Shopping for internet is hard enough as it is. Wading through promotional offers and confusing terms of service while trying not to fall into internet pricing traps can be very frustrating. In addition, comparing all the internet providers in your area can make your eyes glaze over. But above all else, choosing the right internet connection type matters. This often determines the quality (and satisfaction) of your connection.
ISPs use wired or wireless connections (or a mix of the two) to get you online — and that connection type makes all the difference in how fast your speeds at home will be. Wired connection types — meaning a wire is connected directly to your home — include fiber-optic, coaxial cable and copper (also known as DSL) internet. Your wireless connection types include satellite internet, fixed wireless and the increasingly popular cellular and5G Home Internet.
At CNET, we’ve encountered every internet connection type and can tell you first-hand the differences that the connection type you choose can make.
Our internet options are usually limited by whatever is available at our address. Some may be stuck with only one, but knowing the difference between how those connections work makes all the difference in finding a satisfying internet service.
How to use this guide
- Read each section on the different internet connection types that may be available at your home.
- Compare the speeds, availability, pricing and overall reliability for each connection type.
- Understand what limitations are found in each connection type.
Connection types are listed in order of most to least recommended.
Fiber internet: The best, but least available
It’s at the top for a reason. Fiber internet is the fastest internet connection type that we currently know of since it relies on the speed of light to get you online. Fiber-optic internet relies on long, thin strands (fibers) of glass or plastic which send data through light signals. As a result, you’ll get the most reliable and fast internet connection — far superior to the speeds offered by any other connection type.
Fiber providers like Ziply Fiber can deliver download speeds as fast as 50 gigabits (50,000 megabits per second) or higher but your average fiber provider will likely max out around 1,000 to 5,000Mbps.
Upload speeds — essential for working and learning from home, uploading videos to social media and gaming online — are significantly faster with fiber-optic service and typically mirror download speeds. No other connection type can deliver symmetrical upload and download speeds like fiber-optic internet.
Pricing for the ultra-speedy plans can easily run you $100 or more per month, but most providers also offer slower speed tiers (if speeds of 100 to 1,000Mbps can be considered slow) for $40 to $80 a month. Other connection types may present slightly lower introductory prices, depending on the available providers in your area, but when you take into account the cost per megabit of these quick speeds, you’re likely to find the best value with fiber internet.
Availability is the only real disadvantage with fiber. Laying enough fiber-optic cables to connect entire cities and regions is a huge logistical challenge, and with lots of competition and red tape to cut through, it’s been slow going for any of the major service providers to expand coverage to underserved areas. Consequently, according to the Federal Communications Commission, fiber internet is only available to around 45% of US households (primarily in urban areas). That makes fiber one of the least available internet connection types despite its speeds.
Read more: What Is Fiber Internet? Everything I Learned After My First Months Writing for CNET
Notable fiber internet providers
Cable internet: The standard connection
Cable internet delivers a connection to your home via copper coaxial cable — the same as traditional cable TV.
Cable is second to fiber since it lacks the full-speed potential and reliability of a fiber-optic service, on the bright side, your address will more likely be serviceable. Cable is one of the most common types of internet connections — available to nearly 82% of US households — and you’ll often find it bundled with TV packages. That makes sense because cable internet uses the same coaxial connections as cable TV.
Though not as speedy as fiber internet, cable internet service is still one of the fastest connection types. Most cable providers offer a variety of speed options, including a gigabit plan with download speeds of around 940Mbps. Upload speeds are a much different story, unfortunately, with upload usually topping out at 35Mbps. Speed reliability can also be a concern with cable internet as the connection type is susceptible to network congestion and slowed speeds, especially during peak usage times which can be especially frustrating in a house with a lot of heavy internet usage.
Cable is, for the most part, one of the more affordable internet connection types — especially compared to the steep prices of multi-gig fiber speeds. However, cable internet pricing varies quite a bit among providers. You can get a broadband connection from providers like Astound, Mediacom and Xfinity starting at around $30 a month or less. Spectrum, another big name in cable internet, has a higher starting price at around $50 a month but boasts faster download speeds of 500Mbps. Cable providers like Xfinity and Spectrum are notorious for price hikes after the promo period ends, so make sure you consider that when signing up.
