The short answer is: 4 Megabits per Second (Mbps) of both upload speed and download speed.
We recommend having at least 4 Mbps (Megabits per second), not to be confused with MBps (MegaBytes per second), to support the transmission and reception of 1080p quality video and audio. The more bandwidth you have, the better! Especially if you have multiple people online at your home or office at the same time.
If you're not sure what your internet speeds are, simply go to speedtest.net and click go. Once it finishes running, you'll see a screen like this:
As long as both Download and Upload are clear and above 4 Mbps, you should be all good! Also note that it is perfectly normal to have significantly lower upload speeds than download speeds. This site tool even gives you a little indicator to quickly inform what quality of internet access you should be experiencing, as shown here:
That said, please keep in mind that other users on your network can impact your bandwidth, especially if yours is under 10 Mbps. This network-wide impact can be particularly noticeable if your network mates are doing things like downloading large files, such as games, or watching other streams like Netflix or Disney+ in HD or 4K.
Troubleshooting Lower than Expected Bandwidth:
If you know that your internet service provider is serving you high speed internet, but you're not getting it at your device, there are a few things to consider.
If you're on Ethernet (Wired In):
- Unplug and re-plug the ethernet cable on both sides to make sure it has a good connection.
- Check the cable to make sure it hasn't been cut, chewed, or bent to the point of crimping.
If you're on Wifi, there's a lot more than can go wrong, so please check the following:
- Try switching to either the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz signal bands. If one is overcrowded, you may get better bandwidth on the other band.
- Make sure you're not too far away from the access point.
- The more walls, floors, and other hard barriers in between your device and the access point will affect your connection.
- Make sure that there are no large metal surfaces directly in-between your device and the access point (like if the Wifi router is behind a large TV)
- If you're physically near your kitchen, try microwaving some food and do the speed test while the food is heating. Microwaves can interfere with some channels in Wifi connections, and if this situation applies to you, then if someone else in the building goes to nuke some jalapeno poppers while you're on Meetn, it may cause you to lose connection. (This sounds silly, but it has happened enough to write about it here!)