Internet speed by usage
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Every HowFast result rates seven everyday activities as Great, Good, Fair or Poor. This page lists exactly what each rating needs. The tables are generated from the same code that rates your result, so they always match what the dashboard shows. This is rubric version 1.
How the ratings work
- Each activity looks only at the metrics that matter for it. 4K streaming only needs download speed; online gaming depends on latency, jitter and bufferbloat, not on speed.
- The activity gets the lowest rating any of its metrics reaches. If your download is Great but your upload is Fair, video calls are rated Fair, and the chip says that upload held it back.
- If a metric couldn’t be measured, the activity reads Not rated and says why, rather than guessing.
- Packet loss is optional for gaming because it isn’t measured yet. Gaming is rated without it and can be at most Good until it is.
- If the deciding measurement was uncertain (for example, very few samples), the chip says “Low confidence”.
What each activity needs, in practice
Streaming. Video services adjust quality to your speed, so a slower connection means lower quality rather than no video. HD needs 8 Mbps for a Good rating; 4K needs 25 Mbps. Each extra simultaneous stream adds to that.
Video calls. Calls send and receive at the same time, so upload matters as much as download. Steady delay matters too: jitter and the latency increase while you upload decide whether a call stays smooth.
Working from home. Video calls plus everything else: cloud files, remote desktops, large attachments. It can never be rated higher than video calls.
Online gaming. Games use very little bandwidth. What matters is low latency, low jitter and little bufferbloat, so the game stays responsive when someone else uses the connection.
Many devices. A busy household needs headroom in both directions and good queue management, so one person’s upload doesn’t spoil everyone else’s calls and games.
Large downloads and uploads. Game downloads, backups and video uploads finish faster with more speed in the relevant direction.
How to read the tables
“Bufferbloat increase” is how much latency rises while the line is busy, in the worse of the two directions. Video calls use the increase while uploading. The bufferbloat grade (A+ to F) is explained on the bufferbloat page. Every metric and formula is defined on the methodology page.
The thresholds
4K streaming
| Metric | Great | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download | 50 Mbps or more | 25 to under 50 Mbps | 15 to under 25 Mbps | Under 15 Mbps |
HD streaming
| Metric | Great | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download | 15 Mbps or more | 8 to under 15 Mbps | 5 to under 8 Mbps | Under 5 Mbps |
Online gaming
| Metric | Great | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idle latency | 20 ms or less | Over 20 to 40 ms | Over 40 to 80 ms | Over 80 ms |
| Jitter | 5 ms or less | Over 5 to 10 ms | Over 10 to 20 ms | Over 20 ms |
| Bufferbloat increase (worse direction) | 30 ms or less | Over 30 to 60 ms | Over 60 to 200 ms | Over 200 ms |
| Packet loss (optional) | Under 0.5% | 0.5% to 1% | Over 1% to 2.5% | Over 2.5% |
Video calls
| Metric | Great | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upload | 10 Mbps or more | 4 to under 10 Mbps | 2 to under 4 Mbps | Under 2 Mbps |
| Download | 10 Mbps or more | 4 to under 10 Mbps | 2 to under 4 Mbps | Under 2 Mbps |
| Idle latency | 50 ms or less | Over 50 to 100 ms | Over 100 to 150 ms | Over 150 ms |
| Jitter | 10 ms or less | Over 10 to 20 ms | Over 20 to 30 ms | Over 30 ms |
| Latency increase while uploading | 60 ms or less | Over 60 to 150 ms | Over 150 to 300 ms | Over 300 ms |
Working from home
| Metric | Great | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video calls rating | Great | Good | Fair | Poor |
| Download | 50 Mbps or more | 25 to under 50 Mbps | 10 to under 25 Mbps | Under 10 Mbps |
| Upload | 10 Mbps or more | 5 to under 10 Mbps | 3 to under 5 Mbps | Under 3 Mbps |
Many devices
| Metric | Great | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download | 300 Mbps or more | 100 to under 300 Mbps | 50 to under 100 Mbps | Under 50 Mbps |
| Upload | 30 Mbps or more | 10 to under 30 Mbps | 5 to under 10 Mbps | Under 5 Mbps |
| Bufferbloat grade | A+ or A | B | C | D or F |
Large downloads and uploads
| Metric | Great | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download | 500 Mbps or more | 200 to under 500 Mbps | 50 to under 200 Mbps | Under 50 Mbps |
| Upload | 100 Mbps or more | 20 to under 100 Mbps | 5 to under 20 Mbps | Under 5 Mbps |