Is 400 Mbps Fast Internet Speed? Everything You Need to Know

Is 400 Mbps Fast Internet? Yes, a 400 Mbps internet connection can support over 16 4K video streams, 40 plus HD video calls, smooth online gaming, and an HD movie download in under 90 seconds without lag.

Read on for a detailed analysis.

Key Takeaways

• 💡 400 Mbps internet supports over 16 4K streams and 40+ HD calls.
• 🚀 Translates to 50 MB/s, making it ideal for smooth online gaming and quick HD movie downloads.
• 📊 Outperforms average internet needs, significantly enhancing streaming, gaming, and video conferencing.
• 🎮 Offers low latency for online gaming, supporting 60-70 simultaneous sessions.
• 📹 Enables seamless video calls, allowing for 10 HD calls or a whole office on 720p calls simultaneously.
• 🏠 Sufficient for households with moderate to high internet use and small businesses.
• 📡 Wi-Fi performance and connection type can affect actual speed experiences.
• 💲 Prices for 400 Mbps plans range from $60 to $100 per month, with fiber offering the best value.
• 🔄 For heavy users, gigabit internet might be more suitable, though 400 Mbps meets most needs comfortably.
• 📏 Always verify actual internet speeds with a reliable speed test before upgrading.

How fast is 400 Mbps? – Comparisons With Other Internet Speeds

The above data is based on the real world assumptions.

1. Video Conferencing:
   • Standard Definition (SD): 0.3 to 0.5 Mbps
   • High Definition (HD): 1 to 2.5 Mbps
2. Online Gaming:
   • Most online gaming: 3 to 6 Mbps (However, latency/ping is more crucial here)

In comparison to other common internet speed tiers, 400 Mbps stands out as a high-performance option that significantly surpasses the needs of average internet usage:

• 10-25 Mbps: Suitable for light browsing and streaming in standard definition, this tier is for basic internet usage.
• 100 Mbps: A noticeable jump in speed, supporting HD streaming, video calls, and a good online gaming experience for a few devices.
• 200 Mbps: A further enhancement that allows for 4K streaming, seamless online gaming, and robust performance across several devices.
• 400 Mbps: A powerhouse of speed that effortlessly supports simultaneous 4K streams, extensive online gaming, and large-scale video conferencing, all while maintaining high performance across multiple devices.
• 1 Gbps (1000 Mbps): The pinnacle of home internet speeds, perfect for extensive usage in large households with numerous devices connected simultaneously, ensuring ultra-fast downloads, uploads, and streaming.

Real-World 400 Mbps Internet Performance

But what does 400 Mbps really mean in terms of real-world performance? Here is an overview:

Downloading

At 400 Mbps, downloading files and games is extremely fast:

• 170 GB game = Downloads in just 1 hour
• 5 GB HD movie = Downloads in just 1 minute and 12 seconds

So you’ll hardly ever find yourself waiting long for downloads to finish.

Video Streaming

400 Mbps provides ample bandwidth for smooth 4K and HD streaming on multiple devices:

• Stream on 16 devices in 4K at the same time
• Stream on 80 devices in 1080p HD at the same time

You’ll never experience buffering or quality drops, even with heavy streaming usage across the home or office.

Online Gaming

400 Mbps delivers low latency and lag-free online gaming, even with multiple players under one roof:

• Support up to 60-70 simultaneous gaming sessions
• Download large 100+ GB games in under an hour

Serious gamers will appreciate the fast speeds and minimal latency which provides a competitive edge.

Video Calling & Conferencing

Handle multiple high-quality video calls without interruption:

• Make 10 simultaneous HD video calls
• Have an entire office on 720p video calls at once

Video conferences, virtual meetings, and calls will connect instantly without lag or pixelation.

So in summary, 400 Mbps internet speed provides a great experience with all modern internet activities – streaming, downloading, gaming, and video calls.

Check out the below post for more information on other internet speeds:

• Is 10 Mbps fast Enough?
• The Ultimate Guide to 200 Mbps Internet Speed: Is 200 Mbps Fast Enough
• Is 600 Mbps Fast Internet Speed?
• Is 1000 Mbps Fast Internet? (The Gold Standard of Internet Speeds)

But speed isn’t everything. Keep reading to learn other important factors to consider.

Is 400 Mbps Fast Enough?

400 Mbps is considered extremely fast internet. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s fast enough for everyone’s needs.

Here are some key considerations when deciding if 400 Mbps meets your speed requirements:

Number of Connected Devices

The more devices concurrently accessing your home or office internet connection, the more bandwidth you’ll need.

As a benchmark, 400 Mbps can comfortably support:

• 5-7 devices performing high-bandwidth activities like 4K streaming or gaming
• Up to 50 devices with moderate usage like web browsing and SD video

So assess how many devices will realistically connect and their usage patterns.

4K Streaming & Gaming

For homes and offices with heavy 4K streaming across multiple TVs/devices and online gaming sessions, 400 Mbps should suffice.

But if you have other simultaneous high-bandwidth activities, you may want to consider upgrading to gigabit speeds.

Households & Businesses

For reference, the necessary speeds for households and businesses:

• Households – 400 Mbps works for families with moderate to high internet use
• Small businesses – Potentially faster gigabit speeds may better suit offices with 30+ employees

Always cater to your unique needs, but the above provides a rough estimate.

Internet Speed Requirements for Specific Activities

It also helps to examine internet speed requirements for specific online activities:

400 Mbps internet speed satisfies nearly all of the “Ideal Speed” recommendations. This covers anything from casual web browsing to smooth 4K streaming and lag-free online gaming.

