What internet speed do I need for Netflix?

By Christie Graham

Last updated 01 June 2022

Raise your hand if you've ever felt personally victimised by the Netflix “whoops something went wrong” screen. If you did, chances are your internet connection is simply struggling to keep up with demand and this can be caused by many factors. Keep on reading to discover why and also how to make the most of your internet connection.

Why is Netflix struggling to keep up with my internet connection?

So you've spotted Netflix's dreaded Error Code NW-1-19, but what does it mean?

One possibility is your internet speed is too slow. Another is, that depending on how many devices are connected to your internet while you're streaming, you don't have enough bandwidth to go around. The video below neatly explains how your internet is divvied up between devices and how increasing your bandwidth is the first step to having a smooth Netflix viewing experience.

Suppose your internet is usually capable of handling Netflix and you think this is a one-off issue. In that case, we recommend running an internet speed test using our handy tool below, calling your ISP provider to flag the issue or looking into other reasons that may cause a slow NBN connection.

Internet Speed Test

Is your internet fast enough? Test internet speeds at your location with a single click.

What internet speed does Netflix need?

Netflix speed requirements differ based on what you're streaming it through. First, you need to identify if your streaming issues are when you use a TV, desktop, tablet, mobile or gaming console. Sometimes you can experience issues across all of these devices but if it's just one or a few, this could be an indicator of speed issues.

Netflix can be watched with internet speeds as slow as 0.5Mbps per second, but Netflix recommends 3Mbps for SD quality and 5Mbps for HD. If you want to watch 4K content, Netflix recommends 25Mbps.

Since your internet is a shared resource, as discussed above, we'd recommend an NBN 50 plan for most households. This ensures there's plenty of bandwidth for streaming, without impacting the experience of others in your house. Or other's impacting your streaming!

You also want to make sure you have enough data, especially if you don't have an unlimited plan. If you're watching Netflix on your TV, here are the basic Netflix data usage requirements:

Netflix data usage

Stream Quality	Data Per Hour	Data Per Month	Suggested Plan
Low	300MB	18GB	100GB Plans
Standard Definition	1GB	60GB	200GB Plans
High Definition	3GB	180GB	500GB Plans
Ultra HD (4K)	7GB	420GB	Unlimited Plans

And here is a breakdown of data usage requirements you want to achieve to smoothly stream Netflix via a mobile:

Approximate Netflix mobile data usage

Stream Quality	Data Per Hour	Data Per Month	Suggested Plan
Auto	250MB	3.8GB	7GB Plans
Save Data	170MB	2.6GB	5GB Plans
Maximum Data	3GB	45GB	50GB Plans

When you're watching Netflix through a desktop computer or a phone, Netflix recommends adjusting a few quality settings to improve your viewing experience:

Netflix quality settings

On your computer or TV, Netflix is set to automatically stream at the highest quality possible without the need for buffering. This is a dynamic system; if you have fluctuating speeds then you might notice your video stream bouncing around between high, standard and low quality over the course of a movie or episode.

This auto setting makes it much harder to gauge how much data you'll be going through, but typically on a fixed-line ADSL connection, your stream will probably bounce between HD and SD. If you're on NBN or cable, you should be getting a consistent HD stream.

Alternatively, Netflix lets you set a maximum fixed streaming quality through your account settings. The process of doing this can vary depending on what device you're watching Netflix on, but when you discover how to access these settings, changing them is easy.

On your computer

Click on your profile icon in the top-right of the Netflix window and choose My Account.
Under My Profile click on Playback Settings.
Select the quality of stream you want.

On your phone

When in the Netflix app, select the Menu icon in either the top left or top right corner (this depends on whether you're using iOS or Android).
Select App Settings.
Select Cellular Data Usage.
Select the quality of stream you want.

Unlimited Internet Plans

If you're a heavy movie/TV show binger and want to ensure your Netflix is always operating at its peak, we recommend investing in an unlimited internet plan around the NBN 25 or NBN 50 mark to cover all your internet needs. There are also many plans faster than NBN 100, such as NBN 250 and NBN 1000 for even more intense users.

