Want To Cut The Cord? Make Sure Your WiFi Can Handle It First.

There are many reasons why you might be thinking about joining the more than 33 million Americans who have already cut the cord this year. But we’re not here to talk about that.

We’re here to talk about whether or not your Wi-Fi can handle the jump to a wire-free television and movie experience.

Wi-Fi Is Only As Fast As Your Internet

Before we talk about your Wi-Fi router, we first need to talk about your internet speed.

Although Netflix, Hulu, Sling, Amazon, and others have different recommended speeds for their streaming services, most streaming bandwidth requirements are based on the quality of the video.

For shows, movies, news, and sports streaming in HD, you’ll need about 5 Mbps. If you bump that up to 4K, or Ultra-HD, you’ll need about 25 Mbps.

To figure out how fast your internet plan needs to be for your home, you can multiply the number of people you’ll have simultaneously streaming by the quality of the video.

To be safe, add 5-10 Mbps to that number to account for extra services and slowdowns caused by network congestion.

The Best Wi-Fi Router For Cordcutters

Fast internet only goes so far in helping you stream shows, sports, and movies. You need a router that can handle it, too. This goes beyond your router’s speed and includes things such as the Wi-Fi technology, features, and range.

So what’s the best router for cordcutters? Well, that depends on your home.

If you live in a smaller home or apartment, a router such as the AC2600 EXO Wi-Fi Router should do the trick. If you live in a mid-to-large-sized home, the best router might not be a router but a mesh system.

Mesh systems, like Covr by D-Link, are perfect for cordcutting families. Not only do they have the fast, AC Wi-Fi and the technology and features to handle many devices streaming at the same time, they also have the range to cover all of your home.

They use multiple cover points to cover large homes. Three mesh units can cover up to 6,000 sq. ft., which is probably more than enough for yours—unless you live in a super mansion.

As they cover your home, they also help distribute the Wi-Fi to all of the devices in your home and make sure it goes where it’s needed.

After all, what good is cutting the cord if you can’t watch your shows from anywhere in the house or even the porch?