How to Test the Real Speed of Your Internet Connection
A speed test only means something if you run it right: over Ethernet, with nothing else hogging the line, and more than once — here is how, and what to do with the numbers.
- Find a reputable online speed test (your own provider's, or well-known independent alternatives).
- Connect over Ethernet cable if you can, to measure the real speed without Wi-Fi as an extra variable.
- Close other apps that may be consuming bandwidth during the test (downloads, streaming on other devices).
- Run the test — it shows download speed, upload speed and latency (ping).
Advertised speed vs real speed: the speed you pay for is a theoretical maximum; the real one varies with the time of day, the number of connected devices and other factors. A small, occasional gap is normal; a large, constant gap is worth raising with your provider.
What if the real speed is consistently low?
Measure several times, at different times of day, and over cable (not Wi-Fi) to build solid data. With those concrete numbers in hand, contact your provider — it is a far more effective complaint than simply saying "it's slow".
Tip: test over Wi-Fi and over cable at the same moment — if the gap between them is large, the problem is in your Wi-Fi network (we cover how to improve it in this guide), not in the connection you pay for.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my measured speed lower than what I pay for?
Some gap is normal and expected (the advertised speed is a theoretical maximum). A large, constant gap — especially measured over cable — is worth raising with your provider, armed with those concrete numbers.
Should I test over Wi-Fi or over cable?
Both, to compare — if there is a big difference between them, the problem is in your Wi-Fi network, not in the connection itself, which would be the case if cable were slow too.