How to Test Your Internet Speed Accurately (10 Tips)
A speed test is only as good as the conditions you run it in. Follow these 10 tips for a result you can actually trust.
The 10 tips
- Test wired with Ethernet to measure your true line speed without WiFi loss.
- Close other apps and pause downloads, backups and streams.
- Disconnect other devices or test when the household is quiet.
- Use a modern device — old phones and laptops can't reach high speeds.
- Run it 2–3 times and compare rather than trusting one number.
- Test at different times of day to spot peak-hour congestion.
- Turn off your VPN to measure your real ISP speed.
- Stand near the router for your best-case WiFi reading, then test in problem rooms.
- Restart your router first if results look unusually low.
- Check ping, jitter and bufferbloat — not just download — for the full picture.
Key takeaway: Wired + quiet network + modern device + multiple runs = a result you can rely on when talking to your ISP.
What an accurate result tells you
Once you have clean numbers, compare them to your plan. Wired speed far below your plan is worth raising with your ISP; a big WiFi-vs-wired gap means your WiFi setup is the bottleneck. Our test shows a confidence indicator so you know each result is solid.
Test your connection now
Free, instant, no app — see your download, upload, ping & bufferbloat.
Run the speed test →