Cheap InternetCompare the cheapest internet in Chicago

Data Usage for Popular Online Activities

Here's a quick overview of how much data common online activities use up. This is based on if you're only using the internet for one of these activities regularly, so if you're doing more than one of these (which is likely) or you have more than one internet user in your household, then you'll likely need a higher data allowance. 

For example, if you only use your home internet for emailing and surfing the web occasionally, then you should be fine with 50GB per month. However, if you are at home a lot and regularly stream videos and movies as well as use the internet for regular emailing and web surfing, you should think about getting a plan with at least 500GB of data per month. If you are sharing your internet with other members of your household, then unlimited data might be your best option. 

What Internet Speed Do I Need?

When choosing the best cheap internet plan for your home in Chicago, you not only need to decide how much data you need, but how fast you want your internet to be. Chicago is a city that's always on the go and the last thing you want is to be held up by a buffering video or a Google search that takes more than a second to load. Here's what you'll need to take into account when deciding what speeds you'll need on your cheap internet plan:

• What are the main uses for your home internet? (E.g., online gaming, working, streaming videos.)
• How many people/devices will be using your internet connection?

Use the table below as a guide to help you decide what internet speeds you will need.

Main Use for Internet

If you only need the internet for the basics, such as sending emails and browsing the web, then you'll likely only need the basic internet speeds. A plan with a 10Mbps download speed should be all you need to get by. On the other end of the spectrum, if you stream high definition movies and TV shows regularly, play online games, or work from home and need reliable and fast internet speeds, you will probably want to pick a plan with download speeds of at least 40Mbps. 

Number of People Sharing

The more people and devices that are sharing your home internet connection, the more likely you'll experience lags in connection and speeds, so you'll want to pick a plan with faster speeds if there are a lot of you in the household. Although this will likely make your internet plan more expensive, hopefully sharing the cost with your housemates will still give you a relatively cheap internet connection. 

Will My Internet Stay Cheap Forever?

You may have found a cheap internet plan, but there are a few things to watch out for when it comes to Chicago internet providers. In addition to making sure you're only paying for what you need in terms of internet speed and monthly data allowance, you should so pay attention to the following things before signing up for an internet plan:

• How long your monthly price will stay the same
• Installation fees 
• Contract length and early cancellation fees
• Data overage fees

Monthly Price

Don't fall into the trap of choosing a cheap internet plan which fits your budget, only to find out your monthly cost is doubled after just a few months. Some internet plans may seem cheap at first, but there are many that are just discounted for the first few months (or even an entire year) and can increase by quite a lot after that.

The good thing is, most cheap internet plans don't lock you into a contract, so you are free to cancel once your monthly fees go up (or right before that happens). The best cheap plans to look for are the ones which have a price lock for 24 months. 

Installation Fees

Another thing to watch out for is upfront fees which usually cover installation. Some internet plans don't require an installation fee at all, including all mobile internet plans. DSL internet tends to have the lowest installation fees (usually about $10) with satellite installation being the most expensive. Take this into account when working out the overall cost for your home internet connection—the last thing you want is to find a cheap internet plan only to realize the installation fees basically cancel out your possible savings.

Cancellation Fees

Luckily, most of the cheap internet plans available in Chicago don't lock you into a contract, which means you are free to cancel whenever you like. So, if you sign up for a plan then realize a couple months later that it's not for you, you can cancel without incurring any early cancellation fees. Be aware, however, that there are some internet plans that do require a contract (usually 12 or 24 months). Satellite internet plans for example commonly lock you into a contract term and charge you some pretty hefty early cancellation fees.

Mobile Internet

If you get itchy feet and like to move houses a lot, or don't know if you'll stay in Chicago due to the large number of taxes and fees imposed by the city, mobile broadband might be an option for you. Mobile broadband goes where you go, without the need to cancel or pay installation fees. Cheap mobile internet plans are available from:

• Sprint
• T-Mobile
• AT&T
• Verizon

Plans start at just $15/month and you can still get fast speeds of up to 90Mbps. Sound too good to be true? It might be—all mobile broadband plans come with a limited data allowance and instead of just slowing down your internet when you reach your cap, providers will charge you for every MB or GB you go over. If you don't tend to use a lot of internet at home, then mobile internet could still work for you—with Verizon offering up to 100GB of data per month—but then you're no longer looking at a cheap internet plan. 

