Speed test results can vary due to network congestion, time of day, server load, and background activities on your device or network. Small variations (5-10%) are normal. If you see dramatic differences, try testing at different times and ensuring no other devices or programs are using your internet.
Our speed test provides accurate measurements of your connection to our test servers. However, no speed test is perfect because they simulate ideal conditions. Real-world performance may vary based on the websites you visit and services you use. For best accuracy, run multiple tests at different times and compare results.
Test with ethernet (wired connection) to measure your true internet speed without WiFi interference. WiFi speed tests show what you're actually getting on wireless devices but will be slower than your plan's maximum speed. For troubleshooting ISP issues, always test wired first.
Test monthly to monitor consistency and ensure you're getting what you pay for. Also test when experiencing issues, after installing new equipment, or before considering plan upgrades. Test at different times of day to identify patterns.
A good result is getting 80-100% of your plan's advertised speed. For example, if you pay for 100 Mbps, consistently getting 80-100 Mbps is good. Results below 70% of advertised speeds warrant investigation or contacting your ISP.
Mbps (megabits per second) measures internet speed. MBps (megabytes per second) measures file transfer speed. There are 8 bits in a byte, so divide Mbps by 8 to get MBps. A 100 Mbps connection downloads at roughly 12.5 MBps.
Most residential internet plans are asymmetric—designed with faster downloads since that's what most people use more (streaming, browsing, downloading). Upload is used for video calls, uploading files, and sending emails. Fiber internet typically offers symmetric speeds (equal upload and download).
It depends on your household size and activities. A single person browsing and streaming needs 25-50 Mbps. A family of four with multiple streamers and gamers needs 100-300 Mbps. Work-from-home with video conferencing adds another 5-10 Mbps per person. Add up all simultaneous activities and add 25% buffer.
Ping (or latency) is the time it takes for data to travel to a server and back, measured in milliseconds. Lower is better. It matters most for real-time activities like online gaming, video calls, and VoIP. Under 50ms is good, under 20ms is excellent. High ping (over 100ms) causes lag in games and delays in video calls.
Netflix recommends 25 Mbps for 4K streaming. However, if multiple people stream 4K simultaneously, you'll need more. For a household with three 4K streams at once, you'd need at least 75-100 Mbps to account for overhead and other internet usage.
Common causes include: outdated equipment, WiFi interference, too many connected devices, network congestion, ISP throttling, malware, or simply exceeding your plan's capacity. Start troubleshooting by restarting your router, testing with ethernet, checking for background downloads, and running a speed test to see if you're getting your expected speeds.
A new router won't increase your plan's maximum speed, but it can help you actually achieve those speeds, especially on WiFi. If your router is over 5 years old or doesn't support your internet plan's speeds, upgrading can make a significant difference. Modern routers also handle multiple devices better.
Yes, VPNs typically reduce speeds by 10-50% due to encryption overhead and routing through VPN servers. Premium VPN services minimize this impact. The slowdown is usually worth it for the privacy and security benefits when needed, but disconnect when maximum speed is required.
WiFi signals must travel through air and obstacles (walls, furniture), which weakens them. WiFi is also subject to interference from other networks and devices. Ethernet provides a direct, dedicated connection. This is normal—WiFi will always be somewhat slower than wired connections, though good WiFi can still be very fast.
Yes. Each device uses some bandwidth, and many devices have background activities. Your total bandwidth is shared among all connected devices. If you have 100 Mbps and 20 devices connected, performance suffers. Disconnect unused devices and consider upgrading your plan if needed.
ISPs advertise "up to" speeds under ideal conditions. You rarely get maximum speeds due to network congestion, distance from infrastructure, equipment limitations, and WiFi overhead. Getting 80-90% of advertised speed is typical and acceptable. Below 70% consistently warrants contacting your ISP.
Some ISPs throttle (intentionally slow) certain activities or after you exceed data caps. Signs include: specific sites/services slow while others are fast, speeds decrease dramatically after heavy usage, or consistent slow speeds during peak hours. Run speed tests to different servers and compare results. Use a VPN to see if speeds improve (suggests throttling).
Upgrade if: you consistently max out your current bandwidth, experience buffering during peak household usage, have added more devices/users, work from home requires more upload speed, or you want to stream higher quality content. Don't upgrade if your current plan meets your needs—faster isn't always necessary.
