If you know the line speed you need for Zoom, you can prepare in advance.

This article explains the recommended line speed for Zoom.

Terms for line speed

First, let’s take a look at your internet speed.

Upstream
“Upstream” refers to upload speed.

Sending emails, posting to SNS, saving files to the cloud, uploading videos to Youtube, live distribution, video calls (sending camera images), etc. correspond to upstream.

Downstream
“downstream” is the download speed.

Receiving e-mails, browsing websites, downloading apps, playing streaming, etc. correspond to “downstream”.

Mbps・kbps
“bps” (bit per second) is a unit that expresses the amount of data that can be sent and received in one second.

“1bps” means that 1 bit of data can be transferred per second.

“kbps” and “Mbps”, which are often used to express communication speed, are units higher than “bps”.

• 1000bps=1kbps
• 1000kbps=1Mbps

“5 Mbps downstream” is the speed at which 5 megabits of data can be downloaded per second.

Approximate line speed required for normal Internet use

It is said that the speed that can be comfortably communicated with general Internet use is about 10 Mbps (5 Mbps for smartphones) to 30 Mbps.

The required line speed varies depending on the application, so let’s check the required speed for each purpose.

Email, SNS, LINE: Downlink 128kbps to 1Mbps

Email and SNS are mainly text, so there is no problem even if the communication speed is low.

However, it may take some time to display the image.

Browsing websites: Downlink 1Mbps to 10Mbps

Text-based sites can be browsed without problems even at a download speed of 1 Mbps. For sites with many images, 3-5 Mbps is desirable.

Watching videos: Downlink 5Mbps to 20Mbps

Videos have a larger amount of data than text and still images, but the required speed varies depending on the image quality.

The recommended communication speed for Youtube is as shown in the table below.

When comparing the requirements of major VOD services, the recommended values ​​are roughly as follows.

• Video playback is possible from at least 1 Mbps
• 3-5 Mbps recommended for SD and HD image quality
• 4K video is 15-20Mbps

Line speed required by Zoom

Let’s check the recommended line speed when using Zoom.

Zoom bandwidth requirements

The bandwidth requirements shown in Zoom’s system requirements are as follows:

Recommended bandwidth for PC

• Screen sharing only (no video thumbnail): 50-75 kbps
• For screen sharing with video thumbnails: 50-150 kbps

Recommended bandwidth for smartphones (when using Wi-Fi)

High Quality Video 1.0 Mbps / 600 kbps (Up/Down) 720p HD Video 2.6 Mbps/1.8 Mbps (Up/Down) 1080p HD Video 3.8 Mbps/3.0 Mbps (Up/Down)

Zoom sends and receives video footage and screen sharing, but compared to watching videos, high-speed communication speeds are not required.

As a guideline, if you have a speed that allows you to comfortably communicate with normal Internet use, you can say that Zoom will not be a problem.

However, viewing videos requires only “downstream”, whereas Zoom sends and receives each other’s images, so it is necessary to ensure speed in both “upstream” and “downstream” directions.

How to measure internet line speed

Now that you know the line speed required for Zoom, measure the speed of your Wi-Fi or mobile communication on your smartphone to see if it meets Zoom’s recommended speed.

Run a speed test

To measure the network speed on your computer or smartphone, run a speed test.

If you search the internet for “speed test” you should find websites that do internet speed tests.

The results are displayed on the screen several tens of seconds after the measurement starts.

Main sites where you can run speed tests

• Speedtest (https://www.speedtest.net/)
• FAST.com (https://fast.com/ja/)

What to do if communication is slow with Zoom

If the speed test results meet Zoom’s recommended bandwidth, but the video is jerky or the audio is choppy during a Zoom meeting, the communication speed is down for some reason.

If you feel that the communication is slow in the Zoom meeting, please try the following countermeasures.

router reboot

The router may malfunction if left on for a long period of time. In this case, try rebooting your router.

For mobile routers, press the power button to turn off the power, then press the power button again to turn it on.

If your home router does not have a power button, unplug it from the power outlet, disconnect all the cables connected to the router, wait a few minutes, reconnect the cables, and turn on the power.

Wi-Fi reconnection

If your Wi-Fi connection is slow or intermittent, the connection between your router and your device may not be working properly. Follow the steps below to reconnect your device and Wi-Fi router.

• Turn off Wi-Fi on your device and then turn it on again
• Disconnect and reconnect Wi-Fi

Adjust the position of your Wi-Fi router

If the Wi-Fi router is too far away or there are obstacles nearby, it will be difficult for radio waves to reach you. Radio waves may interfere with the use of microwave ovens, etc.

Move your Wi-Fi router to an unobstructed area, or avoid using electronic devices during the Zoom meeting to improve signal conditions.

Pay attention to the remaining battery power of the mobile router

The mobile router runs on a rechargeable battery, but during a Zoom meeting where constant communication occurs, the battery may decrease before you know it.

If the battery runs out, you will not be able to communicate, so always check the battery level of the mobile router.

Decrease the image quality of Zoom

Zoom’s paid license users can have meetings in HD quality with a feature called “Group HD”, but it also increases the bandwidth required.

If you turn off HD quality, the recommended speed will drop considerably from 600kbps to 1Mbps, so keep in mind that you have the option of lowering the quality when the connection is slow.

turn off video

The larger the number of participants in the Zoom meeting, the greater the amount of video traffic. If the communication is slow even after lowering the image quality, you can also turn off the video and use only the audio.

Speed ​​drops during communication restrictions

If you exceed the monthly usage limit on your smartphone, communication will be restricted and the line speed will decrease.

If communication is restricted, purchase additional packets to remove the restriction, or use another connection such as Wi-Fi.

If you have many opportunities to participate in Zoom from your smartphone, it is safe to subscribe to a large-capacity plan.

Wired connection

A wired connection is still the most stable internet connection.

If the Zoom connection is lost or the communication speed drops due to Wi-Fi, tethering, or mobile data communication, it is recommended to connect to a wired connection in places where there is a fixed line such as an office or home.

Cable selection is also important to make the most of the speed benefits of a wired connection. LAN cables have categories such as “CAT5”, “CAT5e”, “CAT6”, “CAT6A”, and “CAT7”, and the higher the number, the faster the speed.

For Zoom meetings, CAT5e or higher, which can support communication speeds of 1 Gbps, is recommended.

summary

The line speed required for Zoom meetings is generally the same as the speed at which you can use the Internet comfortably, so you can participate with your usual terminal or network line.

It’s safer to prepare the network environment so that you don’t lose connection during an important meeting.