How to Run an Internet Speed Test and Read the Results
Running a speed test takes 30 seconds. Understanding what the results actually mean takes a bit more. Download speed, upload speed, ping, jitter — these numbers tell you different things about your connection, and misreading them leads to wrong conclusions about what's causing your network problems.
This guide covers how to run a proper speed test and what each metric means for real-world performance. You can also use our Ping tool to test latency to any server instantly.
The Four Metrics That Matter
Download Speed
How fast data moves from the internet to your device. Measured in Mbps (megabits per second). This is what determines how quickly pages load, how smoothly video streams, and how fast files download. Most ISP marketing focuses on this number.
What you actually need: • Basic browsing and email: 5–10 Mbps • HD video streaming: 15–25 Mbps per stream • 4K streaming: 25–50 Mbps per stream • Video calls: 5–10 Mbps per participant • Large file downloads regularly: 100 Mbps+
Upload Speed
How fast data moves from your device to the internet. Critical for video calls, uploading files, live streaming, and sending large attachments. Usually significantly lower than download on residential connections. Symmetric connections (same up/down speed) cost more and are typically a business-grade service.
Ping (Latency)
The time it takes for a signal to travel to a server and back. Measured in milliseconds (ms). Low ping is critical for real-time applications — online gaming, video calls, VoIP. High ping makes responses feel sluggish even on fast connections.
• Under 20ms: Excellent • 20–50ms: Good • 50–100ms: Acceptable for most uses • 100–200ms: Noticeable lag on calls and games • Over 200ms: Problematic for real-time use
Jitter
The variation in ping over time. A connection with 30ms ping but 25ms jitter is worse for video calls than one with 50ms ping and 2ms jitter. Consistent latency matters more than low latency for real-time communication. High jitter causes choppy audio, video freezes, and packet loss.
How to Run a Speed Test Properly
Most people run speed tests wrong and get misleading results. Here's the correct approach:
1. Connect via ethernet cable, not WiFi — WiFi adds its own variables and will almost always show lower speeds than your actual connection speed 2. Close all other applications and browser tabs — anything using bandwidth affects results 3. Pause downloads, cloud syncs, and streaming on all devices on the network 4. Run the test 3 times and average the results — single tests can be skewed by momentary congestion 5. Test at different times of day — evening peak hours often show significantly slower speeds than early morning
Test latency and ping to any server — check your connection quality instantly
Try Ping Tool Free →Why Your Speed Test Result Differs From Your Plan
You pay for 500 Mbps but the speed test shows 180 Mbps. Common causes:
• WiFi bottleneck — your router or device WiFi card is the limiting factor, not your internet connection • Network congestion — ISPs provision bandwidth that assumes not everyone uses it simultaneously. Peak hours mean shared capacity. • Distance from exchange — fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) connections degrade with distance • Old router — a router from 2015 may not be capable of routing 500 Mbps • ISP throttling — some ISPs throttle specific traffic types (streaming, P2P) even when total bandwidth is available