Finest Web Suppliers in Illinois

What’s the greatest web supplier in Illinois?

AT&T Fiber is CNET’s alternative for the most effective web service supplier in Illinois. It has the most effective fiber web protection in Illinois, among the best choices of high-speed plans that embrace limitless knowledge and free gear and the highest buyer satisfaction of any main supplier within the state.

However AT&T Fiber is not the state’s least expensive or quickest ISP. Mediacom is tops this listing with its $15 per thirty days Xtream Join plan — providing obtain speeds as much as 100Mbps. Astound used to have the least expensive web plan in Illinois — with service beginning at $20 per thirty days. Xfinity even gives multi-gigabit plans, as much as 10,000Mbps, though service areas are restricted. Xfinity additionally has the most effective availability of any non-satellite supplier in Illinois. 

Xfinity and AT&T are high decisions for web in Illinois. Nonetheless, the greatest web service supplier to your house will finally rely upon the obtainable web suppliers in your space and what you’re in search of, whether or not that’s the most affordable service, the quickest speeds or the most effective general worth.

Finest web in Illinois in 2024

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge.

Different obtainable web suppliers in Illinois

• Brightspeed: After buying DSL networks from Lumen Applied sciences (CenturyLink), Brightspeed gives web within the western Illinois areas of Galesburg, Dixon and Manito. DSL service begins at $50 per thirty days for the quickest speeds obtainable, as much as 100Mbps.
• Frontier: DSL web is obtainable all through a lot of Illinois, however the low speeds are most likely value passing on if different cable, fiber or 5G choices can be found in your space. Then again, Frontier Fiber has the speeds, service phrases and worth to rival AT&T Fiber, however the service is simply obtainable in choose areas.
• Mediacom: Cable web service from Mediacom gives obtain speeds from 100 to 1,000Mbps, beginning at $15 to $60 per thirty days, relying in your velocity and choices. Most plans include a knowledge cap starting from 400GB-2TB.
• Rise Broadband: Fastened wi-fi web is a good possibility for broadband in rural areas, however with max speeds of 25 to 50Mbps beginning at $45 per thirty days in most areas, Rise Broadband doesn’t have the identical worth as T-Cell Dwelling Web. 
• Sparklight: Beforehand referred to as Cable One, Sparklight gives cable web service in choose elements of Illinois, together with Taylorville, Hillsboro, Benton and Fairfield. Service is comparatively low cost, from $25 to $60 per thirty days for speeds starting from 100 to 940Mbps.
• Spectrum: The nation’s second-largest cable web supplier doesn’t have close to the protection of Xfinity in Illinois, however these within the Mt. Vernon and larger St. Louis areas could also be eligible for service. Plans begin at $30 to $70 month-to-month for max obtain speeds of 100 to 1,000Mbps and embrace limitless knowledge and a free modem.
• Verizon 5G Dwelling Web: Verizon’s wi-fi house web service boasts sooner max speeds than T-Cell Dwelling Web, however availability is generally restricted to Chicago and the larger St. Louis space. Two plans — Dwelling, beginning at $50 per thirty days for speeds of fifty to 300Mbps and Dwelling Plus, $70 for 85 to 1,000Mbps — can be found and include gear rental, limitless knowledge and no contact necessities. Qualifying Verizon cellular prospects can get Dwelling and Dwelling Plus for $35 and $45 per thirty days, respectively.
• Satellite tv for pc web: Wired and glued wi-fi connections cowl greater than 99% of Illinois households, in response to the FCC, so that you shouldn’t must depend on satellite tv for pc web. If, nonetheless, no different sensible choices can be found, Hughesnet and Viasat are high decisions for satellite tv for pc web, although Starlink might ship sooner speeds. 

Illinois web choices by metropolis

It’s exhausting to cowl the web choices of a complete state like Illinois whereas giving particular person cities the in-depth consideration they deserve. That’s why we’ve additionally put collectively lists of the most effective web suppliers in cities throughout the US, together with these in Illinois. Should you don’t discover your hometown beneath, examine again later. We’re working so as to add extra day by day.

Low cost web choices in Illinois

Cable web suppliers Xfinity, Astound, Sparklight and Mediacom have the most affordable web plans in Illinois. Astound has the most affordable plan at $20 per thirty days for speeds as much as 300Mbps, Xfinity and Sparklight least expensive plans are first rate offers too, providing speeds as much as 150Mbps and 300Mbps for $30 and $35 per thirty days, respectively.

What is the least expensive web in Illinois?

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge.

How one can discover web offers and promotions in Illinois

One of the best web offers and high promotions in Illinois rely upon what reductions can be found throughout that point. Most offers are short-lived, however we glance continuously for the most recent gives. 

