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What is bandwidth and how much do you need?
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If you’re crazy for superfast internet speeds, you’ll need to think about your bandwidth. Here’s everything you need to know about bandwidth, including what it is, what it means, and how much of it you need
By Virgin Media Edit
- Published
- 20 June 2025
What is bandwidth?
Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transmitted over a network in a given amount of time. Every online activity you do online – from checking emails to streaming your favourite show on Netflix – uses bandwidth. But there’s only so much of it to go around.
When you stream videos, browse websites, or download files, your connection’s bandwidth determines how quickly this happens. It's usually measured in megabits per second (mbps), with a higher bandwidth meaning more data can move through the internet connection at the same time.
Higher bandwidth means you can download large files faster or stream videos in higher quality without buffering, while a lower bandwidth might cause delays, slow downloads, or buffering when you're streaming.
Bandwidth vs internet speed: what’s the difference?
While bandwidth is the amount of data that can flow through a network, internet speed is how fast that data travels. In other words, bandwidth is about capacity (how much data can flow), but internet speed is about performance (how fast that data arrives).
Both are usually measured in megabits per second (Mbps) or gigabits per second (Gbps). Think of bandwidth like a highway – the wider the highway (higher bandwidth), the more cars (data) can travel at once without slowing down. If bandwidth is the highway's width, internet speed is the rate at which cars drive along it.
What does bandwidth mean for my internet speed?
If you’re streaming a video, downloading a file, and browsing the web all at once, you’ll need the space to send and receive data for these activities. If your bandwidth is high, they can happen at the same time without slowing each other down, keeping your internet speed nice and fast.
But if your bandwidth is low, the data will get bottlenecked, and you might experience buffering on your video, slower downloads, and, ultimately, slower internet speeds.
So, while bandwidth doesn’t directly equal internet speed, it does affect how well your connection can handle multiple tasks and larger amounts of data.
How can I check my bandwidth?
Checking your bandwidth shows how much data your internet connection can handle at once. Here’s how you can check your internet’s bandwidth, depending on the device you’re using:
Open the Start Menu and search for "Task Manager", then open it.
In Task Manager, click on the "Performance" tab.
On the left, select your active Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection.
Look at the "Send" and "Receive" rates under "Network." These show your current bandwidth usage in Mbps (megabits per second).
Open System Settings
Go to Network and select your active internet connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet).
Click on Advanced (if available) and go to the Hardware or TCP/IP tab.
Look for details about the network speed or link speed, which typically reflects your bandwidth capability (e.g., "100 Mbps" or "1 Gbps").
Open Settings and go to Connections or Network & Internet (depending on your device).
Tap on WiFi, then select the connected WiFi network.
Look for the "Link Speed" or "Connection Speed" (usually displayed in Mbps). This reflects your bandwidth on the current connection.
iOS does not display bandwidth directly in WiFi settings, so you may need a third-party app from the App Store to get specific details about your bandwidth.
How much bandwidth do I need for my home?
The amount of bandwidth you need depends on how many people use the internet at home and what you use it for. For basic tasks like browsing the web, checking email, or using social media, you won’t need much bandwidth, and 5 to 10 Mbps should be enough for one or two people.
But if you’re streaming HD videos, playing online games, or having video calls, you’ll need a faster connection. For example, streaming HD videos on Netflix usually requires about 5 Mbps per stream, while 4K videos can need up to 25 Mbps.
For large households with people streaming, gaming, and working from home all at once, bandwidth of around 50 to 200 Mbps will probably be the minimum you’ll need And if you have smart home devices like cameras or regularly upload large files, you might need an even faster connection.
It’s always better to overestimate a little to avoid frustration with slow speeds. If you're unsure, start by looking at affordable broadband deal and you think you'll need bandwidth and speed for your home.
How much bandwidth do I need for gaming?
When it comes to online gaming, you don’t actually as much bandwidth as you might think. Most online games only require a relatively low amount of speed to run. For example, popular online games like Fortnite, Call of Duty, or Minecraft generally need between 5 to 25 Mbps of download speed and about 5 Mbps of upload speed.
That’s because the game isn’t downloading the entire world; it’s only sending and receiving small pieces of data, like player movements and the actions you input. For online games, it’s ping and latency that affect your online gaming experience, so make sure they’re low if you want a good internet speed for gaming.
For the best broadband for playing online games, take a look at high-speed gaming broadand deals that with low latency and ping to make your gaming experience as good as it could be.
What can affect my bandwidth?
