Zoom requirements for 1:1 video connection

[simon43]

How much bandwidth is really needed?  Zoom and various other websites say that for a reliable 1:1 video connection, I need an upload data rate of at least 0.6 Mbps.  (Turn off HD on Zoom settings).

 

I say <deleted>, because teaching 10 lessons every day using Zoom, I find that the video lags/sticks if the uplink speed is below about 5 Mbps....

 

I use Zoom or Zhumu or Skype for my online lessons, and naturally I want to ensure a reliable, trouble-free connection.  I'm testing out Speedify with my mobile phone data service and a wifi service at the hotel where I'm temporarily staying.  When I switch on Speedify, the overall download/upload speeds go down, not up!!

 

Can anyone suggest technical tweaks to minimise the bandwidth that Zoom needs, while still maintaining a reliable video connection?

[GrandPapillon]

Google Meet can do video live chat through a web browser, quite efficient and running fast if your students have gmail accounts,

 

Zoom is "heavy", and a pain to update every 2 weeks, full of small bugs

[simon43]

Yes, Zoom certainly uses more bandwidth than Zhumu and Skype - I did a test long ago to measure the required bandwidth.  However, many of my students are in China, and can't use Google Meet.  They have to use Zoom or Zhumu.

 

I found one good suggestion >> switch off camera video when sharing the screen. In a lesson, I share my screen most of the time, and it never occurred to me that this added significantly to the overall bandwidth requirements...