Illinois web suppliers, comparable to Astound Broadband, might provide decrease introductory pricing or particular gives for a restricted time. Others, together with AT&T Fiber, Xfinity and Spectrum, run the identical normal pricing year-round. 

For a extra intensive listing of promos, take a look at our information on the greatest web offers. 

How briskly is Illinois broadband?

Ookla velocity check knowledge from This autumn 2023 exhibits Illinois had a median obtain velocity of 187Mbps, good for thirty ninth place amongst all 50 states and Washington, DC. The speeds are decrease than the nationwide common of 267Mbps and neighboring states of Indiana (201Mbps), Kentucky (210Mbps), Missouri (208Mbps) and Wisconsin (201Mbps) however sooner than Iowa (162Mbps). (Ookla is owned by the identical father or mother firm as CNET, Ziff Davis)

Fiber web is usually the most effective supply for quick speeds and has the benefit of symmetrical (or shut) add and obtain speeds. Cable web also can pack loads of obtain velocity (Astound Broadband gives as much as 1,500Mbps, for instance) however add speeds are sometimes a lot slower.

Quickest web plans in Illinois

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge.

What’s a very good web velocity?

Most web connection plans can now deal with fundamental productiveness and communication duties. Should you’re in search of an web plan that may accommodate video conferencing, streaming video or gaming, you will have a greater expertise with a extra sturdy connection. Here is an outline of the really helpful minimal obtain speeds for numerous functions, in response to the FCC. Word that these are solely pointers; web velocity, service and efficiency differ by connection sort, supplier and handle.

For extra data, seek advice from our information on how a lot web velocity you actually need.

• 0 to 5Mbps permits you to sort out the fundamentals: looking the web, sending and receiving e mail and streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40Mbps provides you higher-quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps ought to give one person enough bandwidth to fulfill the calls for of contemporary telecommuting, video streaming and on-line gaming. 
• 100 to 500Mbps permits one to 2 customers to concurrently interact in high-bandwidth actions like video conferencing, streaming and on-line gaming. 
• 500 to 1,000Mbps permits three or extra customers to interact in high-bandwidth actions on the similar time.

How CNET selected the most effective web suppliers in Illinois

Web service suppliers are quite a few and regional. In contrast to the most recent smartphone, laptop computer, router or kitchen instrument, it’s impractical to personally check each ISP in a given metropolis. What’s our method? We begin by researching the pricing, availability and velocity data drawing on our personal historic ISP knowledge, the supplier websites and mapping data from the Federal Communications Fee at FCC.gov.

It doesn’t finish there: We go to the FCC’s web site to examine our knowledge and guarantee we take into account each ISP that gives service in an space. We additionally enter native addresses on supplier web sites to seek out particular choices for residents. We take a look at sources, together with the American Buyer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Energy, to judge how glad prospects are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and costs are topic to frequent adjustments; all data offered is correct as of publication.

As soon as we’ve this localized data, we ask three important questions:

1. Does the supplier provide entry to moderately quick web speeds?
2. Do prospects get first rate worth for what they’re paying?
3. Are prospects proud of their service?

Whereas the solutions to these questions are sometimes layered and sophisticated, the suppliers that come closest to “sure” on all three are those we suggest. When choosing the most affordable web service, we search for the plans with the bottom month-to-month payment, though we additionally consider issues like worth will increase, gear charges and contracts. Selecting the quickest web service is comparatively easy. We take a look at marketed add and obtain speeds and take into account real-world velocity knowledge from sources like Ookla and FCC reviews.

To discover our course of in additional depth, go to our how we check ISPs web page.

What’s the ultimate phrase on web suppliers in Illinois?

Xfinity has the most effective protection of any non-satellite supplier, the most affordable web plan and the quickest web velocity tier in Illinois. The most cost effective plan solely gives speeds as much as 100Mbps, and availability for Xfinity’s quickest plan (as much as 10,000Mbps) requires entry to the supplier’s fiber community, which is restricted in Illinois.

Whereas there’s a very good probability your Illinois handle is serviceable for Xfinity, it’s value contemplating different suppliers which may be obtainable as properly to make sure you’re getting the most effective speeds and worth. 

If fiber web is obtainable from suppliers comparable to Frontier Fiber or AT&T Fiber (CNET’s choose for greatest ISP in Illinois general), it’s prone to be a greater worth, even whether it is barely costlier within the first yr or two. In any other case, look to cable suppliers comparable to Astound, Mediacom, Sparklight and Spectrum, or fastened wi-fi service from T-Cell Dwelling Web and Verizon 5G Dwelling Web for quick, dependable house web in Illinois.

Web suppliers in Illinois FAQs