Notable cable internet providers
Read more: Is Gigabit Internet Worth the Money? Here’s Why You May Not Need That Much Speed
5G home internet: A favorite among home internet users
5G home internet has been catching people’s attention in recent years. Cellular internet is largely designed for your phone, but as the technology improves and speeds increase, 5G mobile connections are becoming more practical (and cheaper) for home internet users.
With this internet connection type, cell carriers like Verizon and T-Mobile send 5G signals in all directions. Usually, 5G frequencies are picked up by cellphones, but for home internet, a router receives those signals and turns them into a home connection. It’s a great way to get broadband without the need for running a line to your home or in some cases, dealing with the companies that have run those lines — wired internet is notorious for low customer satisfaction ratings.
If you’re living in a city or another area with stronger cellular infrastructure, you might be able to connect over 5G, with providers like Verizon offering speeds up to 1Gbps. You’ll also find cellular internet plans that use LTE, the previous generation of technology, or a mix of LTE and 5G. When shopping for mobile internet for home use, you will probably only have one or two plans to choose from, with a flat rate for whatever speeds are available at your address.
Remember that your speeds are not guaranteed with a fixed wireless provider like 5G. For example, T-Mobile offers two speed tiers with a maximum of 415Mbps for download speeds, which costs $60 to $70 monthly, depending on your chosen plan. According to the company website, for customers on the T-Mobile Amplified or Amplified Home Internet plans can expect download speeds of 134 to 415Mbps. You likely won’t get that 415Mbps speed every time you’re using the internet — especially during times of peak internet. Verizon also offers similar pricing and speeds with two plans ($50 or $70 a month for download speeds ranging from 50 to 300Mbps or 85 to 1,000Mbps, respectively).
Read more: What Is 5G Home Internet and Could It Be the Solution to Your Home Broadband Problems?
Notable cellular internet providers
Fixed wireless internet: Also wireless, but with a few strings attached
Another wireless internet option — but one that may come with more steps and equipment while delivering slower speeds and less data — is fixed wireless. Similar to 5G, fixed wireless providers send internet signals over the air. But unlike 5G, you’ll need a mounted receiver with a direct line of sight to the nearest tower to receive those signals. Hills, trees, buildings or other obstacles nearby can distort or outright block your connection.
Fixed wireless internet speeds often range from 5 to 50Mbps. However, there are some instances where your speeds go above 100Mbps. Take AT&T Internet Air , for example, this 5G provider service boasts maximum download speeds of 300Mbps. That’s faster than what you’d get from AT&T’s fixed wireless plans. However, there are many variables that can affect the quality of the incoming signal, including distance from a local tower, so your available speeds may vary. Regardless of the speeds you can get, expect flat-rate pricing of around $50 per month. Plans also typically come with a monthly data cap of 200 to 300GB, depending on the provider.
Though fixed wireless has traditionally been a rural internet option, the connection type is rapidly expanding in metro areas like New York City and San Francisco, thanks to providers like Google Fiber and Starry Internet. Instead of beaming services to individual residences, these providers send internet signals to entire buildings, such as an apartment complex, then run service to individual units via an Ethernet cable. These providers are capable of delivering speeds much faster than traditional fixed wireless service with gigabit speeds available in select areas.
Notable fixed wireless internet providers
Read more: I tried AT&T Internet Air for a Week. Here’s how the 5G Internet Provider Stacks Up.
DSL internet: A last resort before satellite
DSL (that’s “digital subscriber line”) is a fixed connection most popular in areas without access to cable or fiber internet. With DSL, your connection to the internet runs through copper phone lines. it’s similar to dial-up service in that regard, but DSL is significantly faster than dial-up and won’t tie up your phone line.
DSL internet is best for those in rural communities looking for an affordable and somewhat reliable internet connection. The speed range you get with DSL depends on the provider but a typical range can be anywhere between 5 to 120Mbps. Similar to fixed wireless options, DSL providers usually have the same flat monthly fee regardless of what speeds you’ll get. For example, CenturyLink costs $55 monthly (not including the $15 equipment rental) and you’ll either get up to 30Mbps, between 40 to 80Mbps or up to 140Mbps. The speeds you’ll get depend on your address, but that price will remain the same.
