To share large files, stream videos, or hold video conferences, you need reliable WiFi. Your internet service provider (ISP), may claim that your WiFi connection is fast. However, this doesn’t guarantee that you will get the advertised speeds. Here’s how you can test how fast your WiFi connections are. You will find out what download and upload speeds are, what the ping is and what the jitter is.
How to Perform a WiFi Speed Test
Open any browser on your phone, tablet, or computer to test your WiFi speed. Next, visit hellotech.com/speed. Click Go. You can run the WiFi speed test multiple times per day to get the best results.
- Use any browser to access the Internet on your phone, tablet, or computer . For the best results, make sure to disconnect all other devices from your WiFi network. It is a good idea to keep only one tab open on your browser and to close all other apps.
- Next click Go. The speed test will display the download speed and upload speed of your internet connection. (Learn more about what these terms mean).
- Next, run the WiFi speed testing again. At different times throughout the day, test different areas of your house or office. Your network congestion, interference from other networks and other factors could affect your download and upload speeds, as well as ping and jitter.
Here’s how you can interpret the WiFi speed test results once you have completed it.
What do the WiFi Speed Test Results Signify?
A WiFi speed test will display your current upload and download speeds as well as your ping/jitter. Your download speed is the most important number. This will show you how fast you can browse the internet and download files.
What’s the Download Speed?
The speed at which your device downloads data from the internet is measured in megabits per sec (Mbps). Your download speed will determine how fast you can load pages, download files, stream video, and so forth.
Download speed directly impacts how quickly you can download files from the internet. If you have a download speed greater than 10 Mbps, it will take around 15 minutes to download 1 GB of data. If you have 100 Mbps download speed, it takes only 1.5 minutes to download the same file.
What’s a Good Download Speed?
For most homes, a minimum download speed of 12 Mbps is a good option. This will allow one person to surf the internet comfortably. FCC rates download speeds at 25 Mbps or higher according to the FCC . You might require download speeds greater than 50 Mbps if you have several connected devices.
Google recommends that you have a minimum sustained download speed of 0.5 Mbps to watch YouTube videos online. This will allow you to view videos in 360p (the lowest resolution possible). To watch videos in SD (standard-definition), Google recommends you have a download speed of 1.1 Mbps.
Netflix recommends a download speed of at least 5 Mbps to stream HD (high definition) videos. Netflix recommends a minimum download speed of 25 Mbps to stream 4K videos. You might experience buffering, or worse video quality, if your WiFi speed is below this limit.
Skype recommends a minimum download speed of 0.5 Mbps for video chat. For group video chats, however, you will need to have faster WiFi speeds. Skype recommends that you have a download speed between 2 Mbps and 3 Mbps for video chats with 3 people, and 8 Mbps for video chats with 7 people or more.
Amazon recommends a download speed between 1.5 and 2 Mbps for streaming music. Amazon recommends a download speed of 5-10 Mbps to stream Ultra HD music.
Microsoft, Nintendo recommend that you download at least 3 Mbps to play online video games. However, some more intensive online games might require faster download speeds. Activision recommends that you have a broadband internet connection in order to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare from a computer. Broadband internet download speeds are 25 Mbps according to the FCC.
You should keep in mind that the faster your WiFi download speeds, the more devices connected to the same WiFi network. Google recommends a download speed between 50 and 100 Mbps if you are looking to stream 4K content, play online games, and chat on five devices simultaneously. You might need to have a download speed of 200Mbps or more if you have more than five devices connected to the WiFi network.
Based on data from Ookla, the average download speed for fixed internet is currently 161 Mbps.
What’s Upload Speed?
Upload speed is the speed at which your device can transmit data over the internet. It is measured in megabits per sec (Mbps). A fast upload speed is required for video streaming, large file transfers over email and video-chatting.
If you have asymmetrical internet, your upload speed will be lower than your download speed.
What’s a Good Upload Speed?
For most households, 3Mbps is a good upload speed. This is considered a good upload speed by the FCC, and it’s sufficient for most online activities, even if there are multiple devices connected. You will need to upload at a faster speed if you plan on live streaming.
Google recommends a upload speed of at least 5 Mbps to live stream HD video on YouTube. You should upload at least 35 to 45 Mb/s in order to live stream 4K video. You will need upload speeds of 53-68 Mbps to stream 4K video at 60 frames per minute.
You need at least 1.2 Mb upload speed to video chat in HD via Skype. You only need an upload speed to video chat high-quality video. Zoom recommends a upload speed of 1Mbps for group video chats and 3Mbps for HD group videos chats.
Based on data from Ookla, the average upload speed for fixed internet is now around 60 Mbps.
What’s Ping?
Latency, also known as ping, refers to the time it takes for your device to get a response from a server after you send a request. It is measured in milliseconds. It is particularly important when playing online that your ping is low.
Your ping is affected mainly by the quality of your ISP’s cabling infrastructure. If your connection is experiencing high latency or frequent dropouts, it’s worth upgrading your router, modem, and cables. If this doesn’t resolve your problem, you may want to change your ISP or get a new internet plan.
Ping can also be affected by your WiFi speed. A slower connection speed will result in a higher latency. However, fast WiFi speeds won’t guarantee a low ping. If you have multiple devices connected to the WiFi network, your latency may increase.
What makes a good ping?
For most households, a good ping is between 60 and 100 ms. You might experience momentary delays from now to then. If your ping is higher than 150 ms you might experience noticeable lag that can affect gaming.
What’s Jitter?
Jitter is the fluctuation of ping over time. It is measured in milliseconds. It measures the time it takes for your device to transmit and receive data. This means that the lower your jitter, the higher your latency.
What’s a Good Jitter Speed?
For most households, jitter is less than 20 ms. Your audio and video quality may be affected if your jitter exceeds 30 ms. You might also experience buffering and streaming audio or videos if you have jitter that is high.
