What Internet Speed do I Need for Netflix?

Netflix internet speed

If you’re a Netflix user, you know how important it is to have the right internet speed so that your streaming experience is smooth and uninterrupted. But with internet plans with different speeds available, it can be confusing to figure out what internet speed you need for Netflix. 

Let’s break down the basics and also recommend the optimal speed internet plan for netflix (view our guide for other streaming services here).

What internet speed do you need for Netflix?

Here are some useful pointers from Netflix:

• Netflix recommends a minimum internet speed of 3 Mbps to watch standard definition (SD) quality video content on a single device. 
• If you want to watch high-definition (HD) quality video content on one device, then you need an internet speed of 5 Mbps or higher. 
• In addition, if you plan on streaming 4K Ultra HD content on multiple devices simultaneously, then you should have an internet speed of 25 Mbps or higher. 

It’s important to note that these speeds are simply recommendations. In reality, it almost always takes more than these speeds to have an optimal streaming experience. 

The actual amount of bandwidth that your connection needs depends on several factors, such as the type of connection (dial-up vs fibre optic), the number of users connected at once, and the type of content being streamed (movies vs live sports).

We recommend internet plans with at least 50 Mbps download speeds if it’s just you and another person connecting to the same internet. 

For larger households, we recommend 100 Mbps or more download speed plans.

Since your internet is a shared resource, as discussed above, we’d recommend one of the following nbn® plans: 

• nbn® Home Everyday 50/20 Mbps
• nbn® Home Fast 100/20 Mbps
• nbn® Home Superfast 250/25 Mbps

View our nbn® plans here.

View our fixed wireless broadband plans here.

Netflix quality settings

Netflix offers a variety of options to customise your viewing experience. From their quality settings, members are able to choose from low, medium, high and auto. If you have a fluctuating speed, it’s possible to notice the stream bouncing between low, standard, and high quality when you’re watching a film or TV show. 

Low quality settings are perfect for viewers who wish to save data but still have a decent watching experience; perfect for those times where you only want to watch a quick show or movie on the go. 

High resolution is best suited for larger screens like smart TVs and projectors if you’re looking for an optimal viewing experience with clear HD visuals. 

Netflix gives you the option to set your quality to auto, which will automatically adjust the streaming quality according to your connection speed. 

Netflix also enables you to set a maximum fixed streaming quality through your account settings. The way to do this varies depending on the type of device you’re watching Netflix on, but accessing and changing these settings is an easy task.   

On your computer

• Click on your profile icon in the top-right of the Netflix window and choose My Account. 
• Under My Profile click on Playback Settings. 
• Select the quality of stream you want.

On your phone

• When in the Netflix app, select the Menu icon in either the top left or top right corner (this depends on whether you’re using iOS or Android).
• Select App Settings.
• Select Cellular Data Usage. 
• Select the quality of stream you want.

Summary 

The Netflix speeds mentioned in this blog are the absolute minimum speed needed and doesn’t take into account other users on your network, congestion, peak load etc. 

For an optimal streaming experience, we recommend a higher Mbps speed of at least 50Mbps.

Why Choose NodeOne?

• NodeOne is proud to be the first WA company to offer 1,000/1,000 Mbps on the nbn® network.
• We understand that no nbn® experience is the same, and that’s why we service WA with the best available.
• The entire NodeOne team is based in WA. This means that you can speak directly to our team of experts who can help. So, you can finally say no to overseas call centres!
• If you’re coming from a different provider, we will guide you through the process and get you connected fast.