Are you trying to find the right internet plan for your home or office? Wondering if 200 Mbps would be sufficient? A 200 Mbps is better than the average speed of internet available in some of the most developed countries. However, the main question is, is it really fast and reliable?
This sort of internet speed gives you the freedom to do a lot of data-intensive activities without the bother of buffering periods or interruptions. Most households with multiple devices will have adequate bandwidth and seamless connectivity with a 200 Mbps connection.
Table of Contents
What can you do with 200 Mbps?
With 200 Mbps, you have a lot of bandwidth at your disposal. But before we get into that, let me clear the most easily confused terms in internet speed. Mbps and MBPS are the most frequently used metrics for measuring the speed of your internet.
While your service providers use the term Mbps (megabits per second) to denote the speeds of their internet plans, the MBPS (in caps) (megabytes per second) is used in the context of file downloads and transfers. 8 Megabits equals 1 Megabyte. A 200 Mbps internet connection translates to a maximum download speed of 25MB/s.
The speed allows room for a lot of activities.
1. Media Streaming
Depending on the quality of the video, the lowest quality being SD and the highest being 4K UHD, with the right router capable of handling 200 Mbps connections, it can support over 100 devices in SD quality and support up to 8 devices streaming in 4K quality.
2. Twitch/Game Streaming
A fiber-optic connection can deliver almost equal upload speeds as much as the download speeds, which is paramount for game streamers and high-quality twitch broadcasters. The 200 Mbps connection eases through multiple instances of quality live streams & broadcasts.
3. Online Gaming
Cloud gaming is one of the most data-intensive activities using up a huge chunk of your bandwidth. A 200 Mbps connection gives you the potential to handle multiple gaming consoles and PCs clocking gaming in the Stadia platform at the same time.
4. Work from Home solutions
If you are running a small business setup or a bunch of professionals in a work from home setup, 200 Mbps can come in handy. You can easily transfer a large file, run your business from the comfort of your home, and even host small-scale cloud applications. The speed can support activities including virtual meetings, voice calling simultaneously.
5. Large Automated Homes
A 200 Mbps connection will allow you the bandwidth to handle over 20 devices in a large household. It can ease through multiple devices like TV’s consoles, tablets, laptops, mobile devices, and a selection of smart gadgets sharing the same network.
Is 200 Mbps Fast Enough for Everyone?
A 200 Mbps internet will be sufficient for most homes, and it is capable of supporting small-scale business setups supporting remote work solutions up to 10 employees without hassles. If you are a small household with less than 5 devices, 200 Mbps can be overkill, unless you have a bunch of professional gamers hogging the internet.
A 200 Mbps connection doesn’t always guarantee the speed limits at the maximum levels. There are few factoring affecting the speed at your disposal.
- Underlying technology: Fiber optic and cable-based services give you almost equal download and upload speeds. Although DSL offers high speeds up to 200 Mbps, their upload speeds don’t match the download. If your portfolio of activities includes video conferencing, game streaming, and video broadcasting, ensure your connection is fiber optic.
- Peak hour/Bandwidth Throttling: Your ISP holds control over your internet speeds. During peak usage hours, the service provider will throttle speeds to manage the load. So that leaves you with lower speeds. The maximum speed may not be available at all times.
- Router: You must get a router that supports 200 Mbps as it plays a crucial role in sharing the internet within your household. It must possess the capacity to handle higher speeds and the technology to efficiently allocate bandwidth to get the best out of your internet.
- Server Location: If you are a gamer, the location of your gaming server is as paramount as your internet speed. Faster internet doesn’t guarantee seamless gaming. Ping as a measure of latency in communication is a proxy indicator of the quality of your gaming experience.
Conclusion
A 200 Mbps hits the sweet spot for most homes, even automated homes with plenty of devices. But a high-speed internet connection doesn’t always guarantee the best experience. A lot of factors decide the quality of your internet performance. It is essential to get a matching router, avoid physical and radio interference, and prioritize your gadgets with wired connectivity to get the best experience.
Chris loves technology, specifically smart home technology! With both hands-on and executive leadership experience in his corporate career, Chris stays abreast of emerging technology and solutions and immerses himself in BCCA when not in the office.