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Internet Speed Requirements for Working from Home

Across the world, work has evolved in recent years. And as the need to work from home increases, many companies are envisioning a fully remote setup. But what does working from home mean for your internet connection? 

For one, remote work has highlighted the need for fast internet speeds—a reliable and stable connection throughout the day. Before, you might have only considered internet speeds that can support some streaming, gaming, and browsing on social media. Now, your internet connection at home needs to work with you, 9 to 5 and beyond.

Is your internet connection fast enough to work from home? Find out how to boost your internet speed so that you can stay online and productive throughout the work day.

The Best Internet Speed for Working from Home

The bottom line is, if your internet speed is fast enough for streaming videos on Netflix, it’s likely fast enough for Zoom meetings and working throughout the day. But is it fast enough for the entire family working (or learning) from home simultaneously?

Let’s start with the basics: how much speed do the typical work-from-home apps and platforms need, per user?

• Zoom: At least 25Mbps, and as high as 100Mbps for guaranteed glitch-free video calls
• Slack: 0.2 to 4Mbps, depending on the number of downloads and uploads.
• Email: 1Mbps
• Spotify: 0.1 to 0.3Mbps.

Keep in mind that these are only minimum recommended speeds, based on at least 25Mbps per user. With more devices and users relying on a shared internet connection, you will need to boost your internet speed. This helps ensure you can perform different tasks online smoothly and quickly, like downloading and uploading large files, joining video calls, sending emails or chat messages, and working on cloud-based platforms.

How to Boost Your Internet Speed

Are you having trouble staying in a Zoom call with your video on? Is it taking longer to download and upload files? While sufficient for browsing social media and light streaming on Netflix, your internet connection at home may not be fast enough to work from home.

The quickest way to boost your internet speed is upgrading to a better plan with faster speeds. But that’s not all you can do. Before you upgrade, check out these tips for boosting your connection:

1. Check your router’s settings

When boosting your internet speed, your router should be your first stop. Here are the top ways for optimizing its performance to deliver the fastest speeds across your devices:

• Update security settings: Is your Wi-Fi network secure? Keep your neighbours out of your internet connection by updating to a complex password and WPA2 security.
• Optimize router performance: Routers are programmed with various settings, which you can toggle to boost speed where it matters. Try turning off entertainment settings, resetting the Request to Send (RTS) thresholds, and changing fragmentation and threshold settings.
• Switch your Wi-Fi channel: Most routers use a standard 2.4GHz Wi-Fi channel. Switching to a 5GHz channel can reduce interference and boost internet speed.
• Reset: Unplug your router and plug it back in. A hard reset can quickly resolve recurring issues slowing down your internet connection, and boost speeds.

2. Time-shift video calls

In most workplaces, meetings are usually scheduled at the top of the hour, like 10AM sharp or at the half hour mark, making it easy to block off clean time increments. The problem is, everyone is scheduling their meetings at the same time. These high-bandwidth activities occurring simultaneously can slow down internet speeds as a whole on your network.

Instead, try moving your team’s scheduled video calls 5 to 10 minutes away from the top of the hour. Moving your meeting from 10AM to 10:10AM can help ease the strain on both internet connections and video conferencing platforms, resulting in clear and stable video quality and reduced likelihood of disconnection.

3. Save big downloads, uploads, and updates for the off hours

Are downloads and updates taking longer than expected? Just like shifting meeting times, try rescheduling bandwidth-heavy activities for off-hours, like late at night. For example, you can set system upgrades to occur during off-peak hours when there’s less network traffic. Similarly, you can download and upload less urgent files and media during lulls throughout the work day to avoid slowing down your internet speed.

4. Prioritize productivity needs

Your internet connection is likely to slow down when everyone works or learns from home and uses multiple devices. Boost your internet speed by making it a habit to prioritize activities related to work and school. For example, save Netflix for later when the network isn’t too busy.

More than making it a rule at home, you can also implement this directly on your network. Set up your router to use the 5GHz band with faster speeds for work and school, and the 2.4GHz band for less crucial needs. You can also create a guest network with lower maximum speed settings to keep bandwidth dedicated to productivity needs, and prioritize traffic to devices used for work.

5. Disconnect idle devices

Not using a device for work? Turn it off, or disconnect it from your Wi-Fi network. This makes it easier to prioritize productivity and even saves you the trouble of toggling router settings. You might not realize it, but smartphone apps, for instance, are set to constantly refresh in the background, fetching new data and using a lot of bandwidth in the process.

