What do my speed test results mean?
A speed test helps you understand the performance of your internet connection and identify potential issues that might be affecting your online experience.
Keep these points in mind:
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WiFi is Different: Testing on WiFi adds latency, so you get the most accurate speed tests with a wired connection. If you’re testing via a WiFi-connected device, it’s best to test with the app associated with the device. Learn how to optimize your WiFi connection
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Device Capabilities: Make sure your device can receive the speeds you have subscribed to. Things like the network card, mobile device model, WiFi standards and hardware can limit the maximum data that is transferred. View list of speeds allowed by devices
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High Usage at Home: Heavy use of your internet can temporarily slow down your connection – like several users, lots of devices, heavy gaming, streaming TV, video calls and large files. If you find your speed isn’t enough for 4K streaming or gaming, consider upgrading to our faster internet plans.
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Snapshot in Time: Speed test results are a snapshot of your connection at a specific time. Several factors can influence your internet speed and can change day-to-day, minute-by-minute. We recommended conducting multiple tests at different times.
Ping (Latency)
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Good Result: A ping of 20ms or lower is excellent for real-time applications, while 20-50ms is average. Anything above 50ms may cause noticeable delays.
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Why it Matters: Ping is like the beat in a song. When the beat is steady and quick, the music flows smoothly, and everyone can dance in sync. But if the beat is slow or uneven, it messes up the rhythm, and it's hard to keep up with the music. In the same way, ping is the time it takes for a signal to travel from your device to a server and back. When the ping is low (like a steady beat), everything happens in real-time, making online gaming, video calls, and VoIP calls smooth and lag-free. But if the ping is high (like an uneven beat), it causes delays, making the experience choppy and frustrating.
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How to Improve Results: Connect directly to your modem and reduce or remove programs or other devices using the internet.
Jitter
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Good Result: Jitter should be as low as possible and consistent, ideally less than 30ms for stable connections.
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Why it Matters: "Network jitter" is like the inconsistency in the rhythm of a beat when listening to music online - it means the data packets traveling across the internet sometimes take slightly different amounts of time to reach their destination, causing hiccups, lag or disruptions in things like video calls, online games, or live streaming, where smooth, continuous delivery is important; essentially, it's a small, irregular delay in the flow of information, making the experience less smooth and potentially frustrating for the user.
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How to Improve Results: Upgrade your speed to meet your household’s needs, connecting directly to your modem, getting closer to your WiFi router, reboot your modem or reducing/removing congestion from programs or other devices using the internet.
Download Speed
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Good Result: The ideal download speed varies depending on your activities. More demanding tasks, such as streaming in high definition or 4K, require faster speeds to ensure smooth playback and quick load times.
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Why it Matters: Download speed measures how quickly data is transferred from the internet to your device, typically in megabits per second (Mbps). Higher download speeds are crucial for activities like streaming videos, browsing the web, and downloading files, as they reduce buffering and provide quicker file access.
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How to improve results: Try restarting your modem or checking if other devices on your network are consuming bandwidth. You can also upgrade your speed to meet your household’s needs, connect directly to your modem, or get closer to your WiFi router.
Upload Speed
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Good Result: For most users, sufficient upload speed ensures smooth performance during activities like video calls. Higher speeds may be required for tasks such as uploading large files or live-streaming to maintain consistent quality and prevent interruptions.
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Why it Matters: Upload speed measures how quickly your device can send data to the internet, also measured in megabits per second (Mbps). Upload speed is crucial for activities like video conferencing, uploading large files, or using cloud services. Faster upload speeds ensure smooth video calls and quicker data uploads.
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How to Improve Results: Try restarting your modem or checking if other devices on your network are consuming bandwidth. You can also upgrade your speed to meet your household’s needs, connect directly to your modem, or get closer to your WiFi router. View More Troubleshooting
Need Help Improving Your Performance?
Optimize your WiFi if you’re testing on a WiFi-connected device
You may be eligible to upgrade to a higher speed to keep pace with your usage