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.

With Wi-Fi 6, you'll experience very fast Wi-Fi speeds, but they may not reach the full advertised plan due to the factors mentioned above. With Ethernet, you'll get the most consistent and closest speeds to the advertised plan, ideal for activities that demand maximum bandwidth, like downloading large files or online gaming.

Your Device Matters

As we noted above, your Wi-Fi speeds can vary by the type of device you're using.

Just like cars, not all devices can go the same speed. Some devices can handle faster Wi-Fi than others.

Our Recommendation:

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.

If you have any questions about Wi-Fi 6 routers, ethernet cables, or finding the right setup for your needs, our team is happy to help!