Why Is My Upload Speed So Slow? (Common Causes & Fixes)
If your upload speed is a tiny fraction of your download, you're not necessarily broken — but it's worth understanding why, because upload affects calls, backups and gaming.
It's often by design
Cable and DSL connections are asymmetric — they deliberately give most capacity to download. A 200/10 plan (200 down, 10 up) is completely normal for cable. Fibre is usually symmetric.
When slow upload IS a problem
If upload drops below ~2 Mbps, video calls get choppy and uploads crawl. If it's suddenly slower than your plan promises, check for: WiFi interference, an overloaded connection, an old router, or line issues (check packet loss in our test).
Fixes
Go wired, close upload-heavy apps (cloud backup, torrents), reboot the router, and confirm your plan's rated upload. If you consistently get far less than promised on a wired connection, contact your ISP with test results.
Need more upload?
If you work from home or create content, a fibre plan with symmetric speeds will transform your experience far more than a bigger download number.
Free, instant, no app — see your download, upload, ping & bufferbloat.
Run the speed test →