Whether you own a small business or a large one, its success or sustainability depends on the reliability of your internet connection. No doubt, there are so many options available these days when it comes to internet connection types or service plans. The choice between residential and business internet does seem simple. Residential internet is comparatively cheaper as compared to the business internet. ISPs understand the crucial difference in the internet requirements of residential users and business clients. This is why well-known providers usually offer distinct residential and business internet plans to cope with the connectivity needs of both. The question is, if business internet is pricey, why pay for it? In other words, if residential internet is comparatively cheaper and with high-speed options like Cox internet plans widely available, why jump into the difference? If you own a small-scale business with a handful of employees, it must be an intriguing concern for you. So, here we are with all the prospects of residential internet vs. business internet that you must be aware of in order to make the right choice for yourself. Check them out:
Business Internet vs. Residential Internet
Business internet, indeed, has greater features to offer to the users. Therefore, you can say that it is worth the higher price tag it comes along with. As business owners, we are always looking for blazing-fast and consistent speeds for smoother performance and online operations. ISPs provide a more guaranteed speed and service when you subscribe to a business internet plan.
On the other hand, residential internet costs lesser as compared to business internet but the speed is usually slower and you are likely to face congestion issues every now and then, especially during peak hours. Though subscribing to a more reliable internet service provider can save you from the pain of lagging speeds or outage issues, yet you can never be completely sure of the throughput, as there is always more traffic on the network, and congestion or slowdowns over the residential internet cannot be always predicted beforehand. Therefore, it might not make a good fit for satisfying your business connectivity needs, just for the sake of saving a few bucks. You might end up doing greater damage to the business or lose potential customers.
Parity Matters
Nowadays, most residential internet providers have been offering impressively high download speeds for a more seamless online streaming and web browsing, but they do not disclose their comparatively slower upload speeds.
For businesses, usually, where content creation or data backup is required, upload speeds play an important role too. This is why most of the business internet providers offer identically fast download and upload speeds to serve the purpose, referred to as parity. In the case of residential internet plans, the upload speeds are usually missed out completely, and often throttled, while all the focus is on the advertised download speeds.
IP Address
Business internet connections usually have a static IP address. You can also add a static IP later when setting up the service. It provides better options for hosting a website or email server from your current location.
Residential internet, on the other hand, makes use of a dynamic address most of the time. Dynamic addresses are temporary and keep changing every time a device accesses your network. In terms of security, both static and dynamic IPs offer good security when coupled with a sound security program or software.
Cost
It is an undeniable fact that price is one of the most important factors while choosing an internet plan. Residential internet plans do cost a bit cheaper as compared to business internet plans, but any abrupt loss of connectivity might cause a business to suffer a major loss. If you are looking for more sustainable connectivity, better stability, and rocket fast speeds, a business internet plan could be a wise investment.
Speed
Generally speaking, business internet speeds are assumed to be five times faster as compared to residential internet connections. In other words, more people can access it and get things done faster. Employees sharing a residential internet connection might experience annoying lags during downloads and it can even be more frustrating for the customers. As they say, in businesses, time is money. It is something you should keep in mind while choosing an internet plan for your business.
Wrapping Up
The aforementioned factors highlight the important differences between business and residential internet. For residential users with less number of active gamers, a good residential internet plan is sufficient to meet the speed requirements at a more budget-friendly rate. For corporate enterprises, business internet plans offer the right benefits and features including parity in download and upload speeds, static IPs, and a more consistent connection.