The importance of having a crispy viewing experience can’t be over-emphasized. Although several other factors contribute to the overall quality of your stream, a reliable and fast internet connection is where the real magic happens.
For instance, imagine you are in a tight situation, having your weapon all loaded up and rushing towards the enemy site. Your chat is encouraging you with memes and donations, and then suddenly, your stream starts to lag, and your view count starts decreasing. Does this ring any bells?
Over the years, twitch has become the most diverse platform, with people and competition from all over the world. Hence, if you are ready to showcase your exceptional skills, it’s time to get the perfect internet speed for streaming twitch.
Understanding the Basics of Internet Speeds
The time it takes to transfer a specific amount of data from a server to your device is known as internet speed.
What makes it so important is that it determines how quickly your internet can perform everyday activities. Whether watching Netflix, playing games, or streaming twitch, understanding internet speeds will help you choose the right one for your needs.
On the contrary, having a slow and laggy internet will worsen your life. Slow internet connections make streaming an absolute pain, with viewers leaving your stream now and then.
Yet, there’s so much that contributes to a fast internet connection. So let’s look at two of the most crucial aspects of internet speed.
Upload or Download Speed: Which Is More Important for Streaming?
Regarding upload and download speed, they are the opposite of each other. Download speed refers to how fast your device receives data. Download speeds are required for tasks like streaming music from Spotify, downloading files via the internet, and watching YouTube.
On the other hand, upload speed means how fast your device sends data elsewhere. Upload speeds are the most critical factor in streaming, affecting how your viewers experience you on their devices.
All in all, upload speeds of at least 10 Mbps or more are required for streaming content. Although you can go for something like 3 Mbps, we suggest you go an extra mile if you want to make it to the top charts of twitch.
What Is the Best Internet Speed for Streaming Twitch?
Ask streamers about their ideal speed for streaming twitch, and you will get hundreds of different answers. This is because your internet speed might not be able to handle the requirements of others. So how do you figure out what’s best for you?
Regarding a reliable internet speed for streaming twitch, going for something around 10Mbps or above would be perfect. This is because streaming can often use a lot of bandwidth because of the higher bitrate to ensure sharper video quality.
Moreover, because upload speeds fluctuate, having a 35% to 40% buffer is a good idea. Still, internet speeds rely on several factors like video bandwidth, type of connectivity, etc. So let’s delve a little deeper into the details so you can choose the upload speed that will best suit your requirements.
Three Factors That Affect Internet Speed
As we discussed, choosing the best internet comes down to many other factors. Here are the three factors affecting your internet speed.
- Wired Vs. Wireless
Regarding streaming twitch, a wired connection is arguably better as it enables you to have a dedicated internet connection. Additionally, wired internet connections are great at providing smooth and sharp quality live streams.
Wi-Fi is never a good option for streaming, regardless of how good it is. Even if your device is close to the router, you can still get interferences, lag spikes, video quality drops, or other stuttering issues.
With a wired connection, your entire gaming setup becomes hassle-free. On top of that, an ethernet cable lets you get your capacity’s full potential and establish a reliable connection.
- Router Capabilities
A router sits between your device and your modem and has the potential to bottleneck your internet bandwidth. For instance, you lose internet speed if your router is only rated for 100 Mb/s, but you have a 400 Mb/s internet plan.
Additionally, a router with older firmware isn’t practical as it can’t find channels with minor traffic and faster speeds. Routers are an essential component in the connection chain. Without them, a reliable connection isn’t possible.
- Video Bandwidth
Streaming video bandwidth describes the amount of data that can be transferred per time. For example, “bandwidth” refers to a transmission medium’s maximum data transmission capacity. It is expressed as bits per second (bps), megabits per second (Mbps), or gigabits per second (GBPS) (Gbps).
Video bandwidth plays a considerable role in streaming; the more content you publish, the more bandwidth you use. In addition, high bandwidth capabilities allow you to transfer data and stream content and gameplay in HD.
However, several other factors influence bandwidth consumption. First, here’s a quick rundown into a couple of related metrics.
Bitrate – Refers to the amount of data transferred via a network in a period. For example, if the bandwidth is 50 Mbps, but the bitrate is 20 Mbps, the channel can only transmit 20 Mb per second.
Frame Rate – Videos are made up of a collection of several still images called “frames.” And frame rate refers to the speed at which each frame is shown to create a smooth video.
Video Resolution – Video resolution measures a video’s width by pixel height. The video quality increases with the number of pixels. Since high-resolution videos have large file sizes, they require more bandwidth.
How to Check Your Internet’s Upload Speed for Streaming
Nowadays, checking internet connection is becoming integral to having a reliable internet connection. Without an internet speed test, you wouldn’t know how good or bad your internet is.
Here are three of the widely popular internet speed testing services you can use to get a detailed analysis of your internet.
- M-Lab’s Speed Test
Measurement Lab is a reliable and convenient app for checking your internet speed. With a simple-looking layout, M-Lab provides users with everything about their internet, including upload speeds, download speeds, latency, and much more.
- Speedtest by Ookla
Speedtest by Ookla is one of the most widely used services for checking internet speed and is famous for its fast and accurate results. Speedtest is available on the web and for download on almost every intelligent device.
- FAST
We are sure you must have come across Netflix’s FAST – a quick and straightforward way of checking your upload speeds. When you open the website, it automatically starts calculating your download speed. However, if you click the more info option, it also shows you your upload speed.
Conclusion
As a twitch streamer, the quality of your content revolves around your broadcast. No one will fancy your humor or exceptional skills when they can’t hear or see you.
Choosing the right internet doesn’t mean picking up the most expensive plan. Instead, if you want to start your streaming career, the only thing that matters is a good upload speed. So, the next time you plan to upgrade your internet, try to go for a faster and more reliable upload than a download speed.
Now that you are sorted with the best internet for streaming twitch. It’s time to start streaming content that people can enjoy for hours without issues. Good Luck!