6. Make your router reachable, and use a Wi-Fi extender

Where the router is placed matters when it comes to your internet speed. Simply moving the router to a better location unobstructed by doors, walls, and furniture can greatly boost your internet speed. 

Depending on the size of your home, and the distance between your work-from-home setup and the router, you can also install an extender to strengthen the Wi-Fi signal, and avoid degrading the range and strength of the connection. And if these aren’t enough, it may be time to upgrade your router to a model that’s capable of handling traffic from multiple devices.

7. Use a wired connection

With the number of devices the average Canadian uses these days, in-home Wi-Fi sure is convenient. But often, the number of connected devices can also cause latency or lags in your connection and low-quality video. When working on a crucial project, or if your job is particularly demanding, try switching your work computer to a wired connection. Using an ethernet cable to connect your device can greatly boost internet speed, increasing productivity.

Upgrade Your Internet Speed, and Work From Home Better with Comwave

Is your internet connection still not fast enough for working from home? Then it’s time to upgrade to faster speeds. You can do a lot to optimize your home network and boost your current internet speed, but there simply isn’t a substitute for the fastest internet speeds.

Get the fastest internet speed for working from home. Boost your internet speed for maximum productivity, from video calls to real-time, remote collaboration. See how Comwave helps you work better at home, with the fastest speeds and internet bundles.

How do you watch TV? Over the past decades, cable has always been king—a guaranteed reliable way to enjoy all your favourite shows by broadcast networks, exactly when they’re scheduled to start. Think back to all those hours you spent channel surfing, hopping from one channel to another, hoping to catch the latest episodes or reruns. But today, there’s a new, better way to watch—and it’s all about your preferences and schedule.

Cable vs. IPTV: Finding the New Best Way to Watch

With the rise of streaming platforms and watching shows on-demand, this era of watching TV—catching the latest live on-air—seems so long ago. Today, the latest in TV comes with IPTV: watching what you want, when you want, all thanks to your internet connection. Whether you want to watch live or replay an episode you missed, Comwave allows you to enjoy TV the best way: instantly, with no lags and delays—and best of all, on your own time. Comwave TV is available with a Comwave internet connection or through the Amazon Fire Stick.

Still watching cable? Learn more about IPTV and its benefits over cable. Unlock the best TV with Comwave so that you can watch whatever, whenever.

Cable TV: A Quick Trip Down Memory Lane

How Cable TV Works

Remember the days of channel surfing and waiting for your favourite shows to air at a set time and day of the week? That’s what cable TV is all about. Cable delivers programs by broadcast network to your home using light signals that are transmitted through fibre-coaxial networks. From there, a set-top box decodes the waves, displaying broadcast programs on your TV.

No Buffering

With different frequencies in your cable plan, you can hop from one channel to another, all without buffering. This allows you to enjoy high-quality video without lags and interference, making cable one of the most reliable streams for live broadcast. Thanks to dedicated cable lines, you can switch back and forth between your favourite channels anytime.

Limited Availability

Cable TV is good and reliable—at least when it works where you are. However, one of the most known drawbacks of cable is, it works wherever the signal is good. So while it’s perfectly reliable in the city, it might not deliver all the channels you want to watch if you live in a rural area, far from dedicated cable lines.

The Waiting Game

Add to signal issues is a rigid broadcast schedule. A lot of people will remember sitting in front of their TV, waiting for their favourite shows. But it’s certainly not the most convenient nor helpful, especially when you have to wait for a rerun. Since cable transmits from broadcast networks, it’s confined to delivering what programs are available at set times and days.

IPTV: The Best of TV, Thanks to Comwave

The future of watching TV is here: IPTV—Internet Protocol Television. Simply, it’s watching TV over the internet instead of radio waves.

How IPTV Works

With IPTV, shows, music, and even live TV programs are converted into a compressed digital format, sent over your home internet connection. Based on your channel package subscription, you can choose a program to watch and play on your TV or even other linked devices in your home internet network. 

Essentially, you select a channel with your IPTV provider, then your TV or computer pulls the information from the provider’s server to link with its IP address. This link transmits the information required to display the media content on your device so that you can watch local news, TV shows, movie channels, and more.

