The internet in your own four walls should be cheap and fast. But how fast is actually fast enough? Does it necessarily have to be 100 Mbit/s or more? What is important when choosing the right tariff – an overview.
When it comes to the question of which internet speed is best for each individual, there are two main factors: the number of users and their surfing behavior. A family of five that streams films in 4K on four different devices needs significantly more speed than a single household that only occasionally watches YouTube. Below are three scenarios with our recommendations for your home Internet connection.
Internet connection: Sufficient bandwidth for a family of several people
The daughter is gaming, the son is on a video call with his best friend, the parents are streaming a film over 4K – if several devices are on the Internet at the same time and are using a lot of data, they also need a corresponding amount of bandwidth. The download speed is crucial. This is given in Mbit/s and describes how much data can be downloaded per second. In the case of a family with several members (or even a larger shared apartment), it should be a tariff with at least 100 Mbit/s. If you want to be on the safe side, Vodafone has an interesting offer right now. The connection with 250 Mbit/s is available there for 19.99 euros for the first nine months. The price then increases to 49.99 euros.
Click here for the DSL offer from Vodafone
- Up to 250 Mbit/s download, up to 40 Mbit/s upload
- 19.99 euros in the first nine months (thereafter 49.99 euros)
- Connection price: 0 euros
- Telephone flatrate
- Minimum contract term: 24 months
- Possibility to change tariff after twelve months
The right internet tariff for single households
In single or couple households, significantly fewer data packets usually go through the line. The Internet is only accessed on one or a maximum of two devices at the same time. Normal users who mainly use the Internet for watching series, surfing and social media can opt for a tariff with less bandwidth and thus save money. In such cases, around 50 Mbit/s is enough. They are currently available at o2 for just 14.99 euros in the Home S tariff for the first year (afterwards 34.99 euros). For five euros more per month you can even get 100 Mbit/s in the Home M tariff.
Click here for the DSL offer at o2
- Up to 50 Mbit/s download, up to 10 Mbit/s upload
- 24.99 euros in the first year (34.99 euros thereafter)
- Connection price: 0 euros
- Telephone flatrate
- Minimum contract term: 24 months
What internet speed does the home office need?
As a rule, there is no need for a separate tariff for home office. Although people at home are online longer than people who work in the office, this has no influence on the bandwidth. What remains more important here is how many people or devices access the Internet at the same time and what they do there. As long as the work is mainly limited to office applications and occasional video calls and a maximum of two people are in the home office at the same time, a 50 Mbit/s connection is completely sufficient here too.
Internet tariff: fiber optic connection for gamers
Anyone who regularly gambles over the Internet not only needs a large bandwidth, the so-called ping is also crucial. In simple terms, this describes the response time from the Internet, for example in response to a keystroke on the controller. To avoid stuttering while playing, the ping should be as small as possible. You get the lowest ping over a fiber optic connection. Even faster connections of up to 1,000 Mbit/s are also possible here.
The Vodafone fiber optic tariff GigaZuhause Fiber includes 500 Mbit/s for 19.99 euros. The price is valid for the first six months, after which 54.99 euros per month are due. In addition, after six months there are monthly costs of 7.99 euros for the router. However, fiber optics are not yet available everywhere, and the corresponding connection may still be missing, especially in rural areas. This should definitely be checked in advance.
Click here for Vodafone’s fiber optic offering
- Up to 500 Mbit/s download, up to 100 Mbit/s upload
- 19.99 euros in the first half of the year (54.99 euros thereafter)
- Connection price: 0 euros
- Landline and Vodafone flat rate
- Minimum contract term: 24 months
- Ten euros discount per month for Vodafone mobile phone customers
What internet speed do I need?
If you are currently looking for a new internet tariff for your home, you should consider in advance how many people and devices usually want to access the internet at the same time and what it will be used for. If you can estimate this realistically when looking for a tariff, you can save money. Because not everyone needs connections with 100 Mbit/s or more. It also depends on the availability of the tariff or connection at your own address.
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