While it does lack the speed potential of pretty much every other internet type, it is typically a much cheaper and sometimes faster alternative to satellite internet.
Since DSL uses existing phone lines to deliver service, availability is high and providers can keep prices relatively low.
Notable DSL internet providers
Satellite internet: Unmatched availability, but high costs
With satellite internet, your connection comes from radio-equipped satellites in Earth’s orbit. You’ll need a dish to receive the signal.
Satellite internet is the most widely available type of internet because it doesn’t rely on ground-laid infrastructure like cables, cellular towers or line-of-sight antenna connections. Instead, you’ll use a mounted dish to connect with geostationary satellites orbiting miles overhead. If you have a clear view of the southern sky, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re eligible for satellite internet — for a steep price.
On average, today’s satellite internet providers offer speeds that typically vary from 12 to 120Mbps, though Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet has raised the bar to 220Mbps. In most cases, that makes it a suitable option for smaller households who want to stream video, browse the internet and update social media.
New satellite providers — namely Starlink, which now has availability in all 50 states, and Amazon’s Project Kuiper — are promising to continue bumping those speeds up by using low Earth orbit satellites that are closer to the ground. That means that the signal doesn’t need to travel as far, which also reduces latency or lag.
Hopefully, increased competition in the satellite internet industry will help bring costs down for the consumer. Currently, satellite internet is the most expensive internet connection type, by far. The average cost of satellite internet is $100 monthly, though Hughesnet offers a $50 starting price but for a much slower speed range with a low data allowance. If you want faster speeds or more data, satellite internet can quickly get up to $150 to $200 a month, and equipment fees will add another $15 or so to your monthly bill. Starlink requires a $349 upfront equipment fee just to get started, so keep that in mind if you’re considering an upgrade to satellite internet.
Notable satellite internet providers
Read more: I Tried Out Elon Musk’s Satellite Internet Service.
Finding the right internet service for your household
So, which kind of internet connection is right for you? It depends on several factors. The first thing to note is that the FCC defines a broadband connection as a minimum of 100Mbps download and 20Mbps upload speed. You should go for a speed range with at least that much capacity if you have the option.
The next thing to think about is your typical usage, and how much speed you’re typically using. If you plan to surf the web and check email only, you can probably get away with a slower connection, but households with users who stream videos, play games online or upload files for work or school will ideally want access to download speeds of at least 100Mbps and larger.
Costs are another key factor, obviously. Some providers bundle their various services to offer you a discount, but be aware that the promotional pricing might not last as long as the service contract. In that case, you’ll pay more for the same service during the second year, for example.
So, which is it?
In the end, the biggest factor is likely beyond your control and that’s your location. Some parts of the US have lots of options for getting online, while others hardly have any options at all.
Whatever choices you have, understanding the different technologies involved will help you know what to expect before you sign up.
Internet connection types FAQs
What type of internet is Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi is a way to connect to the internet, not a separate type of internet. With Wi-Fi, a router converts your internet connection into wireless signals and transmits them throughout your home. If you have a cable internet connection, your Wi-Fi is a wireless means of connecting devices to your cable internet service.
How do I know what type of internet connection I have?
Wireless connections are fairly obvious — you have a satellite dish or antenna mounted for satellite or fixed wireless service, or your provider is Verizon 5G Home Internet or T-Mobile Home Internet.
Determining the type of connection you have can be more of a challenge, but a good speed test should do the trick. Our recommendation is Ookla for its consistency and easy-to-use features. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis). If your speed test shows similar upload and download speeds, your connection is most likely fiber. Speed tests with download speeds over 100Mbps, especially in the 200 to 940Mbps range, but with significantly lower upload speeds, indicate cable internet service.
If your speed test shows download speeds around 100Mbps or lower, it’s possible you have cable or DSL internet. In that case, take a quick peek at the back of your modem — a coaxial cable means cable internet while a telephone line means a DSL connection.