Is 500 Mbps Fast? (500 Mbps Internet Guide)
If you have multiple devices in your home or business that need a fast internet connection, you may need to invest in a good internet plan.
So, is 500 Mbps fast enough?
Yes, with 500 Mbps, you can easily have up to 300 Zoom calls, stream 4K content on 20 devices, watch YouTube on 200 devices, and stream Spotify music on 1000 devices.
500 Mbps is higher than the average internet speed in the US, which is 174 Mbps. With this speed, all your family or employees can connect to the network simultaneously without experiencing any bandwidth issues.
You can improve your internet speed by restarting or resetting your router, relocating the router, updating the firmware, or disconnecting other devices.
How Fast Is 500 Mbps?
The download speed of 500 Mbps speeds is around 62.5 MB/s. This means it will take you between 27 and 35 minutes to download 100 GB of data.
The average size of a 4K movie is about 20 to 22GB, so it will take you less than 30 minutes to download five 4K movies.
Theoretically, around 200 devices can be connected to 500 Mbps speed for casual tasks like email and internet browsing.
However, in real life, there will be some lag because a lot of devices are connected simultaneously.
What Can You Achieve With 500 Mbps?
Below are the potential uses for the 500 Mbps plan:
- Streaming Spotify music on 1000 devices.
- Watching HD YouTube videos on 200 devices.
- 4K Netflix streams on 20 devices.
- Zoom calls (HD) on 200 devices.
- Zoom calls on 300 devices.
500 Mbps for Streaming
With 500 Mbps, you can stream HD YouTube video on more than 100 devices simultaneously as one video requires around 3-5 Mbps connection.
You can stream FHD Netflix content on around 100 devices at once and stream 4K content on around 20 devices at the same time.
If you are an audiophile, listening to podcasts and streaming music will be easy with 500 Mbps as these activities need only 0.5 Mbps speed to stream without problems.
500 Mbps for Gaming
With gaming, you need to have good and stable upload and download speeds. So, is 500 Mbps good for gaming?
Yes, when you are connected to 500 Mbps WiFi, you will have a good gaming experience. You can download big games like GTA V, which is 100GB plus, in less than 30 minutes.
You can play low-end games such as Fall Guys and Among Us smoothly on as many as 100 devices connected to 500 Mbps speed.
Additionally, you can play mid-tier games like Valorant and CS GO as well as high-end games like GTA V, APEX Legends, and PUBG without connection issues as long as you are using a WiFi 6 gaming router.
500 Mbps for Online Meetings
500 Mbps is more than enough for having a meeting on Skype or Zoom. Since these platforms rely mostly on uploading speed instead of downloading speed, you can game or stream while making voice calls on Skype and Zoom.
With 500 Mbps, you can attend Skype, Google Meet, and Zoom at 1080p quality on around 100 devices with no networking issues.
Downloading Experience with 500 Mbps
When connected to a 500 Mbps plan, it will take you only a couple of minutes to download a full Blu-ray movie and 10 seconds to download a whole music album (300-500MB).
It will take you 10 minutes to download a two-hour HD movie and one second to download an HD image (5-10 MB).
An SD movie that is less than 1GB takes 30-40 seconds to download while an HD movie (2-3GB) takes 2-3 minutes to download.
A 4K movie (8-10 GB) takes 5-6 minutes to download while downloading games (50 GB) from a PC or Console takes between 13 and 15 minutes.
Uploading Experience with 500 Mbps
Upload speeds are not only used for Zoom calls, they are also useful when you want to share files or send large amounts of photos.
For example, iPhone photos have huge file sizes of between 2-8 MB. So If you have a 100 photo album with an average of 5MB per photo, hypothetically, it will take you 1 minute and 20 seconds to share the album.
500 Mbps vs Other Speeds
To demonstrate the potential of 500 Mbps speed, you need to understand the capabilities of other internet plan speeds. This is explained below:
#1. 1000 Mbps
An internet speed of 1000 Mbps is incredibly fast compared to average home or workplace internet plans.
While these speeds are fast, they are rare and you will be very lucky to get internet plans close to 1000 Mbps.
1000 Mbps speed can handle an office of about 40 people streaming in 4K at the same time without any issues.
A 1000 Mbps plan will have an upload speed of 100 Mbps which can handle around 33 1080p video calls simultaneously.
#2. 200 Mbps
A 200 Mbps internet plan is more common in the US and much closer to the average household internet speed.
