The following minimum system recommendations for your connected devices will ensure you’re getting the most out of your Xfinity Internet service.
If you meet the requirements but are not achieving the speed for your subscribed speed tier, please note:
- To achieve the upper range of your speed tier, you must be connected via a wired Ethernet connection.
- Speeds through a hardwired connection are inherently faster than speeds over WiFi due to potential wireless interference.
- There are a number of external factors that may limit your speed; as a result, actual speeds may vary.
- External factors that could impact speeds include:
- External interference
- Downloads/uploads in progress
- Open programs on your devices
- Number of devices connected to your home network
- External factors that could impact speeds include:
- Whenever possible, your Xfinity Gateway should be placed in a central, unobstructed location of your home, off the floor and away from other electronic devices.
- For better WiFi performance, see these tips.
- For better WiFi performance, see these tips.
Make sure that your internet equipment is up-to-date and able to support the speeds on your package. (For example, a DOCSIS 3.0 Internet device will not support Gigabit speeds from Xfinity.) You can check to see if you’re eligible for an equipment update at xfinity.com/equipmentupdate.
System recommendations by speed tier
| Xfinity Internet minimum system requirements — For speeds up to 2 Gigabits per second | ||||
| Operating system | Windows 10 (64-bit) or Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite or newer. Visit the Microsoft Windows lifecycle fact sheet or Mac OS X Support overview for their latest operating system information. | |||
| Browser | Google Chrome 56.0.2924, Microsoft Edge (64-bit), Mozilla Firefox 52 (64-bit) or Safari 8 or newer. For more information about different browsers or to download a new one, visit whatismybrowser.com. | |||
| Ethernet | For maximum speeds of 1 Gbps to 1.2 Gbps, your desktop or laptop will need a 1G copper Ethernet interface and a 1G Ethernet adapter. These will need to be paired with a Cat5e (or better) Ethernet cable. For maximum speeds of 2 Gbps on a single computer, you will need the following:
To achieve maximum speeds of 2 Gbps over a longer Ethernet cable lengths, Cat6 or Cat6a cables are required. | |||
| CPU/processor | Quad-Core Intel Core i7 (or faster) processor, 16 GB of RAM and requires a solid-state drive (SSD). | |||
| Xfinity Internet minimum system requirements — For speeds up to 1.2 Gigabits per second | |
| Operating system | Windows 10 (64 bit) or newer or Mac OSX 10.8 or newer. Visit the Microsoft Windows lifecycle fact sheet or Mac OS X Support overview for their latest operating system information. |
| Browser | Google Chrome 56.0.2924, Microsoft Edge (64-bit), Mozilla Firefox 52 (64-bit) or Safari 8 or newer. For more information about different browsers or to download a new one, visit whatismybrowser.com. |
| Ethernet cable | Cat5e or Cat6 Ethernet cable. Note: Due to Ethernet overhead, actual download speeds are limited to 940 Mbps over a hardwired connection. |
| Ethernet | 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet interface or adapter for wired connection |
| CPU/processor | Intel Dual Core i5 or better or AMD Ryzen 5 or better |
| Memory | 8 GB of RAM minimum |
| Hard drive/space | 64 GB or larger SSD recommended to achieve maximum download speeds |
| Xfinity Internet minimum system requirements — For speeds up to 400Mbps | |
| Operating system | Microsoft mainstream-supported Windows operating system or an Apple-supported OS X operating system. Visit the Microsoft Windows lifecycle fact sheet or Mac OS X Support overview for their latest operating system information. |
| Browser | Recent version of Chrome, Firefox or Safari. For more information about different browsers or to download a new one, visit whatismybrowser.com. |
| Ethernet cable | Cat5e or Cat6 Ethernet cable to facilitate your wired connection. |
| Ethernet/processor | Speeds up to 25 Mbps: 10/100 Fast Ethernet interface or adapter for wired connection. Speeds up to 75 Mbps:
Speeds up to 400 Mbps:
|
Gigabit speed expectations
Gigabit Internet service by Xfinity delivers WiFi speeds that are faster than some of today's most advanced smartphones, laptops and tablets are capable of running.
Speed tips
If you have hardware, software and related equipment configurations that can connect to the Internet but that are different from the above recommendations, they will still work with your Xfinity Internet service; however, our testing has shown that these recommendations will work best to achieve your provisioned broadband speed.
If you aren't experiencing the speeds you expect, remember to test using a hardwired connection to the internet. Also, make sure you are not in the process of downloading or uploading anything, close all programs using the Internet and power off any other devices that are sharing your home network.
Remember, there are a number of external factors that may limit your speed; as a result, actual speeds may vary. For the best performance, contact your device manufacturer or software provider to learn about required upgrades, configuration updates or to find troubleshooting guides.
For more information, check out the FAQs under My Results and Speed Factors on our Speed Test site.
WiFi speed tips
For wireless connections, you can improve your WiFi speed by positioning your Wireless Gateway centrally in order for it to broadcast its strongest signal. For better WiFi performance see these tips.
Additional information
Visit our Online Support Center to find common solutions.
The easiest way to activate, manage, and troubleshoot your Xfinity experience is with the Xfinity app! Get 24/7 real-time support, pay your bill, view plan details, get outage updates, and more. Download the free Xfinity app, or scan the QR code with your smartphone.
Need additional support? Ask Xfinity Assistant.