<\/p>\nWhat to consider<\/p>\n
<\/default:svg><\/button><\/p>\n\n1. Do you really need 10Gbps broadband?\u00a0<\/li>\n 2. What kind of hardware do you need to support the plan?\u00a0<\/li>\n 3. Should you buy a plan that comes bundled with a router?<\/li>\n 4. What if you\u2019re watching on the go?<\/li>\n 5. How much data do you need?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\nWhether you\u2019re a football or basketball fan, the next few months are shaping up to be very exciting with the NBA playoffs and one of the most anticipated global football competitions starting soon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To get the best experience, you might be looking at upgrading your broadband and mobile data so you can really enjoy watching your favourite players and teams. Here are some things to keep in mind as you consider the multitude of different plans and options available on the market.<\/p>\n
Do you really need 10Gbps broadband?\u00a0<\/h2>\n\nWe are fortunate in that we have access to very fast and generally affordable broadband plans.<\/p>\n
AI-generated image<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
While many of us are always tempted to get the latest and greatest, it might not be quite as necessary when it comes to a broadband plan. While 10Gbps plans can sound tempting, you might not always need all that bandwidth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Firstly, if you\u2019re still on a 1Gbps broadband plan, there\u2019s no need to immediately run to recontract. While most ISPs have switched to offering larger plans, a 1Gbps plan is actually more than sufficient for streaming videos in 4K<\/b>. However, broadband plan prices have fallen significantly over the last couple of years, so it might be a better deal to recontract to a newer, faster and cheaper plan.<\/p>\n
For smaller families, a 3Gbps plan will be more than sufficient for most, as long as you\u2019re not constantly downloading large files all at the same time with a multitude of devices connected. Large files don\u2019t have to necessarily be work files, but you can also consider game and operating system updates, which are increasingly getting larger.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, if there are many users at home who are all engaging in high-bandwidth activities at the same time, like gaming, live streaming and downloading, you might want to consider a 10Gbps plan to help with network congestion and ensure everyone has sufficient bandwidth. (Take note that many concurrent users watching their favourite shows on their devices hardly count towards high bandwidth usage.)<\/p>\n
Furthermore, you\u2019ll require appropriate equipment to really take advantage of the faster speeds and bandwidth, which we\u2019ll cover in our next section.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n
If you\u2019re wondering about the difference between plans and what you get, we\u2019ve previously compiled how M1\u2019s different broadband plans stack up in our guide here<\/u>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nWhat kind of hardware do you need to support the plan?\u00a0<\/h2>\n\nOne of the crucial components that hardly anyone talks about: A premium motherboard offering a 10G Ethernet port that connects directly with the high-speed PCIe interface onboard, such as this Gigabyte X399 Aorus Xtreme motherboard.<\/p>\n
Image: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Regardless of whether you\u2019re watching on your TV or computer, you\u2019ll need to ensure that your hardware can support the speeds of your plan. If you\u2019re planning to run a wired connection, you\u2019ll want to double check that your home network is running on Cat 6 cables<\/b> (or higher) to fully support speeds above 1Gbps, as well as whether your device has a high-speed Ethernet port.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re planning to watch the matches on your computer, then it\u2019s quite simple. Most modern enthusiast motherboards on desktops these days come with at least a 2.5G Ethernet port, which means you\u2019ll be able to take advantage of a faster, more stable wired connection (such as from a 3Gbps broadband plans).\u00a0<\/p>\n
If you have a premium-tier motherboard\/system, you might get a 10Gb Ethernet port, which will provide you with much quicker speeds to fully unleash your 10Gbps broadband plan.<\/p>\n
Whatever broadband plan you decide to get, make sure your router and devices have the appropriate Ethernet ports <\/b>to fully maximise the plan\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n
On the TV side of things, most models these days still ship with a 100Mbps Ethernet port, which is enough for the recommended 25-30Mbps for streaming, but it\u2019s far slower than the typical speeds you can get if you\u2019re using a Wi-Fi 7 network at home. The upside of a wired connection is that it\u2019s less at risk for connection dropouts and other stability issues.<\/p>\n\nApple TV 4K (Third Generation)<\/p>\n
Photo: Apple<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The workaround for the slower Ethernet port is if you have a streaming device connected to your TV, such as a newer model of Apple TV<\/u>, which includes a true Gigabit Ethernet port.<\/p>\n
If not, you should pay more attention to which Wi-Fi standards your TV supports, since you might be better served by a wireless connection, especially if your router is close by and the TV can support either Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 7.<\/p>\n
Should you buy a plan that comes bundled with a router?<\/h2>\n\nFor a small top-up each month, you can get M1\u2019s 10Gbps plan with a router.<\/p>\n
Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Most home broadband plans come with the option to bundle in a router for convenience. But is it really worth the extra you\u2019re paying each month?\u00a0<\/p>\n
The biggest benefit is, of course, the free router and hardware support from your ISP should something go wrong with it. If you don\u2019t want to have to get your own router and set it up yourself, using a free router from your ISP might be a convenient option<\/b>.\u00a0Additionally, if anything goes wrong with your router while under warranty, your ISP usually will provide on-site troubleshooting and free replacements.<\/p>\n
One that is worth taking a look at is M1\u2019s HomePac 10Gbps plan. On its own, it costs S$29.90 a month for 24 months. However, M1 also offers it with a variety of routers. The router you get depends on how much you are willing to top up.\u00a0<\/p>\n\nIt\u2019s worth topping up for these routers because the amount you will pay over 24 months is less than the routers\u2019 retail price.<\/p>\n
Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
For example, for an extra S$9 a month, you can get the plan with the ASUS RT-BE92U router. This is a decent router to go with the plan because it\u2019s a tri-band router with 10GbE connectivity and 2.5G LAN ports<\/b>. Furthermore, if you do the math, S$9 a month for 24 months means S$216. That\u2019s a lot less than the S$399 retail price of the router.<\/b> In other words, getting a router bundled with the plan is more cost effective.<\/p>\n
The potential downside of using a router from your ISP is that those options might not always have the features that you need or want, especially if you\u2019re a power user. Singtel\u2019s bundled routers are one such example, because the one provided is an Optical Network Router (ONR), instead of an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) and a separate router, which doesn\u2019t support features like Bridge Mode.<\/p>\n
For people who don\u2019t want to fuss over such things, our advice would be to go for a bundled router, while advanced users should look into purchasing their own routers for more features and better control over settings.<\/p>\n