3 factors to consider when choosing an Internet tariff

Often the decisive argument in choosing a rate plan is the amount of the subscription fee. The cost is usually directly related to the speed offered: the faster, the more expensive. It's worth noting that bona fide providers do not skimp on the equipment used and consider only the speed when pricing. In other words, if you are going to connect a low speed, it does NOT mean that you will get a low-quality service.

What do you need the Internet for?

Ideally, the connection speed requirements for various services are low:

• from 2 Mbps for Internet surfing and social networking;
• 5 Mbps for watching video (up to 480p) and video chatting on Skype;
• from 15 Mbps for HD video (720p);
• 25 Mbps for Full-HD video (1020p).

For online games you need speed approximately 25 Mbit/s, this figure is influenced by the characteristics of the game (some demanding games need much more, but in general, the main requirement — not speed, namely the connection stability).

The speed required for streaming depends on the resolution of the video being streamed.

Figures are quite small, aren't they? However, keep in mind that this data is true for ideal conditions and a single client. Also, there is always service traffic, for which a part of the channel is allocated.

How many gadgets do you have?

The more gadgets you are going to connect to the network, the more bandwidth you need. Practice shows that two users connected to the same 100 Mbit/s network will be enough for watching video in 4K (Ultra HD).

However if a third one connects to them and starts uploading e.g. photos, the bandwidth won’t be enough for everyone.

Therefore it’s recommended to be guided by the number of connected devices and to have some reserve. You do have guests coming over, don't you? Besides, nobody cancelled the Internet of Things. And if you have children, the number of gadgets will constantly grow.

What standards does your equipment support?

We've said many times that there's no point in connecting superfast Internet if your devices are running on outdated standards (802.11g).

Case 1: You calculate that the optimal speed for your large family would be 300 Mbps. Then your router must at least support 802.11n (according to the technical documentation, it will deliver up to 300 Mbps). Practice shows, however, that even high-quality models of this standard give out approximately 100 Mbps. Therefore it’s better to buy a router supporting 802.11ac.

Case 2: You are happy with 100 Mbps, your router supports 802.11n. Everything is great, but the speed on the connected devices is fluctuating approximately 30 Mbps. Then it’s advisable to first check the frequency load of other devices (for example, using the free service Wifi Analyzer in Play Market), and then check the standards on the devices/router.

Conclusion: Check the characteristics of your network card/adapter, router and all the devices that connect to the network. One slow gadget will slow down the entire network.

For more information on how to check your equipment's readiness for Internet speeds over 100 Mbps, click here.

Deciding on speed

If you need Internet only for work and study, budget plans up to 100 Mbps will be enough. If you also want to have fun, watch HD videos, download music and movies, and connect to the network of several computers, it’s better to choose 300-500 Mbps. For those who like movies in Ultra HD quality, lovers of downloading voluminous files from torrents, those who need to transfer large amounts of information (photographers, streamers), you need a gigabit.

This doesn’t mean that 100 Mbps speed isn’t enough to watch movies in good quality. It’s enough, but it will take much longer to download, and the speed will drop dramatically on other devices.

We are by no means saying that gigabit is a universal option. For example, it makes no sense to connect it to your elderly relatives. For Skype, video tutorials on knitting or fertilizer on YouTube, inexpensive tariffs will be quite enough. But for the difference in subscription fees, it's better to please your parents with a gift.

If you choose the right rate, each connected device will receive a wide enough channel, videos will not slow down, and the download will take not hours, but minutes/seconds.

Maxnet is one step ahead of other Internet providers. And today it already gives all subscribers of the basic tariff an additional 100 Mbit/sec in order to expand the customers' possibilities. All that remains is to check your readiness to accept this speed and enjoy using the Internet.