What type of data plan do we need for our gaming systems?

So my friends and I are planning on renting a house together. We all play our game systems regularly everyday, if not doing that then we're watching a movie on Netflix or something. I plan on shopping around for Internet prices this week and I need to know what type of data plan we would need for a good steady connect! Lagging online gameplay is the worse! Please help..What type of data plan do we need for our gaming systems?
First, an analogy:



internet service is like the water in a house. You have great water pressure while taking a shower until someone begins doing laundry, then they start the dishwasher, then turn on a hose for the yard sprinkler, then flush a toilet, etc. The more people accessing that water supply the less pressure each access point is going to have. Think of the water pressure as bandwidth--a very loose, not entirely accurate analogy, but it works.



So, if you're going to be using a lot of bandwidth, you're going to need probably the best plan available from your cable company or AT%26amp;T U-verse or whoever. If everyone won't be doing everything at the same time frequently, you might be able to get by with the just-under-the-top-of-the-line plan. If you're taking a shower and no one else is doing anything, the pressure is going to be perfect.

Also, cable ISPs' service is like that for entire neighborhoods. You share their bandwidth with serveral houses in your area. Normally, no one ever notices this, but it is how their systems are setup. AT%26amp;T offers a dedicated, albeit slower, connection plan to each customer.



Lastly, if you are going to setup a wifi network, this is also going to apply to that too. The more things connected without ethernet cables, the more bogged down the wifi portion of the router's network is going to be.





Note: please don't think I work for AT%26amp;T or something. I have cable internet service. The comparable TV %26amp; Internet package from AT%26amp;T that offers what I currently have through my cable company is a whopping $4 less a month. Meh, not worth the hassle of them putting in new phone line in my house into my computer room. Not one that likes having my walls gutted and redone. Now, if they'd be nice and offer their mobile phone customers a substantial discount on their U-verse service, I might switch, but oh well.



I have the 10Mbps plan from my cable company. I can watch Netflix on my TV [via my LG surround system] while playing EVE with both of my accounts [one on each computer] and using TS.



And, yes, lagging out during gameplay is right up there with having a red hot poker stuck in your eye. I completely agree.