Mobile internet plans are only truly cheap when you can get by with 10GB of data or less each month. 

Fiber, DSL, Cable or Satellite: What's the Difference?

Monthly cost isn't the only difference between the types of internet connections you can choose from. There are obvious differences in terms of equipment when you look at satellite internet versus the traditional cable and DSL options, but there are other things you should know about your internet options in Chicago.

Which is Best for My NYC Apartment?

When deciding between cable, DSL, fiber and satellite internet, you'll need to consider what it takes to install your internet connection in your home, especially if you live in an apartment building or are renting. 

Cable and DSL

Cable and DSL are all generally easy for your internet service provider to install, since they use cables and a conveniently-sized modem and router. These two options are usually your bet best when it comes to a cheap internet plan with cheap installation.

Fiber

If you're lucky enough to be in the 22% of households that can get fiber internet in Chicago, then note that this type of connection requires an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) to be installed—these terminals are bigger than your standard modem and router and may need to be mounted to a wall. This may cause issues if you need to repair the wall when you move out of your apartment or house. 

Satellite

Satellite internet might be the most difficult option when it comes to installing equipment in your apartment since you'll need to have a satellite dish installed outside your home. While your landlord is not allowed to prohibit the installation of satellite dishes on their properties, they are allowed to enforce reasonable rules when it comes to where and how it is installed. They are even allowed to make you buy additional rental insurance to cover accidental damage or injury the satellite dish may cause. 

The blanket rule across the entire United States is that a satellite dish may be installed as long as it's your own private property (whether rented or owned) and the dish itself is less than 1 meter (3.3 feet) in diameter. It's illegal to install your satellite dish in a common area like the roof or exterior wall outside of your private space, so if you don't have your own balcony, then you're in a bit of a pickle. 

Do I Need to Buy a Modem?

Internet providers in Chicago offer a variety of options when it comes to modems. They will either:

• Give you a modem for free
• Give you the option to bring your own modem (or require you to)
• Let you buy or rent a modem from them. 

Check your internet plan details carefully so you know whether you need to buy your own modem or not ahead of time. If you are bringing your own modem, make sure it's compatible with your internet service provider first.

Do I Need a Router?

If you want to share your home internet connection with more than one device (and wirelessly), then yes, you'll need a router. Most internet service providers will provide you with a modem/router combo for a monthly rental fee, so that's probably the easiest option if you don't want the hassle of buying your own router. You'll just need to return the equipment if you cancel your internet plan. 

If you don't want to pay rental for your router, you can always buy your own and save some money in the long run. 

When choosing a router, make sure you buy one that is compatible with the types of speeds you will get on your internet plan. There's no point in getting an internet plan with speeds of up to 50Mbps if your router will only provide you with 11Mbps speeds. 

On the flip side, your wireless router can only go as fast as your internet service. So if you have a modem that can handle speeds of up to 100Mbps, but you've picked a cheap internet plan that maxes out at 50Mbps, then you'll only ever have speeds of up to 50Mbps. 

Who Provides Internet in Chicago?

In Chicago, there aren't a ton of internet service providers to choose from, but there's enough. Some only offer one type of internet connection, while others offer multiple. 

Can I Bundle Internet with TV?

Yes, there are a number of bundling plans available in Chicago from various internet and TV service providers, including Xfinity, AT&T and Astound. The great thing about bundling your TV service with your internet is that providers will generally give you a discount off one of the services. If you also want a home phone number, you can bundle all three together in some cases and make your monthly bill as cheap as possible.

Related Articles

• Home Internet: Which Type is Best for You?
• Best Internet Providers in Chicago
• How to Find the Best Internet Plan in Your Area
• Test Your Internet Speed
• What Internet Speed Do I Need?
• Internet Data Usage Guide