A speed test measures the path between your device and a test server at one moment. Wi-Fi, an old phone, a busy server or a streaming TV in the next room can all change the number. These steps remove the usual causes so the reading is worth trusting.
How to test the right way
- Plug in by cable
Connect a laptop to your router with an Ethernet cable. Wi-Fi adds its own limits, and a phone far from the router can read much lower than the connection itself.
- Test one device only
Turn off Wi-Fi on the phones, tablets and TVs near you, or pause what they are doing. A video stream or a cloud backup uses the same connection and lowers the result.
- Close the apps on your test device
Quit downloads, updates, streaming and cloud sync on the computer you are testing from.
- Restart the router if it has been on for weeks
Unplug it, wait 30 seconds, plug it back in and wait for the lights to settle. Follow the order in restart your equipment.
- Run the test three times
Use the test box on this page, or another test you trust. Write down the download, upload and ping each time. Three readings show you whether one run was an outlier.
- Test at a quiet time and a busy time
Run it once in the morning and once in the evening, when more people are online. A shared network can read differently at different hours, and that is useful to know.
- Compare with your plan
Your plan states a speed up to a ceiling. Compare your highest and typical readings to it, and note both.
- If it reads low, call
Tell us the three readings, the time of day, and that you tested by cable. That gives the office something to check. Do not climb up to look at the antenna; call and a technician comes.
What do the results mean?
Download is how fast data arrives, upload is how fast your data leaves, and ping is the round-trip time in milliseconds. Download matters for streaming and web pages. Upload matters for video calls, cameras and backups. Ping matters for gaming and calls. Our guide on download versus upload speed and the glossary entry on latency explain more.
How do I read the result against my plan?
The three plans are up to 500 Mbps for Bronze, up to 800 Mbps for Silver and up to 1 Gig for Gold, each with uploads up to 200 Mbps. Up to means that is the ceiling under good conditions, not a speed to expect every minute. Read what up to means.
Most households need far less than the ceiling. The FCC's Broadband Speed Guide lists a minimum of 25 Mbps for streaming Ultra HD 4K video. Its minimum for working from home is a range, 5 up to 25 Mbps. The guide counts one activity at a time. A result well above those minimums is a healthy connection for the job, even if it is below the plan's top figure.
Why can the number be lower than expected?
The usual reasons are Wi-Fi, an old router, a busy test server, other devices using the connection and a test run at the wrong time. See when the internet is fine but Wi-Fi is slow and the slow internet checklist. If the cable readings stay low across several tests, the office wants to hear about it at 775-575-9593.
Does a speed test use data?
Yes. A test moves a lot of data in a few seconds. Each service level has a data transfer limit under the service agreement, so do not run tests all day. Three readings at two times of day are plenty.
Sources
- fcc.gov/consumers/guides/broadband-speed-guide (FCC Broadband Speed Guide, minimum download per activity)