At this speed, you can run over 500 Spotify streams and download Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 for Mac OS in less than a minute. 200 Mbps speed is enough for most small businesses and families.
#3. 50 Mbps
It gets a bit tricky when it comes to 50 Mbps speed. This speed is below the average for most countries around the world. 50 Mbps speed will not handle a heavy-usage family because it is enough for just two 4K streams.
This makes it ideal for one or two people but if the router is far away users may experience buffering issues when streaming.
Also, other connected devices can face buffering issues because the background processes can affect the download speed.
#4. 10 Mbps
This internet speed is lower than the global internet speed average. With 10 Mbps, even the most basic internet functions, such as loading web pages, can be difficult.
You may stream Netflix in 1080p, but you will not be able to do anything else.
Internet Service Providers for 500 Mbps Plans
Below is a list of service providers that offer the 500 Mbps plans:
- AT&T – Internet 500 plan
- Verizon – Internet 500/500 plan
- Xfinity – Blast Pro (600 Mbps) plan
- Cox – Ultimate 500 plan
- Breeze line – Internet 500 plan
- WOW WAY – Internet 500 plan
- Optimum – 500 Mbps Fiber Internet plan
- Spectrum – Ultra plan
- Midco – Internet 500 plan
Ways For Improving Your Internet Plan
Below are some of the steps that you can take to improve your internet speed and get the most out of your 500 Mbps plan:
#1. Check In With Your Internet Service Provider
Your internet speed cannot be faster than the service plan provided by your ISP. If you are subscribed to a 50 Mbps plan, you will not have speeds more than 50 Mbps, therefore, ensure that you first check your plan.
If there are better plans available from your ISP, then consider upgrading. But if not, check whether other ISPs in your area provide better speeds.
#2. Disconnect All Other Devices
If your ISP has the best package and they are the best in your area, but you are not getting the advertised speed, then you need to troubleshoot your network.
The first thing you need to do is disconnect the other devices connected to the network as they may be affecting your speed. Even idle devices can be downloading files.
For example, most computers and smartphones have automatic updates. Additionally, syncing files like iCloud photos also affects the download speed.
#3. Upgrade Your Router’s Firmware
Your router may be the issue. If you are subscribed to 500 Mbps but are achieving lesser speeds, your router may need a firmware update as outdated firmware affects download speeds.
To update the firmware, connect your computer to the router using an ethernet cable. Go to the manufacturer’s website and check whether there is an update.
If there is one, download it and go to the web management page of your router where you will find the update, then install it.
#4. Restart or Reset Your Router
If there is no update or updating the firmware does not solve the problem, resetting your router might just be the solution. First, switch off the router for 10 seconds and then turn it back on.
If this does not improve the speed, press the reset button using a pin for 10 seconds. Note that this will delete configured settings as well as your network name and password.
#5. Move or Upgrade Your Router
Your internet speed may be slow because your router is slightly out of range. Therefore, try moving it closer to your devices and see whether this solves the issue.
If not, maybe it is time to upgrade your WiFi device and get one with a better range so that you can have faster internet connections.
How to Check Your Internet Speed
Running a speed test will enable you to determine how fast your internet speed is. You can use Ookla to test your speed and get an accurate representation in just a few minutes.
Additionally, Ookla shows you your upload and download speeds separately.
The information from the test allows you to know which processes your internet speed can handle. We recommend that you run a speed test after performing the troubleshooting tips mentioned above.
FAQs
How much does 500 Mbps cost?
A 500 Mbps internet plan costs between $39 and $80 per month. However, the internet service providers may be specific to locations, making the availability and price of the plan different in your area.
What are the problems that may arise when using 500 Mbps?
500 Mbps will not cause any issues unless you are operating a large business with heavy usage on one network. So, if there are problems, it is likely caused by something else.
Check the tips mentioned above and run a speed test to solve the issue.
How do you differentiate between Mbps and MB/s?
Mbps and MB/s are units of measurement that have different meanings even if they may sound almost similar. Originally, MB/s was used but has since changed to the new Mbps.
You can get the difference between the two units by multiplying any MB/s value by 8. For example, 0.125 MB/s is equal to 1 Mbps.
Final Words
From this article, we can see that an internet speed of 500 Mbps allows you to do almost everything online.
You can download huge files, play high-end games, and do 4K streaming smoothly on multiple devices. A 500 Mbps internet plan will be the perfect fit in a large family home or business.
If your internet speed is slowing down, you should follow the steps mentioned above to improve it. if you have further issues, contact your ISP for technical and professional advice and assistance.
