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When it comes to broadband, consumers in Singapore enjoy some of the fastest and most affordably priced broadband plans anywhere in the world. Today, telcos typically offer a couple of plans that vary in connection speeds to suit customers and their needs. These speeds are generally 3Gbps, 5 or 6Gbps, and 10Gbps. <\/p>\n
The availability of these options is great for consumers. Still, it can also be confusing, especially if you aren\u2019t well-versed in home networking. In a nutshell, choosing the right broadband plan boils down to two considerations: can you fully maximise the speed, and do you really need all that speed? <\/b><\/p>\n
There are a few things to consider when it comes to maximising the plan\u2019s speed. If you want to skip ahead, click on the content list below, otherwise, keep scrolling.<\/p>\n<\/p>\nArticle contents<\/p>\n
<\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n\n1. Home infrastructure<\/li>\n 2. Existing hardware<\/li>\n 3. Router considerations<\/li>\n 4. Do you need that speed?<\/li>\n 5. HomePac 3Gbps: Enough for most users<\/li>\n 6. HomePac 6Gbps: Great for those seeking a bit more performance<\/li>\n 7. HomePac 10Gbps: For power users and big families<\/li>\n 8. Integrated HomePac 10Gbps: For convenience<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\nHome infrastructure<\/h2>\n Key takeaway<\/i><\/b>: Ensure your home network uses Cat 6 cables.<\/i><\/p>\n\nA wired connection will let you get the utmost from your high-speed broadband plan.<\/p>\n
Photo: Tavis Online<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
One of the most important considerations when getting a new broadband plan is your home\u2019s networking infrastructure. Most newer homes come complete with built-in network and data points, making it easy for owners to get internet connectivity throughout their homes. However, to fully maximise today\u2019s high-speed broadband plans, you have to check that your cables used for networking are at least Cat 6 or Cat 6a<\/b>, because these cables support speeds of up to 10,000Mbps. This means you\u2019ll be able to fully maximise the speeds of these broadband plans, which also means you can freely choose from any of the broadband speeds.<\/p>\n
Older homes might have networks built with Cat 5 cables. In this case, speeds will be limited to 1Gbps, which isn\u2019t bad, but it means you cannot fully capitalise on the speeds of your new broadband plan. Redoing the network in your home will be a big undertaking and probably not feasible for most people. However, you can still use Wi-Fi to get speeds of over 1Gbps by connecting the ONT (optical network terminal) directly to a router. This is not ideal, but it may be good enough if your fibre termination point is a central enough location in your home. If you fall into this group of users, I\u2019ll recommend limiting yourself to the 3Gbps or 5\/6Gbps plans. Because you are relying on Wi-Fi, you\u2019ll never be able to attain transmission speeds that can fully maximise the broadband plans. Hence, you are better off saving money by going with a cheaper plan with lower speeds.<\/p>\n
Existing hardware<\/h2>\n Key takeaway: <\/i><\/b>Take advantage of all that speed with Wi-Fi 7 devices.<\/i><\/p>\n\nWi-Fi 7 routers, when paired with a Wi-Fi 7 device, will get you the best wireless speeds.<\/p>\n
Photo: Linksys<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The next thing to consider, apart from your home network, is the types of client devices you have. This means what are you going to be connecting to your home network and your wireless devices, like your phones, laptops, and tablets. <\/p>\n
For wired connections, you need to ensure your device has a high-speed Ethernet port<\/b>, preferably one that is 10GbE, so that it can support speeds of up to 10Gbps. If your device doesn\u2019t have it, consider if it can be added on. For example, you can get a 10GbE PCIE network card for your desktop. And even if your device doesn\u2019t support 10GbE, it just means speeds will be capped at 1Gbps \u2013 which is still fast by today\u2019s standards.<\/p>\n
If you are mostly going to be relying on Wi-Fi, then you\u2019ll need to consider the type of router you are going to be using and your wireless devices. I\u2019ll touch on routers separately below, but as for your wireless devices, you will want them to support <\/b>Wi-Fi 7<\/b>. This is the latest networking, and it\u2019ll enable you to consistently achieve speeds over 1Gbps when paired with the right Wi-Fi 7 router. Wi-Fi 6E isn\u2019t good enough, and I covered why here.<\/p>\nRouter considerations<\/h2>\n
