What internet connection do I need for streaming?

For casual, standard-definition (SD) streaming, a slower internet plan may be enough. If you’re streaming in high definition (HD) or 4K, have other high-data activities, and want the best quality without lag, you may want a faster plan.

Although lag can be caused by your streaming service, it can also occur when you have high demand on your home network or when your connection is shared, and neighbors are competing for bandwidth.  

The best internet connection for streaming can:

• Support multiple users simultaneously
• Have enough speed and bandwidth for high-data activities, like streaming and gaming
• Offer low latency to reduce lag
• Include a plan with unlimited data

The best internet provider to meet your streaming needs offers a variety of plans, as well as network monitoring to deliver a quality experience.

Choosing the right internet service provider

The type of internet connection you choose and the internet service provider (ISP) that delivers it play an important role in your internet quality for streaming. You need to consider what’s available in your area, how you’ll use the internet, and what the ISP offers, including products, services, and network reliability/uptime.

A few elements to consider are:

Asymmetrical vs symmetrical speeds

Asymmetrical speeds have a faster download speed than upload speed. It may be sufficient if you’re streaming content, like your favorite shows, or other activities that rely on download.

If, on the other hand, you’re also sending information over the internet—livestreaming, video calling, online gaming—you need fast, reliable internet with symmetrical speeds (equal download and upload).

Internet providers may offer a variety of connection speed options, depending on the internet connection type. The key is finding the right speed tier that supports your household.

Data caps and limitations

Next, determine whether the internet provider has data caps on its plans. A data cap is the maximum amount of data you can use per billing cycle. If you exceed the amount of data allowed in your plan, your ISP may slow down your speed until your next billing cycle.

Network monitoring and uptime

Ask the ISP you’re considering if they monitor their network for performance and if they take fast, proactive steps to address challenges. Ask if there’s support or credits available in the event of an outage.

Choosing your ISP is the first step for a quality streaming experience. Before choosing the plan that suits your needs for streaming, consider the number of devices that’ll be connected to the local network in your home.  

How the number of devices affects streaming

Each device in your home that’s connected to your network is moving data—either downloading data, uploading data, or both—creating “traffic” on your network. Sometimes, that traffic is active, like when you’re streaming videos, and other times, it’s passive, such as app updates. All of this adds to the activity on your internet connection.

The more devices you have connected, the more your streaming quality can be impacted. Chances are, between your mobile devices and other items in your home, you may have more tech connected to your internet than you realize.

“Showcasing a 10-year view, the average U.S. internet household has about 17 connected devices and, according to Parks’ research, about 45% of U.S. internet households now own at least one smart home device.”¹

Indicators that the number of connected devices might be challenging your local network are:

• Lagging, buffering, and freezing of your streaming
• Downgraded video quality, such as from 4K/ultra-high definition (UHD) to 720p HD or 480p SD
• Reduced speed for your connected devices

In this case, it’s possible that there’s too much demand from your devices. If you’re experiencing challenges with your existing plan or are choosing a new plan because you’re moving or changing service, consider which common speed tiers from ISPs can support your household.

Internet speed requirements for streaming

The speed you need depends on more than the fact you’ll use it for streaming. Streaming needs depend on a few factors:

• The number of people in your household
• How many people are streaming simultaneously
• If you’re streaming in standard definition (SD), high definition (HD), or 4K
• Which Wi-Fi® standard your gateway uses (for example, Wi-Fi 6/6E, Wi-Fi 7)
• If your device is of the same standard

Speed	Best for	Comparison to cable	If this sounds like you…	You might want to upgrade if…
300 Mbps	Everyday streaming + work/school (2–3 people)	15x faster upload speeds than cable internet.	Streaming in HD/4K on a couple TVs, game online, take video calls, and have multiple phones/tablets + smart-home devices online at once	More than a couple simultaneous streams/games/video calls start to buffer or lag, big downloads (games/updates) feel too slow, or you’re adding lots more devices/users
500 Mbps	Busy households (3–5 people)	20x faster upload speeds than cable internet.	Multiple people stream (including some 4K), game online, and do work/school while cloud backups/updates run	Big downloads feel slower than expected, your home is frequently “maxed out,” or you have ~20+ connected devices
1 GIG	Heavy use (5+ people / power users)	25x faster upload speeds than cable internet.	Lots of simultaneous streaming and gaming, plus faster large downloads; you may also upload larger files (plan upload dependent)	Upload multi-GB files regularly, do content-creation style workflows, or you see frequent peak-time slowdowns (could also be Wi-Fi® or network congestion)
5 GIG	Power users with multi-gig gear	134x faster than cable internet.	Heavy multi-user uploading and very large file transfers—especially with multi-gig wired networking and/or Wi-Fi 6E/7 clients	Already have (or plan to use) multi-gig capable devices/networking and you routinely move very large files or run studio-like workloads at home

Comparison of AT&T Fiber starting, mid and high-speed tiers to Xfinity, Spectrum and Cox. Speeds based on wired connection. Actual speeds vary. For 5-Gig single device wired speed maximum 4.7Gbps. For more info, go to www.att.com/speed101.

