Bandwidth might sound technical, but imagine your internet as water flowing through pipes in your home. Bandwidth is the width of those pipes, determining how much “water” (or data) can flow at any given time. So,bandwidth is about how wide the pipe is, bigger pipes mean more data can flow through simultaneously, making your online experience smoother and sharing that bandwidth across all your devices with ease. The size of that pipe depends on the package you choose – higher speeds packages normally mean bigger bandwidth, letting you share more data across multiple devices without any hassle.
What’s Bandwidth All About?
Bandwidth is essentially the capacity of your internet connection to handle data at once. With more connected devices like phones, laptops, and smart gadgets, you need bigger “pipes” so everyone can stay connected without interruptions.
How Do We Measure Bandwidth?
Bandwidth is measured by how much data flows through per second, think of it like the litres of water your pipes can handle. We measure it in megabits per second (Mbps), which is fast, or gigabits per second (Gbps), which is seriously speedy. The larger the number, the more data your connection can handle at one time, keeping things flowing smoothly.
How Much Bandwidth Does Your Household Need?
The amount of bandwidth you need depends on the number of devices and what they’re doing. Imagine a kitchen sink and a garden hose, they both need water but the hose may need a bit more flow for a smooth watering session. Simple browsing or emails? About 2 Mbps should do it. Streaming or video calls? You’ll want around 10 Mbps. Gaming or HD streaming? You’ll likely need closer to 25 Mbps to avoid lag.
All the devices in your household share the bandwidth of your Internet connection. It’s important to remember that while the router handles “water streams” from all devices, each device has its own “water stream” to the router. The size of that secondary “water stream” depends on the device capabilities and the connection type it uses to the router. For example, a device using a cat5 Ethernet cable to connect to the router will only get 100Mbps per second, because the cable can handle as much.
Checking and Prioritising Bandwidth with My Lit Fibre App
Curious about how much of that “water” each device is using? If you’re with Lit Fibre, the My Lit Fibre app makes checking and managing a breeze:
Open My Lit Fibre and head to the Usage section.
See how much bandwidth each device is using in real-time.
Check your history to spot which apps or devices are data-hungry.
Use My Lit Fibre Enhanced to prioritise bandwidth for certain devices when you need a stronger connection.
Boosting Your Bandwidth with Simple Steps
Here are a few straightforward ways to get the most from your connection:
Switch some devices to wired: Plug in an ethernet cable for data-hungry devices like smart TVs or gaming consoles for a faster flow of data. For connection up to 1Gbps you need a Cat5E, Cat6 or Cat7 cable (ask in the hardware store, they will know which is which).
Limit idle devices: Disconnect any devices you’re not using – or, if you’re able, ask the gamers in the house to take a quick break while you’re on a call.
Set time limits on kids' devices in the evening: This can free up bandwidth, so you can enjoy a seamless stream of your favourite shows without interruptions.
Add Lit Fibre Enhanced: With Lit Fibre Enhanced, you get more control over your bandwidth so you can prioritise devices when they need it most.
With the right bandwidth, your home connection will be as smooth as water running through a wide-open tap – perfect for streaming, gaming, and all the online tasks that keep you connected and entertained.