Broadband for large families

Date: 21/05/24

Author: Shia Mitchell

A guide to the best broadband for large families

Unreliable internet, slow speeds, and eye-watering prices can lead to many frustrations in a bustling household. A poor broadband experience doesn’t make for a happy family!

Interrupted calls while working from home, buffering streams when you’re relaxing as a household, or just laggy gaming during some precious ‘me time’. It’s just not acceptable.

Here we'll explore what to consider when choosing the best broadband package for a large family, how to check your internet speed, and why the right plan will help to maintain harmony in your home.

What type of broadband deals are best for large families?

Speed is nothing without reliability. The UK’s most reliable broadband technology is 100% full fibre. It can handle the most demanding households, and we use it to keep our network up and running 99.9% of the time.

It's important to understand that the number of devices connected to your network is proportional to your required bandwidth. Bandwidth and therefore speed is shared equally amongst all devices connected over WiFi, so each extra device that is connected will reduce the speed available to each connected device. This is why it makes sense to start with a higher speed broadband product - ensuring optimal performance for all users in the household.

Why go for reliability and speed? Well, in a large family, reliability is important as each member of the household might have one or more of the following:

Smartphones
Tablets
Laptops
Smart home devices

But speed is still an important factor. If you’re stuck on a low bandwidth package, the wrong internet can result in:

Buffering: If you're the type who cares about what’s on the box, buffering can be hell. Even if you’re not—constantly waiting for videos to load is nobody's idea of fun.

Communication breakdown: Choppy video calls and dropped connections can disrupt work and school activities. So bandwidth and uptime are essential to a reliability freak.

Not fast, not good enough: The speed-hungry gamer's nightmare is one where online gaming becomes unplayable with high latency and lag—especially during peak times.

Before diving into what to look for in broadband packages for large families, it's crucial to understand your internet speed.

You can check your speed using our speed test tool.

Comparing our packages to the needs of a large family

We recognise that 50 Mbps isn’t enough for a family with an at-home working professional, a keen online gamer, a social media star – or a mix of each. See below for a package comparison:

150 Mbps Fibre Broadband

Download/upload a 100 MB video in 5.3s
£21/month*
Best for light use in small-to-medium-sized families
Great for a family of light internet users on a few devices at once. Including things like streaming HD TV, video and voice calling on a phone, or uploading and downloading files while browsing the web on a computer. It’s also good for families with smart home assistants.

1 Gbps Fibre Broadband

Download/upload a 100 MB video in 0.8s
£26/month*
Best for heavy use/larger families
Perfect for families who regularly upload/download large files. Like households with people who work from home and often make video calls or run web-based software. Also ideal for families who need to upload UHD content and stream to Twitch or YouTube.

1 Gbps Premium WiFi

Download/upload a 100 MB video in 0.8s
£32/month*
Guaranteed whole home coverage using intelligent Mesh technology and priority customer support
Best for heavy use/larger families with lots of portable devices who need great coverage everywhere in the home
Perfect for families who regularly upload/download large files from different rooms of the house. Like households with people who work from home and often make video calls or run web-based software. Also ideal for families who need to upload UHD content and stream to Twitch or YouTube.

3 Gbps Premium WiFi

Download/upload a 100 MB video in 0.2s
£56/month*
Guaranteed whole home coverage using intelligent Mesh technology and priority customer support
Best for ultra-intensive use/very large families who need great coverage everywhere in the home
Fantastic for a family where downloading and uploading large files, regular video calls, and gaming with low latency need to happen at the same time. Multiple games consoles, TVs, computers, and phones can perform at their peak at any time.

We offer a range of residential packages to suit every need. Remember, even if you don’t choose top speeds—you’ll always get top reliability. Switching with us is also very easy.

Tips for a better broadband experience as a family

If you’re not in the London area and can’t use our services, there are still several things you can try to enjoy better, more reliable broadband if you have a large family.

Optimise router placement: Position your router centrally to ensure even WiFi coverage throughout your home.
Invest in a mesh WiFi system: We use mesh systems as part of our Premium WiFi service, which eliminates WiFi dead spots. Learn more about Mesh WiFi.
Manage device usage: Create a rota and have device schedules or set limits on screen time to prevent family members from bandwidth hogging. Community Fibre customers can prioritise speed to different devices using the Linksys app and schedule off times using Parental Control on Norton 360 Premium.
Use a wired connection where possible: A wired connection will always give you the fastest speed, but it doesn’t work on all devices.
Limit background downloads: This ensures bandwidth is primarily dedicated to your immediate online activities, reducing congestion and preventing slowdowns.
Upgrade to a full fibre plan: Full fibre, where fibre optic cables go directly into the home, will always perform better. Find out why full fibre broadband is the best.
Schedule downloads for off-peak hours: This can reduce congestion if you don’t have full fibre - ensuring faster and more stable connections when you need them.
Regularly update hardware: Upgrading your router and other devices can lead to better performance - it’s also wise to simply reset your router once in a while.
Clear your browser cache: It’s wise to periodically clear your browser's cache and cookies to improve your device’s browsing speed.
Using a strong password for your WiFi: This promotes better broadband by preventing unauthorised users from using up bandwidth, avoiding slowdowns.

If you don’t want to compromise in today's digitally connected world, just make sure you choose the right plan for the unique needs of your family.

Community Fibre broadband deals for large families

Family broadband requires a balance of speed and reliability. The best broadband for large families is a package that offers incredible customer service, speeds, and prices.

Community Fibre offers the fastest broadband speeds at unbeatable prices. We’re an award-winning option with easy-switching available across greater London.

Check your postcode to get the UK’s fastest, most reliable technology in your area.

FAQs about family broadband

Do I need a special router for a large family?

Depending on your current router's capabilities, you may benefit from a more powerful router that can handle multiple connections simultaneously. Our high-quality routers offer superior WiFi connectivity.

Do families need fibre optic broadband?

While it’s not essential, families can benefit from full fibre optic broadband because of its speed and reliability.

Should my family package include unlimited downloads?

Broadband with unlimited downloads is usually advisable for family homes, so you can meet your family’s data demands without worrying about extra charges. All of our packages are unlimited, so everyone can be online with no limitations.

What is the best broadband for a large family?

It depends on the needs of individual households. The best residential broadband package for a large family depends on factors like speed, coverage, and budget. A broadband plan with at least 100 Mbps is recommended — especially if you have multiple devices.

What should I look for in a broadband provider?

When choosing a broadband provider, consider speed, reliability, customer service, and any bundled services for comprehensive family broadband.

Which broadband has the best speed and reliability in the UK?

Coverage can vary, but providers like Community Fibre offer the fastest and most reliable broadband in the London area at unbeatable prices. See how we compare to other providers.

Good to know

*Prices correct as of 25 July 2024. From 1st April every year we will increase the price of our services by up to the Government published Consumer Price Index (CPI) from January of the same year plus 2.9%. Click here for more details and a worked example.