A good balance in your speed tier is one that supports your connected devices but also gives you headroom to expand. It’s also important to remember that although streaming shows from streaming providers rely on sufficient download speeds, if you’re streaming video games in your home, upload speeds are just as important.

Video game streaming

Internet for online gaming—and livestreaming your play, if applicable—depends on the types of games you tend to play and other devices that may need to share your internet connection, like a smartphone or camera for your livestream.

• Basic gaming – If you’re playing a locally-hosted game with minimal internet connectivity needs, the lower speeds, which are still blazing fast, are typically more than enough to have your game run smoothly.
• High-fidelity gaming – Online games, hosted on a server that you connect to play online with others, may require a faster connection with lower latency. A 500 Mbps plan may be more than enough for a premium experience.  
• Video game streaming – Next-level gaming that is livestreamed on interactive media, typically for an audience, needs the high-speed, low-latency, and high bandwidth of fiber internet. In addition, symmetrical speeds are key.
  
  Live streaming for video games may place other demands on your connection, like team communications through social platforms, messaging apps, video uploads, and other online activities.²
  
  For this reason, a 300 Mbps plan may suffice, but it’s important to calculate all the simultaneous activities in your home to determine which plan gives you a seamless experience with headroom included.
  
  Latency is key for gaming, so the best internet for gaming is fiber internet thanks to its low latency, symmetrical upload and download speeds, and reliability even with multiple players.

Gaming and the type, household size, number of simultaneous streams, and online activities affect your speed requirements for streaming. If your streaming quality is struggling with your current speed tier and Wi-Fi, a few adjustments in your home may be able to improve your connectivity.

[Read: Is 500 Mbps fast?]

Enhancing your streaming experience

Once you’ve signed up for service with your ISP, you can take steps within your home to optimize what your service has to offer. This includes:

• Placing your router in a centralized location (such as your living room). Be mindful that walls, appliances, and other electronics can affect the strength of your signal.
• Adjusting your video quality settings. Lowering the quality of your video streaming may help with buffering and playback issues.

If you have a lot of simultaneous activity at peak traffic times and notice more buffering, a few things you can try to free up bandwidth are:

• Disconnect devices if you’re not using them.
• Check your device settings to see if you can run automatic app and software updates overnight.
• Use the Quality of Service (QoS) settings on your router to give priority to certain devices or apps, so they work better when the network is busy.

It’s common for Wi-Fi users to be unaware of which Wi-Fi standard they’re using. Older standards can handle significantly less traffic than newer standards, like Wi-Fi 6/6E and Wi-Fi 7. In addition, to reap the full benefits of that standard, your connected devices—like your phone, tablet, or laptop—need to support the same standard.

If you’ve tried these steps and still encounter issues, don’t hesitate to contact your provider to make sure you’re getting fast, reliable service so you can stream without issues.

[Read: Wi-Fi 6 vs Wi-Fi 7: How are they different?]

AT&T internet connectivity options for streaming

We deliver fast, reliable fiber internet for streaming, gaming, and the connected experience in your home with AT&T Fiber^®.³

AT&T Fiber received Ookla’s first-ever Best Home Internet award. AT&T Fiber also has the fastest speeds in the U.S. for the fourth consecutive time.⁴ Even better, your service is backed by the AT&T Guarantee ^SM.⁵

Fiber availability is still growing, so if you don’t have access to fiber just yet or live in a rural area, we still have you covered with our 5G home internet, AT&T Internet Air^®. You can stay connected with fast, reliable speeds on our powerful 5G network—all with easy self-setup.

For complete Wi-Fi coverage that connects your devices wirelessly, AT&T All-Fi^® is our home Wi-Fi experience. For our most advanced Wi-Fi package with Wi-Fi 7, go with AT&T All-Fi^® Pro.

Together, you can have the foundation for quality streaming through your smart TV and connected devices.

Connecting changes everything. We’re here to help keep you connected.