Check out the leading providers for NBN 25 plans below and the plans they offer:

#1	Flip	100%	Go to Site Plans from $57.90/mth
#2	SpinTel	33%	Go to Site Plans from $47/mth
#3	Tangerine Telecom	28%	Go to Site Plans from $47.90/mth
#4	Dodo	13%	Go to Site Plans from $53.90/mth
#5	Telstra	9%	Go Plans from $89/mth
#6	TPG	7%	Go to Site Plans from $61.99/mth
#7	Exetel	6%	Go to Site Plans from $50.99/mth
#8	Kogan Internet	6%	Go to Site Plans from $46.90/mth
#9	iiNet	6%	Go to Site Plans from $61.99/mth
#10	Superloop	4%	Go to Site Plans from $59/mth

And here are the leading providers across NBN 50 plans for that little bit extra:

#1	Flip	100%	Go to Site Plans from $57.90/mth
#2	SpinTel	33%	Go to Site Plans from $47/mth
#3	Tangerine Telecom	28%	Go to Site Plans from $47.90/mth
#4	Dodo	13%	Go to Site Plans from $53.90/mth
#5	Telstra	9%	Go Plans from $89/mth
#6	TPG	7%	Go to Site Plans from $61.99/mth
#7	Exetel	6%	Go to Site Plans from $50.99/mth
#8	Kogan Internet	6%	Go to Site Plans from $46.90/mth
#9	iiNet	6%	Go to Site Plans from $61.99/mth
#10	Superloop	4%	Go to Site Plans from $59/mth

Cheapest NBN plans for Netflix

If budget plays a big impact on choosing an internet provider, fear not! We've also broken down both the speediest as well as the best up-and-coming ISPs, ranked in terms of cost. All plans have at least 500GB of data.

#1	Exetel	Exetel Extra-value nbn50 nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $19/mth off for first 6 months - $60.99/mth for first 6 months, then $79.99/mth. $60.99/mth Min. cost $60.99 Go to Site	$60.99/mth Min. cost $60.99	Go to Site
#2	Dodo	Dodo nbn50 Unlimited Plan nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data 12mths Deal: Incl. $15/mth discount for 12 months based on the standard price $83.90/mth. Ends 29.04.25. T&Cs apply. $68.90/mth Min. cost $68.90 Go to Site*	$68.90/mth Min. cost $68.90	Go to Site
#3	iiNet	iiNet nbn50 Liimitless nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $15/mth off for 6 mths – $69.99/mth for first 6 months, then $84.99/mth. Use code SAVE15FOR6. Ends 06.05.25 $69.99/mth Min. cost $69.99 Go to Site	$69.99/mth Min. cost $69.99	Go to Site
#4	TPG	TPG nbn50 Unlimited Plan nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Get Price Beat Guarantee + $69.99/mth for first 6 months, then $84.99/mth. T&Cs apply. $69.99/mth Min. cost $69.99 Go to Site	$69.99/mth Min. cost $69.99	Go to Site
#5	Southern Phone	Southern Phone nbn Standard nbn® 50/18 Mbps Unlimited Data $79/mth Min. cost $79 Link not supplied	$79/mth Min. cost $79	Link not supplied

Cheapest 5G home internet plans for Netflix

If your internet connection isn't the best, a 5G home internet connection may be the way to go. Check out some of the cheapest 5G plans available for Netflix.

#1	SpinTel	SpinTel 5G Unlimited Wireless Broadband (50Mbit) Wireless 50 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $10/mth off for 6 mths! $49/mth for the first 6 mths, then $59/mth. $25 upfront postage for rental modem also apply $49/mth Min. cost $74 Link not supplied	$49/mth Min. cost $74	Link not supplied
#2	iiNet	iiNet 5G Home Broadband Plus Wireless 50/16 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $10/mth off for first 6 months, then $59.99/mth. Offer available until withdrawn. $49.99/mth Min. cost $49.99 Go to Site	$49.99/mth Min. cost $49.99	Go to Site
#3	TPG	TPG 5G Home Broadband Plus Wireless 50/16 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $10/mth off for 6 months! $49.99/mth for first 6 months, then $59.99/mth. Available until withdrawn. T&C apply. $49.99/mth Min. cost $49.99 Go to Site	$49.99/mth Min. cost $49.99	Go to Site
#4	TPG Editor's Pick	TPG Editor's Pick 5G Home Broadband Premium Wireless 100/18 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $10/mth off for 6 months! $54.99/mth for first 6 months, then $64.99/mth. Available until withdrawn. T&C apply. $54.99/mth Min. cost $54.99 Go to Site	$54.99/mth Min. cost $54.99	Go to Site
#5	Vodafone	Vodafone 5G Home Internet Plus Plan Wireless 50/16 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $10/mth off for first 6 mths + Save $5/mth when you already have a mobile phone plan with Vodafone $55/mth Min. cost $55 Link not supplied	$55/mth Min. cost $55	Link not supplied
#6	iiNet	iiNet 5G Home Broadband Premium Wireless 100/18 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $10/mth off for first 6 months, then $69.99/mth. Offer available until withdrawn. $59.99/mth Min. cost $59.99 Go to Site	$59.99/mth Min. cost $59.99	Go to Site
#7	Optus	Optus Optus Plus Everyday 5G Wireless 45/11 Mbps Unlimited Data $69/mth Min. cost $69 Link not supplied	$69/mth Min. cost $69	Link not supplied
#8	Yomojo	Yomojo 5G Internet 50 Wireless 43 Mbps Unlimited Data $69.90/mth Min. cost $69.90 Link not supplied	$69.90/mth Min. cost $69.90	Link not supplied
#9	Telstra	Telstra 5G Home Internet - 1TB Wireless 300/30 Mbps 1000GB Data $85/mth Min. cost $85 Link not supplied	$85/mth Min. cost $85	Link not supplied