IPTV Starts with Reliable, High-Speed Comwave Internet

Because IPTV allows you to watch TV over the internet, it’s only as good as your internet connection. This is why you need the fastest internet speeds and most reliable connection for uninterrupted watching. A reliable, high-speed connection means you can watch high-quality video, with no buffering and lags—just pure entertainment. 

Plus, you can bundle Comwave internet with an IPTV subscription, and enjoy all your favourite shows on Comwave TV. Whether you want just the basic channels or to build your own package, staying up-to-date with all your favourite shows has never been easier.

Watch TV the Way You Want

IPTV is all about the freedom to watch what you want, when you want. With the fastest internet speeds from your Comwave plan, you can even watch shows that are not currently on-air in broadcast networks, as well as shows and channels in addition to regularly scheduled television broadcasts.

Also known as time-shifted media or on-demand, this mode of distribution means you can play the latest episodes after their original scheduled broadcast, without the hassle of recording it yourself. Watching “whatever”, “whenever” is all about your schedule and preferences, so you’ll never be restricted by rigid set-schedule broadcasting across your favourite channels.

Pause, Play, Rewind, and Fast-Forward

Didn’t catch the dialogue or want to rewatch a gripping scene? With IPTV, you’re in full control. Get up to grab a snack, replay your favourite parts, or skip to the best bits. Plus, watching on-demand also means sitting through fewer commercial breaks so that you can enjoy all your shows with fewer interruptions.

Watch Anytime—And Anywhere

What’s better than watching what you want, when you want? Catching all your favourite shows on any device! 

With IPTV, you don’t have to be in front of the TV to watch TV. Now, you can watch anytime, anywhere, whether it’s on your computer or tablet, as long as it’s registered on the same home internet network.

Best Value for TV

Finally, one of the areas where IPTV is the real winner over cable is value for your budget. Simply, IPTV is much more affordable and flexible than cable, especially with customizable packages. When you bundle Comwave internet with IPTV, you can choose from different TV packages available, or even build your own, a la carte style. Get exactly the channels and shows you want, fit for your budget.

Looking for the best way to watch TV? Make the switch from cable to IPTV, and unlock a new way to watch, made possible by your reliable, high-speed Comwave internet connection. Start watching with ComwaveTV today.

What is a good internet speed? The best of speed and value

It’s the age of the internet: lightning-fast social media updates, non-stop notifications, music and video streaming, binge-watching, online gaming, and more recently, working from home. You simply can’t afford to be offline and stay disconnected, whether it’s just for a second or overnight. It takes reliable, high-speed internet to get you connected, so you never miss out on the latest, from work to play.

But not all internet connections are the same, and neither are users. A good internet speed means something different for everyone’s browsing, streaming, and productivity needs. Whether you’re just checking emails and refreshing your feeds, or you’re a power user who needs the highest internet speed for uninterrupted video calls, large file downloads, and online gaming, there’s a perfect internet plan made for you.

So, what’s a good internet connection for you? Discover the best of the highest internet speeds at every budget. Stay connected with reliable, high-speed, and unlimited internet, at the best value for your every dollar.

Get to Know Your Browsing, Streaming, and Productivity Habits

There’s a right speed for every user—and the highest may not always be the best. The best internet plan comes down to how you use your internet connection. Start by considering your everyday habits:

• Is your internet plan for work or play, or a mix of both?
• Are you streaming video in HD, and downloading high-resolution photos and large files?
• Do you regularly play online games?
• Are you just casually browsing, and checking emails and your social media feeds?
• How many users will be sharing your internet connection—and how many devices will you be using?

What a Good Internet Connection Guarantees

If you’re using your internet connection for both work and play, streaming your favourite movies and shows, and online gaming, all on top of regular browsing and refreshing your feeds, you need a good internet speed. A reliable, high-speed connection ensures you’ll always be online, so you can stay up-to-date on the latest and never miss anything important, from work emails to game night. See what the highest internet speeds offer 24/7:

• Consistent speeds for multiple users on multiple devices browsing and streaming simultaneously
• No disconnection or buffering when streaming movies or shows, or joining video calls
• No lags in online games
• Instant sending and receiving of messages, emails, notifications, and more.

Is the highest internet speed always the best?

The answer is, it depends on your needs. If you’re just lightly browsing and streaming, you can get the best value for your budget from a good internet speed with unlimited data; for power users, getting the highest internet speed is definitely a must-have.

