Having access to the internet is one of the greatest benefits of living in the 21st century, but it also means you have tons of choices no matter what you’re shopping for. The same is true when it comes to finding the best internet connection for your needs.
Image by Lorenzo Cafaro from Pixabay
You may be wondering “can I test my internet speed?” Thankfully, there are many tools available in order to determine the best internet option for your needs.
If you want to make sure you’re getting the best internet when it comes to speed, reliability and features, here’s what you need to know about some of the various options available on the market today.
Broadband
When it comes to modern internet types, broadband is the most common type of connection. There are multiple types of broadband internet connections, but the term is commonly used to refer to a high-speed internet connection that doesn’t use dial-up technology.
Standard broadband internet options include cable, DSL and satellite. When you’re shopping for an internet connection from a cable or satellite TV provider, you’re shopping for a fibre broadband connection. HughesNet internet and many other popular choices offer a broadband connection.
There are a lot of options out there, and shopping for the right one can sometimes be overwhelming. Be sure to research thoroughly, to find the best fit for you. You may need to consider the best satellite options if you live remotely, as this can often be the best solution in these circumstances.
Broadband offers fairly high speeds and good reliability, which is a big part of what’s made it the most popular type of connection. However, it’s important to note that your speed will vary depending on how far you are from the source of the connection if you have DSL internet.
Fiber Internet
While broadband internet is great if you’re looking for a relatively affordable option that offers high speeds, you simply can’t compete with fiber internet if you’re looking for the very best speeds on the market.
The big difference between fiber internet and standard internet is the fact that a fiber connection uses fiber-optic cables whereas standard internet uses copper cables. There are inherent differences between the two types of cables that make fiber not only the faster option but also the more reliable one.
Shopping for standard broadband internet connections often means limiting yourself to speeds of somewhere between 100 Mbps and 200 Mbps, but that’s far from the case when it comes to fiber internet.
As a matter of fact, there are numerous providers out there who offer fiber internet with speeds up to 1 Gbps. For comparison, 1 Gbps is 10 times faster than 100 Mbps, meaning you can get much better download speeds and stream higher-quality videos from the internet. You can check and verify this using a best internet speed test.
Most important, however, fiber internet allows you to connect lots of devices at once since it gives you so much bandwidth.
4G LTE
As great as broadband and fiber internet are when you’re looking for home internet, 4G LTE is the clear-cut solution if you want the best internet you can take with you anywhere you go. 4G LTE is the type of connection used by most smartphones, but it’s also available as a standalone package that allows you to get internet access no matter where you are.
While 4G LTE internet is a lot faster than its 3G counterpart from the past, it’s not nearly as fast as a good broadband or fiber internet connection. On top of that, it’s important to note that 4G LTE connections aren’t available everywhere, so you may experience a loss in coverage in certain areas.
However, there’s really no beating 4G LTE if you’re looking for the fastest available internet connection that you can take with you no matter where you go.
Choosing between all the internet options today can be a bit difficult, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle. As long as you do a little research and make sure the internet package you purchase works for you and your needs, there is a wide range of great internet options out there.
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