Need Internet for Your Apartment? Here's How to Get the Best Service

Living in an apartment comes with its advantages, as most homeowner tasks like landscaping and repairs are taken care of. Your apartment may also include utilities with the rent, such as power or water. One bill your lease likely won't cover, however, is internet. That's a good thing, as it allows you to select the best provider and plan for your needs.

When shopping for internet for your apartment, keep in mind that available internet options in multi-unit buildings such as apartments can be more limited than single unit homes. There's also network security to consider. Given the close proximity to your neighbors, you'll want to take extra care to ensure your network is secure.

Where should you start when getting internet for your apartment? I'll break down everything you need to know, from understanding the internet options in your area to finding the right plan, setting up your equipment and keeping your Wi-Fi network secure.

Know your internet options before moving in

Before moving into your new apartment, ask the leasing office or property owner about your internet options. They may say Wi-Fi is included with your rent but don't count on it. What's more likely is that they'll tell you that "X provider" is the sole ISP for the building. Be skeptical of that statement: Your apartment may present more internet options than the owner is letting on. 

It's no secret that apartment owners often favor a particular internet provider, for convenience, cutting costs or both. The Federal Communications Commission banned the practice of owners making exclusive agreements with ISPs back in 2008 and recently took further measures to increase competition in apartment buildings, so ISP exclusivity in apartment buildings is not as common as it once was.

The newest FCC ruling, passed in February 2022, prohibits revenue sharing between owners and ISPs and requires owners to disclose the existence of exclusive marketing arrangements to "promote tenant choice and competition in the provision of communications services" for tenants.

Available ISPs for your apartment may still be limited

There's still the matter of which ISPs offer service in your area and which ones actually run lines to your building. Owners can't enter exclusive agreements with ISPs, nor can they take part in revenue sharing by favoring one provider over another, but they still have an influence over which providers can run service lines to and through the building, such as a single cable or fiber provider.

That means it's possible that your building is only wired for one type of internet service, which will obviously limit your choices. You may be able to have a new line from a different provider run to your apartment, but you'll want to check with your leasing office or owner first. 

Installing a new cable line or fiber connection will require drilling and possibly mounting new boxes on the building's exterior, which may not be permitted in your lease. On that note, satellite dishes are typically not allowed at apartments, so don't expect satellite internet to be an option, either.

Cable, fiber, fixed wireless and 5G are best for apartments

A cable connection is your best bet when it comes to internet service in an apartment, as cable internet is available in more than 97% of urban areas, according to the FCC. That means your apartment building is probably already equipped to run internet and TV service from a major cable provider like Xfinity, Spectrum, Cox or Mediacom, or perhaps a regional cable company.

For the most part, cable internet offers fast download speeds, up to a gig or higher and competitive rates. It's still a good idea to see what else may be available before settling on cable internet service, especially if you're interested looking for a cheap internet plan now that the Affordable Connectivity Program is no longer available (consider these low-cost alternatives, instead). 

Fiber-optic internet, for example, comes with the potential for faster, more reliable speeds (including significantly faster upload speeds), and it often has lower pricing than cable, especially when you consider the cost per Mbps. 

At just under 50% coverage in urban areas, fiber-optic service from providers such as AT&T, CenturyLink, Frontier and Verizon is your second most probable option for internet in an apartment. 

If fiber internet isn't available in your apartment but you're fairly sure there's a fiber provider in your area, consider speaking with your leasing office or landlord about what it would take to get fiber internet in your building -- the speed and value that comes with fiber is worth the effort.

In addition to cable and possibly fiber internet, fixed wireless internet, from providers like Google Fiber and Starry Internet, may also be an option for your apartment. This internet type involves mounting a receiver to the roof and dispersing internet throughout the entire building, so you won't be able to sign up for fixed wireless service unless the apartment is specifically equipped for it.

