If you’re unfamiliar with internet speed measures of megabits per second (Mbps), you are likely unsure as to what speed is fast or slow.
We’re here to help by exploring the question, is 10 Mbps fast?
Internet plans typically range from 5 Mbps to 1000 Mbps. Considering this scale, 10 Mbps is considered on the slow side, but will still operate fine for low consumption usage on two devices.
Internet speed can differ in theory and practice, as the true speed is dependent on the number of devices connected and the type of internet consumption such as gaming, streaming, web surfing, or video conferencing.
Is 10 Mbps good for gaming? For simple online games on your phone, it will work fine, but for high-consumption games on a console with other players, you’ll likely experience lag with 10 Mbps.
In this article we will answer more questions like this, to give you the full picture of whether 10 Mbps is fast enough for your household internet needs.
Is 10 Mbps Rated Good or Bad?
The answer to this question depends on what you use the internet for, therefore, it is important to know what you are doing online.
To have a good internet speed, you need to take into consideration the number of people using it, the internet usage, and other factors.
The 10 Mbps internet enables you to watch a 1080p video on one device as well as browse at a lightning speed because it only needs a speed of 2 Mbps.
You can also download a 10MB song in 8 seconds and a 1GB file in 14 minutes.
If you are looking for fast internet for playing online games and streaming music, 10Mbps is suitable for residential use as well as small businesses with only a few employees.
Does 10 Mbps Operate Well for Streaming?
Most people prefer streaming video content on YouTube and may wonder if the 10Mbps internet speed is enough.
This internet plan works best for streaming YouTube content with only one device connected to it. If you share the internet with someone else, the result will not be the same.
However, streaming audio from platforms like Apple Music or Spotify needs a bandwidth of 0.6 Mbps which is less than video.
Therefore, with 10 Mbps you can stream audio with no internet issues and 15 different devices can connect to it at the same time.
Is 10 Mbps Good For Gaming?
You do not need a lot of internet speed to play online games, as a bandwidth of around 3 to 8 Mbps is suitable for gaming.
However, if you are playing high-end games like Counterstrike or Mortal Combat this internet speed is not suitable as these games need about 50 Mbps speed to provide an experience free from lag.
A 10 Mbps internet speed is enough for puzzle games or minor strategy games as they need less bandwidth. Additionally, this internet plan can be shared by 5 to 6 people playing these games.
Mid-end games like Racing games or shooting need an average of 12 Mbps. So, you will experience some lag when playing these games using a 10 Mbps internet speed.
Will Netflix Run Well on 10 Mbps?
An internet speed of 10 Mbps is fast enough for everything apart from UltraHD, meaning it is enough for streaming Netflix.
It is generally recommended by Netflix that you have an internet speed of 5Mbps at minimum to be able to watch HD videos.
Additionally, if many people are using the same internet, note that the Mbps speed will be divided.
So, if five people are streaming Netflix using 5Mbps internet, each one of them will use 1Mbps which leads to a fuzzy video at the start and then clearer later. This means 10 Mbps is not ideal for households with simultaneous Netflix streamers.
When it comes to streaming on Netflix, an internet speed of 3Mbps enables you to stream standard definition video while a 5 Mbps internet speed enables you to stream HD video. 25 Mbps is the best internet speed for streaming Ultra HD Netflix videos.
Is 10 Mbps Fast Enough For a Family?
The answer depends on the number of devices and people available in your home. This is because people use the internet for different reasons.
Some may use it for writing blogs, reading articles, and surfing while others use it for sending and receiving emails.
The 10 Mbps internet speed is suitable for anyone who wants to stream standard-definition content, play online games, and download small files.
However, it will not be enough if several people are using the internet to work from home and they need lots of internet bandwidth.
The 10 Mbps is fast enough if you are a family of two to three people and only use the internet for browsing email and the web.
However, if you are a family of five people and some are gamers while others play games online or stream 4K video on several devices, then the 10 Mbps internet speed is not fast enough.
Therefore, you may have to buy an improved internet plan for your devices to efficiently work.
An internet speed of 100 Mbps is suitable for a family as it enables you to work from home, is suitable for IoT applications, use home security, gaming, and streams 4K video, and many more.
Will 10 Mbps Work for Online Classes?
Yes, using an internet speed of 10 Mbps is ideal for doing online classes as it provides reliable internet for sharing large files, email, and being part of video conferences.
Google Meet and Zoom work well when they are connected to adequately fast internet.
With Zoom, 3 Mbps internet speed is recommended for video conferencing with several participants in HD.
For teachers, a minimum of 2 to 3 Mbps upload and 8 Mbps download is enough for online teaching. But for better performance, an internet speed of 10 Mbps or more is recommended.
For online learners and students, an internet speed of 1.5 Mbps for both download and upload is enough for online classes.