A data cap limits how much data you can transfer per month (e.g., 1 TB). Exceeding it may result in extra charges or throttled speeds. Typical usage: HD streaming uses about 3 GB/hour, 4K uses 7 GB/hour. Most households stay under 1 TB unless they stream extensively or download large files frequently. Check your ISP's policy and monitor your usage through their portal.
Download is data coming TO you from the internet (streaming, browsing, downloading files). Upload is data going FROM you to the internet (video conferencing, uploading photos, sending emails). Most activities are download-heavy, which is why plans offer faster download than upload speeds.
2.4 GHz: Longer range, slower speeds (up to 600 Mbps), more interference from neighbors and devices (microwaves, Bluetooth). 5 GHz: Shorter range, faster speeds (up to 1300+ Mbps), less interference. Use 5 GHz for devices close to your router that need speed. Use 2.4 GHz for devices far from router or behind walls.
Jitter is the variation in ping/latency over time. Consistent ping is ideal. High jitter causes stuttering in video calls, lag spikes in games, and choppy streaming. Good jitter is under 30ms. If jitter is high, troubleshoot your connection or contact your ISP.
Bandwidth is the maximum amount of data that can be transmitted over your connection at once, like the width of a highway. More bandwidth means more data can flow simultaneously. It's measured in Mbps or Gbps. Your plan's speed rating is essentially your bandwidth capacity.
It depends on connection type. Satellite internet is significantly affected by heavy rain or snow (rain fade). Cable and fiber are unaffected by weather. DSL can be impacted by moisture in old phone lines. WiFi signal can be slightly affected by humidity but usually not noticeably.
Popular fast DNS servers include Cloudflare (1.1.1.1), Google (8.8.8.8), and Quad9 (9.9.9.9). Switching from your ISP's default DNS can speed up page loading. Try different options and see which works best for your location. The difference is usually subtle but can help.
Buffering with adequate speed suggests: network congestion at peak times, ISP throttling streaming services, too many devices using bandwidth simultaneously, WiFi interference, or problems with the streaming service itself. Try wired connection, test at different times, and check if other services work fine.
Gaming uses surprisingly little bandwidth—typically 3-10 Mbps. However, low ping/latency is crucial (under 50ms ideal, under 20ms excellent). The game downloads and updates need fast speeds, but actual gameplay prioritizes low latency over raw speed. Fiber and cable are best for gaming; satellite is problematic due to high latency.
Yes, with sufficient bandwidth. One 4K stream (25 Mbps) plus gaming (10 Mbps) needs at least 50 Mbps, but 100+ Mbps recommended for smooth experience. The bigger issue is often latency—streaming can cause lag spikes in games if bandwidth is maxed out. Consider using QoS on your router to prioritize gaming traffic.
SD video: ~1 GB/hour. HD (720p): ~2-3 GB/hour. Full HD (1080p): ~3-5 GB/hour. 4K: ~7-15 GB/hour depending on streaming service and compression. A household streaming 4K daily can easily use 500+ GB monthly, so watch data caps.
Next steps: Test with ethernet cable directly to modem (bypassing router), check for ISP outages, scan for malware, update router firmware, check if your plan speed matches what you're paying for, ensure no one is hogging bandwidth, test at different times of day. If problems persist after these steps, contact your ISP.
Device-specific issues: outdated network adapter, old WiFi standard (device doesn't support latest speeds), driver problems, malware, distance from router, or device hardware limitations. Update drivers, scan for malware, move closer to router, or consider upgrading the device's network adapter.
This suggests DNS issues, browser problems, or website issues rather than bandwidth problems. Try: clearing browser cache, switching DNS servers, using a different browser, disabling browser extensions, or checking if specific sites load slowly while others are fine (indicating issues with those particular websites).
Contact your ISP if: you consistently get less than 70% of advertised speeds (after testing with ethernet), speeds are dramatically slower at peak times, you experience frequent disconnections, troubleshooting doesn't help, or your equipment is up to date but speeds are still poor. Have multiple speed test results ready when calling.
Yes, if your network isn't secured. Unauthorized users slow your connection and pose security risks. Secure your WiFi with: WPA3 or WPA2 encryption (never WEP), strong unique password, disabled WPS, hidden SSID (optional), and regular checks of connected devices. Change password if you suspect unauthorized access.