Key takeaway<\/i><\/b>: Get a Wi-Fi 7 router with WAN and LAN ports that matches your plan. If you want a 10Gbps plan, get a router that has 10Gbps WAN and LAN ports.<\/i><\/p>\n\nYou\u2019ll need a powerful router to take advantage of high-speed plans. Pictured here is the quad-band ASUS ROG Rapture GT-BE98 router.<\/p>\n
Photo: ASUS<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The last important piece of the puzzle is the router, because the job of a router is to deliver high-speed broadband to all your devices. To begin, you\u2019ll want a Wi-Fi 7 router. Then, ensure it has a fast enough WAN and LAN ports<\/b>. Most Wi-Fi 7 routers these days either have Gigabit, 2.5Gbps, or 10Gbps WAN ports, and you\u2019ll want one that supports your plan. So if you want a 10Gbps plan, you\u2019ll need a router that has a 10Gbps WAN port and a separate 10Gbps LAN port so that it can fully maximise your plan\u2019s speeds. If it only has 2.5G ports, then your speed will be limited to 2.5Gbps. A router with a 10Gbps WAN and LAN ports will likely be quite pricey, so those on a budget could opt for one with a 2.5Gbps WAN port and pair it with a 3Gbps plan. <\/p>\n
Other things to consider include how many frequency bands it supports and how many LAN ports it has. The former is crucial if you have many wireless devices, while the latter is important if you wish to connect it to your home network or have devices that you wish to use a wired connection. <\/p>\n
Another consideration is a mesh networking system. For many homes these days, a single router may not be enough to provide Wi-Fi coverage, which is why you might want a mesh networking system. These systems typically use multiple nodes to work together to create a single wireless network that spans across the entire home. This can be helpful in ridding a home of Wi-Fi dead spots or in larger homes where a single router is insufficient.<\/p>\n
Do you need that speed?<\/h2>\n Key takeaway:<\/i><\/b> 3Gbps will suffice for most people. Faster plans will mostly benefit high-bandwidth activities and support more users.<\/i><\/p>\n\nAre you going to be playing games online and downloading large files often? If so, you might want to consider a plan with higher speeds.<\/p>\n
Photo: Razer<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Assuming you have all the required hardware mentioned above and can fully take advantage of these high speeds, the answer will depend on two things: what you normally do on the internet and how many users are there.<\/p>\n
If there are many users at home, a faster plan, when paired with the right router, can help reduce congestion and improve the overall online experience. This is especially true if all users are engaged in high-bandwidth activities like streaming high-resolution videos, web conferencing, online gaming, or downloading large files. In such situations, a high-speed plan can help. Even if there is only one or two users, a high-speed plan can be especially beneficial when downloading exceptionally large files. <\/p>\n
To be clear, 3Gbps is plenty quick and will be more than adequate for most people. The higher speed plans are really only for power users with specific requirements and use cases. And anecdotally, having upgraded from a 1Gbps to 10Gbps in the past year, the only times I really noticed the improved performance were when I was downloading large files or when I was downloading content to watch offline on Netflix. In everyday use, like web browsing or even streaming shows, I couldn\u2019t tell the difference. <\/p>\n
HomePac 3Gbps: Enough for most users<\/h2>\n\nPhoto: M1<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Price:<\/b> S$32.90\/month<\/p>\n
Free bundled router choices: <\/b><\/p>\n\nTP-Link Archer BE230<\/li>\n ASUS RT-BE58U<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nTop-up router choices: <\/b><\/p>\n\nASUS RT-BE92U (+S$13\/month)<\/li>\n TP-Link Archer BE805 (+S$15\/month)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThis is M1\u2019s most affordable fibre broadband plan and is suitable for most users. The free bundled routers are also decent, since all of them feature 2.5Gbps WAN ports. However, users who want fast wired connections should opt for the TP-Link Archer BE230 because it has 2.5Gbps WAN and LAN ports. The ASUS RT-BE58U only has a single 2.5Gbps WAN port. However, the ASUS counters with its stronger feature set and higher levels of customisation.<\/p>\n
Readers willing to top up for a better router will likely be better served by the ASUS RT-BE92U. Not only is it a tri-band router, it also has better wired connectivity in the form of a 10Gbps WAN\/LAN port, a 2.5Gbps WAN\/LAN port, and three 2.5Gbps LAN ports. However, readers who prioritise wireless connectivity should consider the TP-Link Archer BE805, which has better wireless specifications. However, it only has a 10Gbps WAN port and a 10Gbps LAN port. Its remaining four LAN ports only support up to 1Gbps.<\/p>\n