On the other hand, 5G home internet service from T-Mobile or Verizon may be available in your area and doesn't require any special installation or mounting of equipment, so you shouldn't need approval or cooperation from the building's owner before signing up. 

The disadvantage to 5G home internet is that you are at the mercy of whatever speeds are available in your area. In the case of T-Mobile, maximum speeds could range from 72 to 245Mbps; well below the speed potential you'll get with cable, fiber or even fixed wireless service. There are no contracts, so there is little to no risk in trying it out to see what speeds you can get.

Choosing the right internet plan for your apartment

What internet speed do you need for your apartment? That'll depend on a few factors, such as how many people live in the apartment, how many connected devices you have and what you use the internet for. 

If living solo in a single-bedroom apartment, 100Mbps will probably suffice for streaming, online gaming and working remotely. Netflix, for example, recommends speeds of 25Mbps for streaming in 4K, and the FCC suggests speeds of only 4Mbps for online multiplayer games. 

Why would I recommend 100Mbps if you can stream in 4K with 25Mbps and game online with a mere 4Mbps? Using Wi-Fi slows your speeds, as does having multiple devices connected at once, like your phone, computer, smart TV and gaming console.

Network congestion during peak usage times can also slow speeds, especially on a cable internet connection, which is a real possibility in an apartment when you have potentially hundreds of people living around you using the same internet service provider. Although your plan comes with maximum advertised speeds of 100Mbps, what you're actually getting to a particular device may be significantly lower.

For larger apartments with families or sharing your internet connection with roommates, you may want to consider bumping up to a faster speed in the 200-500Mbps range. There may be faster speeds available -- most cable and fiber ISPs offer a gigabit speed tier -- but that's likely going to be overkill and overpriced, for your needs in an apartment. 

The average single-bedroom apartment is less than 800 square feet, according to Statista. There are only so many users and devices you can have in such a space, and speeds of 100 to 500Mbps will almost assuredly support them all. If you want an uncompromising connection for serious streaming, gaming or remote work and you don't mind paying a little more, a gigabit connection will ensure you've got plenty of speed for all your needs.

Setting up internet equipment in your apartment

When placed strategically, an average Wi-Fi router will cover a roughly 1,200-square-foot space, or about the size of a large three-bedroom apartment. For the best signal quality and speed reliability, place your router in a central location in your apartment, ideally elevated and free from obstructions like a TV or wall. Additionally, try to place your router away from the microwave, cordless phones or other devices that emit radio signals that could interfere with the router's signal.

If you need a little more coverage or notice speeds are spotty in certain parts of your apartment, you may want to add a Wi-Fi extender to your network or upgrade your Wi-Fi router altogether. ISPs will often allow you to use your own Wi-Fi router and potentially save on monthly equipment costs. 

Others, including AT&T, Frontier and Spectrum, include some or all of the Wi-Fi equipment for your apartment at no extra cost (Spectrum includes a free modem, though router rental is an extra $7), so there's no need to invest in a Wi-Fi router if the one from your provider suits your needs.

Keeping your apartment internet connection secure

Living in an apartment typically means sharing walls with neighbors immediately above, below, to the left and to the right of you. A good Wi-Fi signal will permeate those walls, potentially sending your internet service into someone else's space, so you want to make sure your connection is password-protected. 

You'll also want to keep occasional tabs on the devices that are connected to your network. Most ISPs and Wi-Fi routers have an app that allows you to easily access your equipment settings and view all connected devices. Some of those apps might also offer notifications whenever a new device joins your network.

If anything ever looks suspicious, change your password and reset the router. You'll have to log in from all of your devices again with the new password, but it'll kick devices off your network that may have been intentionally or unintentionally leeching off your internet connection.

Setting up a guest Wi-Fi network is also a good way to keep your network secure while still being able to offer a Wi-Fi connection for visiting friends and family to use. Again, your ISP or router will likely have an app that you can use to create a guest Wi-Fi network. Be sure to give your guest network a separate name and password from your main home network.