Broadband Speed Test: How to Test Your Internet Properly

A speed test only tells you the truth if you run it correctly. Follow these steps before concluding that your provider is under-delivering.

How to run an accurate test

1. Connect over LAN cable if you can. Wi-Fi almost always measures lower than the line speed.
2. Pause downloads, cloud backups, OTT streams and any device on the network.
3. Stand close to the router if you must use Wi-Fi, and use the 5 GHz band.
4. Run the test three times — morning, evening peak and late night — and note all three.

You can run all of this from our free broadband speed test, which measures against nearby M-Lab servers and then recommends plans available at your pincode.

What the numbers mean

Metric	What it measures	Good result
Download	Speed of data coming to you: streaming, browsing	Within 80% of your plan speed
Upload	Speed of data leaving you: video calls, backups	At least 20–40 Mbps for work from home
Ping (latency)	Round-trip delay to the server	Under 30 ms for gaming, under 60 ms generally
Jitter	Variation in latency	Under 10 ms for stable calls

Why your Wi-Fi speed looks low

• Old router that supports only 2.4 GHz or Wi-Fi 4
• Router hidden inside a cabinet or behind a TV
• Too many devices on one band
• Neighbouring networks crowding the same channel

When to raise a complaint

If wired tests at three different times of day are consistently below roughly 80% of your plan speed, take screenshots with timestamps and log a ticket with your provider. Ask them to check the line, ONT and port. If it is not resolved, escalate to the nodal officer listed on the provider's website.

Still slower than expected after a line fix? Compare plans available in your area — an upgrade or a different provider is often cheaper than living with the problem.