Wondering what’s a good internet speed that takes you seamlessly from work to play, without delays and disruptions? Here’s a quick guide to how much bandwidth you need for your regular internet habits:

• 30 Mbps: The basics of good internet speed—the most affordable and best for basic browsing
• 75 Mbps: The basics, now upgraded for faster browsing, email, and light streaming
• 150 Mbps: The best of both work and play—stable for all day work-from-home and leisure
• 500 Mbps: All your browsing, streaming, and productivity needs, plus home automation using smart devices
• 1000 Mbps: The highest internet speed for seamless content creation and gaming, plus uninterrupted browsing, streaming, work-from-home, and more.

Know Your Internet Speed: Download Speed vs. Upload Speed

When browsing internet plans, you‘ll find two different speeds in every tier: downloads and uploads. These two speeds determine how fast and reliable your connection is for specific activities, whether downloading or uploading.

Simply, download speeds refer to how fast data—files, websites, photos, music, movies, and more—are delivered to you over the internet. In contrast, upload speeds indicate how fast you can send or transfer data, such as posting a photo or sending an email.

Both speeds are important, yet you’ll find most internet plans offer faster download speeds than upload speeds. This is because most people at home tend to be on the receiving end of data, like reading articles, browsing photos, and streaming videos, rather than posting or uploading these online. Check out these examples of downloads and uploads to help find the right speeds for your needs:

Downloads

• Browsing the internet
• Downloading files, images, videos, and other content
• Streaming shows, movies, podcasts, and music
• Updating software
• Checking your email and opening attachments.

Uploads

• Attaching files to an email and sending it
• Uploading files to cloud storage
• Starting a livestream or video call
• Uploading images and videos online.

Factors that Affect Your Internet Speed

The highest internet speed is everyone’s first consideration. After all, it determines how fast you can connect, start streaming, and keep up with messages and notifications. But did you know that speed alone isn’t the only factor in the quality of your internet connection? Here are other factors to consider when choosing a good internet plan:

Inside Your Home

• Device: Is your computer or mobile device new and fast, or struggling to keep up with app updates and background refresh?
• Modem: Is your modem built to handle the highest internet speeds? Check with your provider to make sure, and discover options for upgrading your modem to ensure optimal performance.
• Wireless router distance: How close or far is your router located from your computer or where you’re browsing on a mobile device? Even your home’s floor plan, like the number of walls or storeys between you and the router can result in a weaker signal and connection.
• Number of devices: How many devices are connected to your Wi-Fi network? Keep in mind that a good internet speed is as good as its ability to support a number of devices sharing the same bandwidth. Multiple devices on a lower-speed connection will slow down browsing and streaming for everyone, so you may want to consider upgrading to higher speeds.

Outside Your Home

• Website traffic: Often, hundreds or thousands of other users like you are trying to access a website, affecting how quickly it loads even at the highest speeds.
• Technical factors: Latency (the time it takes for data to travel) and packet loss (the number of data packets sent to or from your home internet connection that don’t reach their destination) can slow down your connection.
• Location: Living in a highly populated city or region usually means faster speeds and access to advanced connections like fibre internet, in contrast to rural areas that tend to be farther from internet cables and infrastructure.
• Time of day: Just like rush hour on the roads, there’s also traffic on the internet at certain times of the day, causing slower browsing speeds than usual.

Find the Highest Internet Speeds at Comwave

Looking for the fastest internet speeds? Find out what’s a good internet speed for all of your everyday needs, from all-day work-from-home to browsing and streaming. Discover the best internet speeds and bundles for your budget, only from Comwave.

Are you currently searching for an internet provider? Luckily, there are many internet providers to choose from across Canada and even more deals for making a smart choice. Choose from the biggest names in the industry to independent providers, and the fastest, most affordable internet plans and bundles. But no one keeps you better connected in every way than Comwave.

Meet Canada’s Largest Independent Internet Provider

As Canada’s largest independent communications company, we bring over 20 years of experience connecting Canadians coast-to-coast. Whether you’re looking for an all-new fast and cheap internet provider at home or for your business, you can trust Comwave to connect you at the fastest speeds, and at even better value when you bundle it up with TV.

See what makes Comwave internet the most trusted by Canadians coast-to-coast. From finding Comwave services in your location to getting the best deals and savings for ultra-fast speeds and complete connectivity, discover the Comwave difference.

