Best Internet Providers in Aurora, Illinois

According to CNET, AT&T Fiber stands out as the top internet provider in Aurora, Illinois -- at least, for quarter of the city's addresses that have fiber access. With straightforward pricing, fast speeds, simple service terms and high customer satisfaction, it’s an excellent choice for home internet. Plans range from 300Mbps to 5,000Mbps, making it the fastest option in the area -- especially for upload speeds -- and it comes with free equipment and unlimited data.

If AT&T Fiber isn’t available, or if you’re seeking the cheapest internet option, Xfinity is a solid alternative. Xfinity serves nearly every household in Aurora with its five plans. They start at $40 a month for 400Mbps and max out around $100, which gets you 2,100Mbps speed. Data caps, contracts and scheduled price increases might affect its value, but Xfinity still offers fast internet at relatively low prices.

Additionally, fixed wireless options like Verizon 5G Home Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet may be available, both starting at $50 a month. T-Mobile tends to have better local coverage, but Verizon might offer faster speeds at a lower cost. Both providers feature unlimited data, free equipment rental, no contracts and discounts for eligible mobile customers.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

The best internet deals and top promotions in Aurora depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.

Aurora internet providers, such as Xfinity and T-Mobile Home Internet, may offer lower introductory pricing or free equipment rental for a limited time. Others, including AT&T Fiber and Verizon 5G Home Internet, run the same standard pricing year-round.

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you're looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

• 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics: browsing the internet, sending and receiving email and streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming.
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. What’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

It doesn’t end there: We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
3. Are customers happy with their service?

The answers to those questions are often layered and complex, but the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When it comes to selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and also take into account real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.