The Right Way To Run An Internet Speed Test (and How I Use The Results For Better Wi-fi)

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Test your net velocity often to support your web moving smoothly.
• Speed tests uncover issues pinch download, upload, latency, and jitter.
• Know what your velocity results mean, and what to do if they're not great.

Do you cognize what your net velocity is? Are you getting nan work your ISP (internet work provider) promised erstwhile you signed that contract? Or are you dealing pinch slow internet?

These mightiness look for illustration elemental questions, but they're important ones. Internet speeds impact astir everything you do online: really smoothly your video calls run, really responsive your video games feel, and whether you tin watercourse nan latest play of "Stranger Things" without buffering. Understanding really your relationship useful is important successful troubleshooting net problems.

Also: Slow net astatine home? 3 things I ever inspect first to get faster Wi-Fi speeds

In this guide, I'll locomotion you done really to accurately trial your location net utilizing Speedtest by Ookla, a highly trusted tool. I'll instruct you connected really to hole for an meticulous test, construe those results, and what steps you should return to amended your location network.

Key position to cognize

Charlie Osborne | ZDNET

Before you statesman testing, it's important to understand nan position you'll apt brushwood during your velocity test.

• Mbps (megabits per second): This measures nan velocity astatine which information is transmitted complete your connection. It is not to beryllium confused pinch MBps (megabytes per second) pinch a superior "B". This measures retention thrust sizes.
• Download speed: The complaint astatine which information is received from nan net to your device. A higher number intends faster downloads and smoother streaming.
• Upload speed: The complaint astatine which information is sent from your instrumentality to nan internet. It affects really quickly you tin upload files, backmost up photos, and really good you tin link to online matches while gaming.
• Bandwidth: The full capacity of your net connection. It determines really overmuch information tin move astatine erstwhile and is measured successful Mbps.
• Wi-Fi bands: At nan clip of this writing, Wi-Fi networks utilize 3 main wave bands: 2.4 GHz, which offers agelong scope but slow speeds; 6 GHz, providing nan fastest speeds but nan shortest range; and 5 GHz, sitting location successful nan middle.
• Ping: Whenever an action is performed, your PC sends a mini packet of data, known arsenic a "ping," to nan receiving server. The magnitude of clip it takes for nan server to person nan ping and admit it is called latency. Low latency intends a much responsive connection.
• Jitter: The variety successful latency complete time. High jitter tin origin capacity issues.
• Packet loss: Whenever information packets don't scope their destination. This besides results successful slow performance.

Preparing for an meticulous trial

Getting meticulous results takes a spot of setup. You want to create an situation free from interference.

I urge utilizing a wired Ethernet connection. Testing complete Wi-Fi tin beryllium affected by factors specified arsenic walls, distance, and different adjacent devices. Ethernet connections guarantee smoothness. If your laptop doesn't person an Ethernet port, see a laptop docking station, specified arsenic nan Satechi 8-in-1 Multiport Adapter aliases nan Belkin Universal Pro Dock.

Also: America's favourite router mightiness soon beryllium banned successful nan US - here's what we know

Next, adjacent each unnecessary apps and extremity immoderate downloads aliases uploads moving successful nan background. 

Streaming services, photograph backups, and crippled updates tin messiness pinch nan results. And if possible, disconnect different devices, specified arsenic smart TVs, during nan test. I would besides see restarting your router. Rebooting will clear retired nan router's impermanent representation and reside immoderate lingering capacity issues.

How to trial your net velocity

Once each nan mentation is complete, caput complete to Speedtest by Ookla. This is simply a celebrated online instrumentality that, arsenic its sanction suggests, tests your net speed. It useful by locating nan champion testing server by pinging section options and selecting nan 1 pinch nan lowest latency (not needfully nan closest one) to guarantee optimal accuracy.

(Full disclosure: Ookla is owned by Ziff Davis, nan aforesaid genitor institution arsenic ZDNET.)

Also: Ookla's caller Wi-Fi diagnostic instrumentality offers one-tap troubleshooting (and fits connected a phone)

Start by clicking nan large "Go" button. The trial whitethorn return a infinitesimal aliases two, possibly less, to measurement your download speed, upload speed, and latency. When it finishes, you'll spot a summary showing really your relationship performed arsenic good arsenic really overmuch it excels aliases does not excel crossed aggregate categories, including Browsing, Gaming, Streaming, and Video Calls. 

