How to Test Your Internet Speed

September 11, 2026

Run a free speed test in a browser, read download, upload, and ping, then compare wired and Wi-Fi results to see where a slow connection loses speed.

The connection feels slow and you want a number. A speed test takes under a minute and shows what the connection is delivering right now.

Close downloads and streams

Stop anything using the connection: video streams, cloud backups, game updates, and other people's devices where possible. Anything running in the background lowers the result.

Run a speed test

Search for "speed test" in Google and click Run Speed Test in the box at the top of the results. Or open fast.com, which starts on its own, or speedtest.net and click Go. Wait about 30 seconds for it to finish.

Read the three numbers

Download (Mbps): how fast data comes in. This is the number the plan is sold on.
Upload (Mbps): how fast data goes out. Matters for video calls and backups.
Ping or latency (ms): the delay before data starts moving. Under 30 ms is good; over 100 ms feels laggy.

On fast.com, click Show more info to see upload and latency.

Test wired, then near, then far

Run the test from three places to locate the bottleneck:

On a computer connected to the router with an Ethernet cable. This is what the connection actually delivers.
On Wi-Fi in the same room as the router.
On Wi-Fi in the room where the problem is.

If the wired result is low, the problem is the connection or the router. If wired and near-router Wi-Fi are fine but the far room is slow, the problem is Wi-Fi coverage.

Compare to the plan

Look up the plan speed on the bill or the provider's account page. A wired result within about 10 to 20 percent of the advertised download speed is normal. A result well under half, tested wired at a quiet time, is worth a call to the provider.

If results vary a lot. Run the test at different times of day. Evenings are busiest and speeds often drop. Three tests spread over a day give a fairer picture than one.

If the numbers do not match a download's speed. Speed tests report megabits per second (Mbps). Browsers and download managers usually show megabytes per second (MB/s). Divide Mbps by 8 to get MB/s: a 100 Mbps connection downloads at about 12.5 MB/s.