There are plenty of unlimited internet plans available from various ISPs, ranging from as low as $75 per month. But if you're concerned about evening speeds slowing down your movie night, we recommended choosing an NBN 100 plan. (And if you're still unsure about NBN speeds, we've got your questions covered here).

Check out the leading ISPs offer NBN 100 plans starting as low as $69 per month:

#1	MATE	MATE No Worries nbn 100/20 nbn® 97/19 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $30/mth off for the first 6 mths (code MATE30) + 1-month money back guarantee + Bundle & Save $60/mth Min. cost $60 Link not supplied	$60/mth Min. cost $60	Link not supplied
#2	Southern Phone	Southern Phone nbn Fast nbn® 100/19 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $24/mth off for 12 months! $65/mth for 12 months, then $89/mth. Offer ends 05.08.25 $65/mth Min. cost $65 Link not supplied	$65/mth Min. cost $65	Link not supplied
#3	SpinTel Editor's Pick	SpinTel Editor's Pick NBN Unlimited Premium 100 nbn® 100/18 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $16.95 off your plan for first 6 months! $65/mth for first 6 months, then $81.95/mth $65/mth Min. cost $65 Go to Site	$65/mth Min. cost $65	Go to Site
#4	Moose NBN	Moose NBN nbn 100/20 Elite nbn® 100/20 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $19/mth off for first 6 months, then $84.80/month. Ends 30.06.25 $65.80/mth Min. cost $65.80 Link not supplied	$65.80/mth Min. cost $65.80	Link not supplied
#5	Kogan Internet	Kogan Internet Gold Unlimited nbn® 100/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: $65.90/mth for first 6 months and revert back to $83.90/mth thereafter. Offer ends 30.05.25 $65.90/mth Min. cost $65.90 Go to Site	$65.90/mth Min. cost $65.90	Go to Site
#6	Tangerine Telecom	Tangerine Telecom Speedy NBN nbn® 100/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $20/mth off for the first 6 mths, $65.90/mth for first 6 months, then $85.90/mth + 3 months BINGE. Ends 30.06.25 $65.90/mth Min. cost $65.90 Go to Site	$65.90/mth Min. cost $65.90	Go to Site
#7	Exetel	Exetel Family nbn100/20 nbn® 100/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $19/mth off for first 6 months - $65.99/mth for first 6 months, then $84.99/mth $65.99/mth Min. cost $65.99 Go to Site	$65.99/mth Min. cost $65.99	Go to Site
#8	amaysim	amaysim Unlimited nbn Fast As nbn® 100/18 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $20/mth off for first 6 months (Incl. Standard Intro Offer), $70/mth for first 6 months, then $90/mth. Ends 30.04.25 $70/mth Min. cost $70 Link not supplied	$70/mth Min. cost $70	Link not supplied
#9	Swoop	Swoop nbn® Home Fast nbn® 100/20 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $22/mth off for 6 months with code LOVE22, $72/mth for first 6 mths then $94/mth. Ends 30.04.25 $72/mth Min. cost $72 Link not supplied	$72/mth Min. cost $72	Link not supplied
#10	Buddy Telco	Buddy Telco Speedy nbn - Unlimited nbn® 99/16 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: $73/month for first 6 months, then $85/month. Use promo code BUDDY100. Offer ends 18.05.25 $73/mth Min. cost $73 Go to Site	$73/mth Min. cost $73	Go to Site

Netflix Australia: Tips, tricks and hacks

Want to know how to get the best video quality? Stop the buffering? Find Netflix's secret genre codes? Get more movie information as you browse? Watch data-free?

We've got all these secrets, and more in our Netflix Australia tips, tricks and hacks guide. Get the most out of your subscription and the absolute best viewing experience!