Download and upload
Megabits versus megabytes, why upload is usually lower, and what your plan's advertised speed really promises.
Wi-Fi speed, measured properly
Is it your Wi-Fi, or your internet?
One fair test on cable and one on Wi-Fi answers most slow-connection questions. We explain how to run both, read the numbers, and fix the part that is actually slow.
What we cover
Every number on the results screen, explained
Latency and jitter
Why a 500 Mbps line can still feel slow on a video call, and which numbers matter for gaming and calls.
Router placement and bands
2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz, walls and distance: the physical reasons Wi-Fi loses speed.
Fixes that move the numbers
Mesh nodes, wired access points, channel changes and bufferbloat settings, ranked by how often they actually help.
How to test
Three tests that isolate the problem
01
Test on a cable
Plug a laptop into the router. That result is the ceiling your internet plan actually delivers.
02
Test next to the router
Repeat on Wi-Fi in the same room. The gap between the two is what your Wi-Fi costs you at best.
03
Test where it feels slow
Repeat in the problem room. A big drop here points at coverage, not at your provider.
Questions people ask
Why is my speed test lower than my plan?
Plans advertise the speed delivered to the router over a wired connection. Wi-Fi, device limits, busy hours and the test server all subtract from it.
What is a good ping for gaming or video calls?
Under about 50 ms to a nearby server is comfortable for most calls and games; steady latency with low jitter matters more than raw download speed.
Insights
From the blog
Feature
Does Wi-Fi 8 Improve Range? What Better Coverage Means
Wi-Fi 8 targets steadier connections at weak signal levels. Learn what range claims mean and how to test whether a router upgrade will help.
FeatureHow to Run a Wi-Fi Speed Test That Tells You Something
A single Wi-Fi speed test mixes your plan, router, coverage and device into one number. Here is the three-test method that separates them, and how to read download, upload, ping and jitter.
Start with a fair test
Most bad results come from how the test was run. Fix the method first, then fix the network.
Testing guide