However, an internet speed of fewer than 10 Mbps will prevent you from participating in conferences and have problems with the playback of course video.
It will also be slow when saving and submitting an answer and during online quiz performance.
Downloading Files Using 10 Mbps Internet
Downloading files of medium to large sizes using the 10 Mbps internet speed will need a lot of patience.
Even though downloading is not common anymore because most people stream nowadays, it is needed from time to time.
It is a common thing to download program files these days, for example, Adobe Photoshop which is 815.7 MB for Windows 64-bit, and with 10 Mbps it will take 10 minutes to download it.
Additionally, it takes 2 seconds to download a high-quality photo or a web page, 4 seconds to download MP3, and 24 seconds to download a mobile application.
How Many Devices Can You Connect at 10 Mbps Speed?
This depends on what people are using the internet for and the number of devices, but as many people as you want can connect to a 10Mbps internet.
However, the performance will be slower if people are using more bandwidth.
Since email needs very limited or little bandwidth, a 10 Mbps speed can easily support 10 users.
However, the internet will be slower if some users are watching a 4K video while others are playing an online game.
Generally, a 10 Mbps speed is suitable for a few people to share but with the cooperation that one person will be playing a game, another will be streaming a video, and you will be sending an email or on Zoom but it should be one at a time.
The Cost of 10 Mbps Internet
There are different 10 Mbps plans by different internet service providers including:
- Performance Starter (50 Mbps) by Xfinity goes for $29.99 per month.
- Internet 10 by AT&T costs $55 per month.
- 10/10 by Verizon costs $74.99 per month.
10 Mbps vs Other Speeds
If you have a download speed that is less than 10 Mbps, you will experience some problems with it in most parts of the world.
To avoid these issues, you may want to increase the speed. Below are some of the different speeds you can buy:
- 50 Mbps – with an internet speed of 50 Mbps, you will be able to stream 4K video on Netflix and make HD Zoom video calls.
- 200 Mbps – this speed is sustainably quicker as you can have about 8 4k streams. With 200 Mbps speed downloading Adobe Photoshop will only take you 32 seconds.
- 500 Mbps – with this internet speed, most processes will be quicker for a small workplace or large family. A 500 Mbps speed allows you to have 13 HD Zoom calls at the same time.
- 1000 Mbps – with this speed it will take you 14 minutes and 18 seconds to download Microsoft Flight Simulator.
How to Run an Internet Speed Test
If you are unsure about the internet speed you are running at home, running a speed test is a quick and easy way to find out your network speed.
Firstly, disconnect all other devices that are connected to the router as this will impact the true internet speed recorded.
To run the test, click on the Ookla speed test website and click ‘Go’.
The test will then measure the download and upload speeds of your internet in Mbps.
If you want an even better test of internet speed, you should connect your device to the router directly via an Ethernet cable and re-run the Ookla test.
How Can I Get Better Internet Speed?
If 10 Mbps is not adequate for your internet needs, there are a few steps you can take to improve the speed of your internet. These are outlined below.
1. Reset your router
Assuming your ISP plan offers much faster internet than 10 Mbps but you’re only reaching 10 Mbps, you should consider a few troubleshooting steps, such as a router reset.
To reset your router, click the ‘off’ switch on the device and wait for 10 seconds before switching it back on and re-running the speed test.
While this isn’t a guaranteed solution, you may find the router is freed up from various processes to emit faster internet speeds.
If a simple reset doesn’t work, you can implement a hard router reset which requires you to hold down the small reset button (accessible via a pin), wait for 10 seconds and restart the device.
Performing a hard reset will restore your router to factory settings so you may need to re-enter your credentials.
2. Look at router settings
There may be an issue in the router settings causing the low internet speed. Access the network configuration page online and click the option to ‘reset to default’.
3. Disconnect other devices
If you have multiple devices connected to the internet at the same time, the internet speed will be slower.
Even if you are not using all the devices simultaneously, when connected, devices are still communicating with the router for example through syncing or making updates.
Disconnect these devices to improve internet speed.
4. Switch service plan
You should first confirm with the internet service provider (ISP) what your plan is. If your plan restricts you to 10 Mbps, you should ask them for an improved plan which has faster internet speeds.
If the ISP cannot improve the plan, scan around for other ISPs and see what their best offer is.
Final Words
Hopefully, you’re now clear on assessing 10 Mbps internet speed.
This speed is on the lower end of internet speed ranges available. While it can serve basic internet surfing and audio streaming on a couple of devices, for most modern households which include video streamers and gamers using multiple devices, this speed is inadequate.
If the 10 Mbps is not serving your household internet needs, you should first check if your router is having issues. If the router is operating fine, you contact the ISP and upgrade to a different plan.
