5 gigabits per second" (Gbps). This is the maximum potential throughput delivered directly through the fiber optic cable.
Wired Connections: The Fastest Way
For the most consistent and reliable speeds, we highly recommend using an ethernet cable. An ethernet cable creates a direct connection between your device and the router, bypassing the limitations of Wi-Fi altogether. This will ensure you get the closest performance to the advertised fiber optic speed.
Wi-Fi Connections: Factors That Affect Speed
Our routers are Wi-Fi 6 standard as they are faster and provide higher speeds and connection rather than older Wi-Fi standards. Wi-Fi 6 is a fantastic wireless standard, but it acts like an on-ramp to the fiber optic highway. While Wi-Fi 6 boasts impressive speeds, it can't quite match the raw power of the fiber itself. Here's what to expect:
- Slower Speeds: Wi-Fi signals are susceptible to interference from walls, distance, and other devices. This can cause real-world Wi-Fi speeds to be slower than the advertised fiber optic plan.
- Varied Speeds Across Devices: Depending on how far your devices are from the router and their Wi-Fi capabilities, speeds will vary. Newer devices with Wi-Fi 6 will achieve closer to the advertised speeds compared to older devices.
Your Wi-Fi speed can be affected by:
- Your IdeaTek service plan: Faster plans mean faster potential speeds.
- Your router: Different routers have different capabilities.
- How far you are from the router: The farther away, the slower the speed.
- Your device: Different devices can handle different Wi-Fi speeds.
Wi-Fi Speeds: What to Expect
Here's a general idea of the speeds you might get with different types of Wi-Fi:
- Wi-Fi 4: Up to 200 Mbps
- Wi-Fi 5: Up to 500 Mbps
- Wi-Fi 6: Up to 800 Mbps
Note: These speeds are under ideal conditions and would show from our 1 Gig plan and up. Things like walls and other electronic devices can slow down your Wi-Fi.Your Device Matters
For the best experience with our plans, we recommend a combination of Wi-Fi 6 or higher standard for everyday wireless use and ethernet for devices that require the absolute fastest and most stable connection.
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