For most smart homes, Classic 1-Gig is more than enough internet, because it sends data out of your home as fast as it brings data in. Enhanced 2-Gig, at $30 more a month, is the plan to choose when you want its SmartHome Wi-Fi features and extra capacity.
Most internet ads lead with download speed, which is how fast data comes into your home, but a smart home uses both directions. Security cameras and video doorbells send their video out of your home so you can watch it on your phone, which makes them the devices that rely on upload speed most, and every other connected device stays online all day too.
Key Takeaways
- Classic 1-Gig covers the internet speed nearly every smart home needs, because it sends data out of your home as fast as it brings data in
- Enhanced 2-Gig adds SmartHome Wi-Fi, which includes parental controls, network security, the CommandIQ app, and a Wi-Fi 6 router, along with 2-Gig speeds that double Classic’s 1-Gig
- Enhanced costs $30 more a month than Classic, and neither plan requires a contract
What Are the Internet Speed Requirements for a Smart Home?
Many internet plans give you far less upload speed than download speed, which leaves cameras and doorbells sharing a small slice of the connection. Our fiber works differently, because every plan is symmetrical, meaning upload speed matches download speed. That is why Classic 1-Gig has more than enough speed for most smart homes, including homes with several cameras.
Cameras and doorbells send the most data. Thermostats, smart lights, door locks, and voice assistants use very little on their own, but what a connected home asks of your connection grows with how many devices are online and how they work together. Cameras alone rarely call for a faster plan, because how many cameras you have, how they record, and what else is online at the same time matter more than any single spec. When speed isn’t the deciding factor, the choice depends on how well your Wi-Fi manages all of those devices and what else you want from your plan.
What Do You Get With Enhanced for $30 More a Month?
Enhanced 2-Gig is $100 a month, which is $30 more than Classic 1-Gig at $70, and what you get for the difference is SmartHome Wi-Fi along with double the speed. SmartHome Wi-Fi starts with an advanced Wi-Fi 6 router and adds three tools.
The CommandIQ app lets you see which devices are connected to your network, set up user profiles, and give work, school, or entertainment priority on your network with custom modes. ExperienceIQ parental controls let you filter content, limit screen time, and monitor your family’s online activity. ProtectIQ security blocks malware, intrusions, and unsafe sites across all your connected devices, with no extra software to install.
Enhanced also delivers 2-Gig in both directions instead of 1-Gig, and that extra capacity holds up when the whole house is online at once.
Which Plan Fits Your Smart Home?
Because speed doesn’t separate these two plans for most smart homes, the choice comes down to what you want included.
Classic is the right fit when speed is what you’re after, and Enhanced is the right fit when you also want those added tools and extra capacity. To see every option side by side, you can compare all three plans, including Premier 10-Gig at $200 a month, which comes with the same SmartHome Wi-Fi tools as Enhanced.
Check your address to see if Connexion fiber is available at your home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a faster plan fix a weak Wi-Fi signal in one part of my home?
A weak signal in one spot is usually a coverage question and not a speed question, so a faster plan doesn’t always fix it. Whether whole-home Wi-Fi reaches every floor and how mesh Wi-Fi compares with a traditional router are the questions to look at next.
Do cameras that record all day add to my bill?
Every plan includes unlimited data with no overage fees, so a camera setup that records continuously doesn’t create a bill that changes from month to month.
Can I upgrade from Classic to Enhanced later?
If you’re already a customer, you can upgrade to Enhanced 2-Gig Wi-Fi with SmartHome.
Is Fort Collins Connexion available at my address?
Fiber is available at every single-family home within Fort Collins city limits, so if you live in one, you can check your address and sign up right now. If you’re not sure your address is inside city limits, you can confirm it with Larimer County’s address lookup.
If you live in an apartment, condo, or townhome, you can choose your plan and sign up if your building already has Connexion. If it doesn’t yet, your property manager or HOA needs to complete a Right of Entry form before installation can begin, and you can point them to the Right of Entry form. To find out whether your building is connected, email sales@fcconnexion.com, or join the service updates list to hear when your building becomes serviceable. You can find more on how to get Connexion for each type of home.
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