| Profile | Devices | Cameras | Backups (GB/day) | Wi-Fi | Recommended (down/up Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balcony automation | 6 | 0 | 1 | Good | 10 / 5 |
| Backyard monitoring | 12 | 2 HD | 5 | Average | 50 / 20 |
| Greenhouse + security | 30 | 2 HD, 1 4K | 25 | Poor | 150 / 75 |
This calculator estimates average loads, then adds peak and overhead headroom for stable garden operation.
- Average Down = IoT + Cameras + Streaming + Calls + Backup reads + Remote
- Average Up = IoT + Cameras + Calls + Backups + Photo uploads + Remote
- Peak = Average x reliability factor, with burst headroom
- Final Target = Peak x (1 + overhead%) x Wi-Fi factor
Wi-Fi factors: Good 0.95, Average 1.00, Poor 1.20.
Burst headroom: Backups 1.9x, Photos 1.6x.
- Count your controllers, hubs, and sensors as smart devices.
- Add garden cameras and select the streaming quality you use.
- Estimate daily backups for clips, timelapses, and device logs.
- Choose Wi-Fi quality based on your farthest garden spot.
- Pick a reliability mode to match your tolerance for dropouts.
- Press Calculate and use the recommended tier to choose a plan.
Why garden systems depend on upload
Smart gardens push data outward: camera clips, moisture logs, controller alerts, and photo diagnostics. Upload capacity becomes the limiting factor when cloud storage, remote viewing, or firmware updates run together. A single 4K camera can demand a steady upstream stream, while multiple sensors add small but constant traffic that cannot tolerate packet loss. For remote diagnostics, latency matters as much as throughput, so the estimate includes overhead for encryption and retransmits. Simple upgrades, like raising the router and adding a weatherproof access point, reduce dropouts outdoors during watering cycles.
Device count and area influence background load
Controllers, hubs, weather stations, and soil probes usually exchange kilobytes, not megabytes. Yet dozens of devices spread across larger areas often require repeaters, longer wireless paths, and more retries. This calculator uses garden area and total devices to estimate baseline Mbps, then adds headroom so automation stays responsive during busy periods.
Cameras create predictable peaks
Video is the largest contributor. Typical 1080p monitoring streams are several Mbps, while 4K streams can be many times higher. Because viewing is not always continuous, the model applies a duty cycle and a reliability factor to protect against peak moments, such as checking multiple views during storms, pests, or security events.
Backups and photo uploads are bursty
Daily cloud backups convert from gigabytes per day into an average Mbps, but real transfers happen in bursts. The calculator adds a burst multiplier for backups and images to reflect how phones and cameras upload quickly when signal improves. If your results lean high, schedule backups overnight and reduce clip retention.
Coverage quality changes the plan tier
A fast plan cannot fix weak coverage. Poor Wi-Fi increases retransmissions and raises the effective speed you need to hit the same experience. Use the Wi-Fi quality selector to model this. When the recommendation increases sharply, add a mesh node near the garden, separate IoT devices on 2.4 GHz, and keep cameras on stronger backhaul.
1) Why is upload sometimes higher than download?
Cameras, backups, and photo diagnostics send data to the cloud. Remote viewing also relies on upstream bitrate. When those tasks overlap, upload can define the required plan tier.
2) What should I enter for cloud backups?
Add the total daily size of clips, timelapses, and device logs that sync to cloud storage. If you are unsure, start with 3–5 GB/day for light monitoring and adjust after a week.
3) How do I judge Wi-Fi quality in the garden?
Stand at the farthest bed or shed and check signal and stability. Frequent buffering, delayed sensor updates, or disconnects indicate poor quality. Improving coverage often reduces the speed tier you need.
4) Do more sensors always require faster internet?
Most sensors use minimal bandwidth, but many devices can increase retries and congestion, especially on crowded 2.4 GHz networks. The calculator adds baseline load and headroom to keep automation responsive.
5) What reliability mode should I pick?
Efficient suits occasional checks and fewer cameras. Balanced fits typical smart irrigation and monitoring. High reliability is best for security cameras, frequent remote viewing, and situations where missed alerts are costly.
6) Why does overhead matter?
Real networks lose capacity to encryption, Wi-Fi protocol frames, interference, and retransmissions. Overhead allowance adds practical buffer so your garden tasks remain smooth when the connection is busy.