For deeper insight, click "Results" astatine nan apical correct area to reappraisal your astir caller test.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

There are different options retired there. Google has its ain velocity trial accessible done Search. Cloudflare besides offers its ain tool, which provides precocious data, and your ISP apt has its own, arsenic well. However, Ookla is still nan champion successful my eyes. It's highly reliable and much user-friendly, though it is littered pinch ads, arsenic seen successful nan image above.

Understanding your results

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

Now that you person nan results and nan numbers, it's clip to fig retired whether your speeds are bully aliases not. The reply to that mobility is: it depends connected what you need. A download velocity of 25 Mbps whitethorn beryllium capable for a mates surviving successful an flat that only uses nan net for casual browsing aliases streaming movies, but it's inadequate for a four-person family pinch aggregate devices.

Also: Bad Wi-Fi astatine home? Try my 10 go-to ways to hole it this weekend

If you want a bully net velocity standard, Ookla lists retired recommended specs for communal activities connected its website, but they're connected nan blimpish side. As personification who lives successful a multi-story location pinch aggregate group and a wide scope of devices, I person a much realistic anticipation of what astir folks should purpose for:

• Have download speeds of astir 50 Mbps. This ensures 4K streaming and soft performance. If you're a large gamer for illustration me, strive for 100mbps for stability.
• Have upload speeds of astir 20 Mbps for accelerated transfers of ample files. 30 Mbps offers a smoother acquisition for streaming, gaming, and work.
• Latency nether 50 sclerosis is solid; little than 20 sclerosis is perfect. Latency times that spell nether 20 sclerosis are fantabulous for gaming and unrecorded video.

As an example, you tin spot my velocity trial results successful nan image above. I get download speeds of astir 788 Mbps, upload speeds of 40 Mbps, and 17 sclerosis of latency. Those are fantabulous numbers for my household. It ensures that nan others astatine location tin watercourse 4K movies, download large files, and play online games pinch nary lag simultaneously.

Also: The fastest Wi-Fi 7 net providers successful nan US, ranked

Admittedly, my speeds are alternatively overkill. I don't often usage nan full bandwidth, but I americium much than happy pinch my service. Stick chiefly to my suggestions and you'll bask awesome net speeds each day, each day. I besides want to mention that nan advertised speeds from an ISP are theoretical maximums, not guarantees.

Small dips, for illustration 100 Mbps to 85 Mbps, are normal, but if your speeds driblet to half what you're paying for, it's clip to troubleshoot.

How to amended your net velocity

If your results autumn short aliases you want to forestall early problems, location are galore ways to boost your connection. 

My No. 1 urge is to upgrade your hardware. A bully extender will boost your awesome spot to nan acold corners of your house. I published a little guideline a mates of months agone detailing nan five champion Wi-Fi accessories. I person nan TP-Link Deco BE3600 Whole Mesh Wi-Fi 7 system, which I bought astatine nan proposal of my ISP technician, and I've loved it ever since.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

A communal proposal you'll spot online is to relocate your router to a much centralized location successful your house, distant from obstacles that could interfere pinch nan signal. I'm judge that useful for some, but it didn't for me. The erstwhile owners had nan net relationship successful nan surviving room, and I activity upstairs. I can't move nan source, nor do I want a elephantine Ethernet cablegram snaking its measurement downstairs. 

The Deco BE3600 easy solved my problems arsenic nan nodes transportation nan Wi-Fi awesome well.

As for different elemental solutions, here's a database of things you tin do:

• Replace nan router each fewer years. Netgear recommends doing this each 4 to 5 years.
• Install nan latest firmware updates. These patches up glitches that could've caused capacity problems.
• Check for malware. A microorganism could beryllium interrupting your service.

Also: My Wi-Fi crashed, but an underuntilized TV characteristic made it wholly bearable

• Remove chartless devices that whitethorn beryllium leeching your Wi-Fi. Update your password to thing stronger for amended security.
• Switch Wi-Fi channels, if possible. If nan 2.4 GHz transmission is overcrowded, move complete to nan 5 GHz transmission for smoother performance.
• And if each other fails, contact your ISP. The rumor whitethorn dishonesty extracurricular your control.