To achieve internet speeds above 100 Mbps (megabit per second), several requirements must be met regarding your own equipment.

Wired vs. Wireless Connection

A wired connection will always be much faster and more stable than a wireless connection. Therefore, we always recommend using a network cable where possible.

Even though you get high speeds with a network cable, they actually have different speeds:

  • Cat5 - Supports speeds up to 100 megabit
  • Cat5e - Supports speeds up to 1.000 megabit
  • Cat6 - Supports speeds up to 10.000 megabit
  • Cat7 - Supports speeds up to 10.000 megabit

Make sure your network cable is marked with at least "Cat5e" or "Cat6" to achieve speeds above 100 megabit.

Gigabit ports on the wireless router (1 gigabit = 1.000 megabit)

Your router must support gigabit speeds. Look for terms such as:

  • Gigabit Router
  • Gigabit Ethernet
  • Gigabit LAN–WAN
  • TX/1000Base‑T
  • Gigabit port
     

WiFi Frequency bands: 2.4 GHz vs. 5 GHz

The standard frequency used by wireless routers is 2.4 GHz. Newer routers also support 5 GHz, which provides higher speeds but has shorter range than the usual 2.4 GHz band. We therefore recommend using 5 GHz whenever possible. To use this frequency, both your wireless router and your phone/PC/etc. must support 5 GHz.
 

Wireless transmission standards such as "N" (802.11n) or "AC" (802.11ac)

Check the specifications of your router to see whether it supports wireless transmission standards such as 802.11n or 802.11ac. In practical use, the average wireless speed for the N standard is around 80 megabit, while the average wireless speed for the AC standard is around 160 megabit.

Note: These speeds are theoretical and can only be achieved under optimal conditions, such as:

  • Minimal interference from other electrical devices
  • A relatively short distance to the router
  • No walls or floors blocking the signal
  • Few devices connected to the same router
  • A sufficiently powerful network card in the devices being used

 

A sufficiently powerful network card on your PC/tablet/mobile device to achieve 100 megabit or higher

More powerful network cards provide higher network speeds. Desktop computers usually have more powerful network cards than laptops, which in turn generally have more powerful cards than tablets and smartphones.

If a computer is connected using a network cable, check that the network card includes the word "Gigabit" or "1000" and that the connection speed is 1.000 Mbps (megabits per second) or 1 Gbps (gigabit per second).

If a computer is connected wirelessly, check that the network card supports "802.11/n" or "802.11/ac" and that the connection speed is above 100 Mbps (megabits per second).