Bundle Up: All-In-One Internet and TV

At Comwave, we keep you connected in all the ways that matter. Discover high-speed internet plans and TV packages, tailored to your everyday needs. With over 3,000 positive reviews and one of Canada’s highest customer satisfaction ratings, Comwave is the clear choice for fast and cheap internet—the best value for every budget.

There’s more to Comwave than the lowest prices for the fastest speeds and dozens of your favourite channels. Make the most of every dollar when you bundle these two amazing services for one incredibly low price. With bundles starting at just $99.95 a month, you can stay connected at the best speeds and with all your favourite channels and save big every month.

The Fastest and Cheapest Internet, Only from Comwave

Wondering how Comwave delivers high-speed internet and complete connectivity at the best value? It’s simple. As an independent internet provider, we use the same internet cable and infrastructure as the biggest names in the business, allowing us to provide the same services—the fastest, most reliable speeds at much lower prices.

In fact, according to Canada’s Competition Bureau, independent providers like Comwave serve over a million households to higher satisfaction than with bigger, traditional providers. Comwave’s low prices for high-speed internet is the smart choice that keeps Canadians reliably connected, so you can work, stream, browse, and more, without costing you a fortune in monthly bills. With a combination of fast speeds, reliable connection, and unbeatable savings, Comwave is the best, most competitive choice for any budget coast-to-coast.

Unlimited High-Speed Internet for 24/7 Connectivity

Tired of buffering videos, streaming lags, and disconnected calls? That ends with Comwave. Stay connected with a fast and reliable internet connection that never runs out, so you can browse and stream uninterrupted, 24/7. In addition, all of Comwave’s internet plans come with unlimited data, so you’ll never worry about download caps and overage charges.

Find the Right Speed for Your Needs

All that’s left to do is figure out how fast you want to connect—from work to play, for uninterrupted productivity, browsing, and streaming. Choose the speed that’s right for you so that you can get the best value for every dollar of bandwidth. Think of your everyday browsing and streaming habits:

• How often do you check and send emails, read articles, and refresh your social media feeds?
• Do you stream a lot of videos in HD and keep up with the latest shows on streaming services?
• How many devices are connected to your Wi-Fi network?
• Do you regularly download and upload multiple files in big sizes?
• Do you regularly play online games?
• Are you working from home and regularly attending Zoom meetings?

Here’s a quick view of how much speed is required for your everyday browsing and streaming habits:

• 0–5 Mbps: Basic browsing, like checking emails and social media, and reading articles
• 6–40 Mbps: Stream in HD on 2 to 4 devices, play online games, and run at least 1 or 2 smart devices
• 41–100 Mbps: Stream in 4K on 2 to 4 devices, download large files quickly, and run at least 5 smart devices
• 100–500 Mbps: Stream in 4K on at least 5 devices, play online games with multiple players seamlessly, and run multiple smart devices
• 501Mbps—1GB: Stream in 4K on over 10 devices, and browse, download, and upload large, multiple files quickly.

With affordable internet plans starting at just $59.95 for 30 Mbps, Comwave keeps you connected at the best speeds for your everyday needs. Our team can help you determine the best plan for your browsing, streaming, gaming, and productivity habits, so you can attend Zoom meetings, play, and stay on top of your notifications and feeds with utmost ease. 

A good rule of thumb to remember is to maintain 25 Mbps per user while considering your everyday internet habits. For power users, the future of connectivity may be your best bet: fibre internet that gives you “symmetrical” download and upload speeds—zero lags and consistent high-speed internet for all your needs.

Complete Your Comwave Connection

A New Way to Watch TV

Say hello to a completely new way to watch. ComwaveTV is IPTV—available with Comwave internet or with the Amazon Fire Stick, with the most flexible channel selections. Choose from different TV packages starting at just $25 a month, or build your own TV plan with a selection of all your favourite channels, including ABC, CBC, CTV, CNN, CP24, TSN, Sportsnet and more, with over 115 channels to choose from. Watch ComwaveTV through a Comwave internet connection or with the Amazon Fire Stick for seamless viewing, and never miss the latest episodes of your favourite shows again.

Get your complete Comwave internet and TV bundle in a flexible plan made for your needs. At Comwave, you’re in control over how you’re connected: month-to-month, or on a three-year term, with 6 months free.

Stay connected in all the ways that matter. Looking for the best bundles for internet and TV? Learn more about why Comwave is the best choice. Start connecting today.