The only activities that may push 400 Mbps to the limit involve very large downloads exceeding 170GB+ in size. But even then, it will only take 1 hour to download with a 400 Mbps internet connection.

Factors that Affect 400 Mbps Speeds

While a 400 Mbps plan provides objectively fast internet, your devices may experience slower speeds than advertised. Key factors that impact real-life speeds include:

Wi-Fi Performance

Wi-Fi is often significantly slower than a wired connection. You may only experience 50% or less of the headline 400 Mbps speed over Wi-Fi.

Interference and walls blocking signals contributes to degraded Wi-Fi performance. Upgrading to a Wi-Fi 6 router and properly positioning it helps maximize speeds.

Connection Type

Fiber internet connections reliably deliver advertised speeds of 400 Mbps or more to your home. The consistency and high speeds make it the gold standard.

Cable internet is prone to some speed fluctuations depending on neighborhood usage and relies on shared bandwidth. But high-end plans can still achieve 400 Mbps performance.

Location & Distance to Server

Those situated further away from their Internet Service Provider’s servers may experience slower 400 Mbps speeds. Being in a remote area also negatively impacts performance and reliability.

Network Congestion

During peak usage times, you may get slower 400 Mbps speeds than advertised. That’s because everyone in your neighborhood is sharing the available internet bandwidth.

Upgrading to a business internet plan can provide a dedicated connection not impacted by residential congestion.

In summary, while 400 Mbps offers blazing fast potential speeds, your devices will likely experience somewhat slower connectivity. But even at 50-75% of 400 Mbps you’ll have a great internet experience.

400 Mbps Internet Cost

Pricing for 400 Mbps internet plans varies depending on your location and provider. But expect to pay $60 – $100 per month.

Fiber internet typically offers the best value, with high reliability, future-proof technology, and competitive pricing. Some fiber providers charge as little as $60 monthly for 400 Mbps.

By comparison, cable internet runs $70 – $100 per month depending on promotional discounts.

Before choosing a 400 Mbps internet plan, be sure to compare all provider options in your area. Leveraging competition helps lock in the lowest price.

Top Internet Providers for 400 Mbps

The best internet providers offering 400 Mbps internet plans include:

The table above provides a summary of internet service providers (ISPs) offering 400 Mbps internet plans in the United States. These plans are suitable for various internet activities, including streaming, gaming, and working from home.

P.S: The prices above might change. I recommend contacting your area’s internet provider for the best service.

Choosing Between 400 Mbps vs. Gigabit Internet

Gigabit internet offers even faster speeds than 400 Mbps. But is it overkill? Or should you pay extra for a full gig (1000 Mbps)?

Here’s how to decide:

For light internet users on a budget or small households, 400 Mbps provides more than enough speed at an affordable price point. No need to pay extra for speeds you can’t fully utilize.

But gigabit internet makes sense for larger families, 4K/8K early adopters, cutting edge gamers, and businesses transferring huge files. You’ll fully leverage the 1 Gbps speeds with many heavy bandwidth activities.

Most internet providers only charge $20 – $40 more to upgrade from a 400 Mbps to 1000 Mbps plan. If gigabit service perfectly matches your needs and budget, it provides welcome future proofing.

But you can’t go wrong with a 400 Mbps internet connection. It strikes an ideal balance of “blazing fast” at a reasonable monthly price for most households.

How to Check Your Internet Speed

Before upgrading your internet, always verify your current speeds. Many providers have online speed test tools. But for independent measurement, use a third-party test like Speedtest.

This will confirm if your internet plan actually delivers its advertised 400 Mbps or whether you need to troubleshoot your network.

Speed tests also help you determine what level of performance improvement to expect with any internet plan upgrades.

Conclusion

With a complete understanding of what 400 Mbps internet offers, you can confidently decide if it fits your connectivity needs and budget. This future-proof speed lets you fully enjoy the modern internet.

FAQs about 400 Mbps Internet

Is 400 Mbps fast for gaming?

Yes, 400 Mbps is extremely fast for online gaming. It provides more than enough bandwidth to prevent lag, buffering, and quality issues even with multiple players under one roof.

To get the most competitive edge, fiber internet offers the best latency and upload performance. But even cable internet 400 Mbps plans work very well.

Is 400 Mbps good for working from home?

A 400 Mbps internet connection can easily support video conferences, transferring files, VPN connectivity, and other remote work needs for many employees. It offers enterprise-grade upload and download capacity.

Consider a business internet upgrade to multi-gigabit speeds for larger offices, offshore teams requiring ultra low-latency connectivity, or to enable site-to-site VPNs.

How many devices can 400 Mbps support?

You can connect approximately 50 devices to a 400 Mbps home internet network. Support for more devices is possible with extremely light usage like basic web browsing.

But for perspective, 50 devices streaming HD video would overwhelm even gigabit speeds. It’s unrealistic for all connected devices to simultaneously demand maximum bandwidth.

Should I pay for faster gigabit internet?

Gigabit internet makes sense if you have many heavy bandwidth demands like 4K streaming, gaming, video editing, or cloud storage syncing. Multi-gigabit speeds better suit cutting edge users.

But most households don’t require full gigabit capacity today. 400 Mbps fits the needs of high-performance users very comfortably at a more affordable monthly price.

• About
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Afroz Ahmad

I'm Afroz, a Network Engineer and CCIE with 17 years of experience in Computer Networking, Data Centers, Telecom, Internet Services and ISPs. Currently, I work as a Network Designer for a leading ISP equipment vendor. I share my expertise through my blog and courses, aiming to share my knowledge and simplify complex networking concepts for both beginners and experienced professionals.

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