The speed of your internet and your bandwidth depends heavily on the broadband package you choose since every package has a speed limit set by your provider. If your package offers a limited bandwidth (e.g., 50 Mbps), you won’t be able to go beyond that speed, no matter how much you try to improve your connection.
At Virgin Media, we’ve got a range of ultrafast broadband packages with speeds starting at 131Mbps with M125 all the way to 1130Mbps with our gigabit broadband.
If you’re not sure what speed is right for you, check out all of our broabdand deals and enter your postcode to compare all of our broadband speeds we've got.
Every device connected to your WiFi uses a slice of your bandwidth. This includes not just obvious devices like computers, phones, or smart TVs, but also less obvious ones like smart speakers, security cameras, or even smart refrigerators.
Let’s say your household has four people, and each person has a phone, a tablet, and a laptop. If everyone is streaming videos, playing games, or video chatting at the same time, your internet can quickly get overwhelmed. The more devices that are actively using the internet, the slower your connection becomes for everyone.
Sometimes the problem isn’t your internet speed but the strength of your WiFi signal. If you're far away from your router or separated by thick walls or furniture, the signal may weaken before it reaches your device.
This makes it harder for your phone or laptop to send and receive data, which can slow everything down. You may notice this when you walk into a different room and suddenly your video call becomes choppy or a website stops loading. Even with ultrafast broadband, a weak signal can limit how much data reaches your device effectively if you don’t have a WiFi booster to improve the connection.
The kind of internet connection you use sets the limit for how much bandwidth you can get. Some technologies allow for faster and more stable data transfer, while others are slower or more affected by interference. The better the connection type, the more bandwidth you’ll have for everything you want to do online.
Fibre-optic broadband is generally the fastest and most reliable option available in many areas of the UK because it's less affected by weather or distance, allowing it to provide a strong, consistent connection with lots of bandwidth. Cable is also fast but can slow down when many people in your area are online, while ADSL and satellite broadband are usually much slower and can struggle with video calls or large downloads.
Some online activities use up more bandwidth than others. Some of the most bandwidth-heavy activities are:
Watching YouTube or Netflix in 4K (up to 7–15 Mbps per stream)
Playing online games (0.3–1 Mbps, but can spike during updates or downloads)
Downloading big files like movies or software (depends on file size; a 4GB file uses about 4,000 MB of data all at once, requiring high bandwidth for faster downloads)
Uploading videos to social media (5–10 Mbps or more, depending on video quality and length)
Attending video calls or virtual meetings (1–6 Mbps for HD video per call; higher for group calls or screen sharing)
If someone else in your home is trying to download a large game at the same time, the internet can get very slow for both users.
How to improve bandwidth
If your household is using multiple devices and a large amount of bandwidth, it may be affecting your internet speed. Here are a couple of things you can try to improve your bandwidth speed:
1. Turn your router off and on again
It may sound cliché but turning your router off for 20-30 seconds may help improve bandwidth for your device by refreshing your internet connection.
2. Move your router
Moving your router to a central location and away from walls is an easy way to improve your internet speed. It’s also important to keep the router away from microwaves, cordless phones, and other devices that can interfere with the signal.
3. Connect your device directly to the router
Connecting an Ethernet cable from your device to your router can be quick temporary solution to get a faster and more stable internet connection. Ethernet cables are faster and more reliable than WiFi connections, so you'll have faster speeds and better bandwidth when you're online
4. Reduce background usage
You can easily improve your device bandwidth by stopping downloads, streaming, or updates running in the background on other devices in your home.
5. Upgrade your broadband package
The easiest way to improve your bandwidth is to upgrade your broadband package. If your internet speeds are consistently slow, it may be time to consider switching your broadband provider. It’s never been easy to switch broadband thanks to One Touch Switch, so take a look at our range of broadband deals if you’re looking for an upgrade.
Get more bandwidth with Virgin Media broadband
If you’ve tried everything and still experiencing issues with your bandwidth, the issue might be with the broadband package you’ve got rather than the equipment itself.
Some broadband plans simply don’t offer enough speed or bandwidth for heavy use, especially in homes with lots of devices connected at the same time. For example, if you're trying to stream 4K videos, play online games, and have video calls all at once, a basic internet package might not keep up with it all, leading to packets bursting when you're online.
If you're looking for an upgrade, we’ve got a range of ultrafast broadband options with average download speeds ranging from 136Mbps with M125 all the way to 1130Mbps and beyond when you go gigabit. Check out all our broadband deals and enter your postcode to see all of the speeds you can get in your area.
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