Latency
—ms
median of 5
Internet Speed Test
Test your download and upload speed, ping and jitter in about 20 seconds.
StandbyNewark ⇄ you
HDG000°
Download speed
Mbps
Press Start. The test takes about 20 seconds.
Jitter New
—ms
ping spread
Under load New
—ms
while downloading
Data used
—MB
of ~110 MB
Amazon.com, Inc. From IP lookup216.73.216.94 · Columbus, US
M-Lab servernearest server · nearest
This measures download and upload speed between your device and the test server you choose: the nearest of M-Lab’s 80 cities, any other, or UtiBox’s server in Newark, US (private). Results depend on the distance to the server, so a distant one can show less than your plan’s speed.
An M-Lab test runs for about 10 seconds each way; UtiBox’s server uses up to about 80 MB down and 25 MB up. On a metered connection, keep that in mind.
A site won’t load at all? Is It My Internet? gives a plain answer in a few seconds, without the big download.
Flight data
Instrument panel
Fills in live as the test runs
SpeedNew
—
Down · Mbps
- Peak
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- Stable
- —
- Ramp
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Up · Mbps
- Peak
- —
- Stable
- —
- Ramp
- —
TraceDownUp
Latencyms · 5 pings
Min—
Median—
Max—
Jitter—ms
BufferbloatNew
—
— under load · rule of thumb
RouteFrom IP lookup
Amazon.com, Inc.216.73.216.94
Distance—km
Down : up
——
DataMB
Total
—
—
↓ Down
—
—
↑ Up
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—
PhysicsNew
—ms minimum
FloorYou
——
light in fibre, both ways
Mission timer
Req —
Good forNew
HistoryNew
↓ solid · ↑ light · this browser only
How to test your internet speed
- Pause downloads, streaming and video calls on your network, so they don’t share the line with the test.
- Press Start. The test uses the nearest server unless you chose another with Set course: it downloads test data, then uploads test data, for about ten seconds each way.
- Read your download and upload speed in megabits per second (Mbps) and your ping in milliseconds (ms). The instrument panel adds jitter, bufferbloat, peak speed and more.
- To test your Wi-Fi, run it once next to the router and once where the signal is weak. To see what your line itself can do, test on a cable.
What this speed test measures
The internet speed test times real transfers between your device and a test server, all in your browser, in about 20 seconds. By default that’s the nearest of M-Lab’s 80 free test cities; Set course opens a map where you can pick any other city, or our server in Newark, US, which keeps your test private.
- Download speed: how fast data reaches you, for streaming, browsing and downloading games and files. It’s the average over the timed part of the test (on our own server, after a short warm-up that isn’t counted).
- Upload speed: how fast you can send data, for video calls, posting videos, cloud backups and sending large files. Measured the same way in the other direction.
- Ping (latency): how long a round trip to the server takes, in milliseconds. On M-Lab’s servers it’s the lowest round trip the server measured on the test connection; on our own server, the median of five small requests after one warm-up.
- Jitter: how much the round trip varies. On M-Lab’s servers it’s the variation the server’s own measurements report; on ours, it’s worked out from the same five requests.
- Latency under load (bufferbloat): your ping while the download is running. A big jump over your idle ping is the lag you feel when someone else is streaming.
- Data used: how much the test downloaded and uploaded.
What is a good internet speed?
It depends on what you do and how many people share the connection. As a rule of thumb, 25 Mbps download covers one 4K stream, 100 Mbps comfortably covers a busy household, and upload matters most for video calls and backups.
| Activity | Download | Upload | Ping |
|---|---|---|---|
| Browsing, email, music | 5 Mbps | 1 Mbps | under 100 ms |
| HD video (1080p) | 5 Mbps a stream | – | – |
| 4K video | 25 Mbps a stream | – | – |
| HD video calls | 4 Mbps | 3 Mbps | under 100 ms |
| Online gaming | 10 Mbps | 3 Mbps | under 60 ms |
| Working from home | 25 Mbps | 5 Mbps | under 60 ms |
For ping, under 30 ms feels instant, under 60 ms is good for gaming, and over 100 ms is noticeable on calls. Jitter under 10 ms keeps calls smooth.
Why is my speed test lower than my plan?
- Distance to the server. The farther away the test server is, the longer each round trip takes, and long round trips can cap a connection below your plan’s speed. The nearest server (the default) shows what your line can do; a far-away city shows what reaching that part of the world is like.
- Wi-Fi. Walls, distance from the router, crowded 2.4 GHz channels and older devices all slow Wi-Fi down. A cable shows what the line itself can do.
- Other devices and apps. Streams, game downloads, cloud backups and updates on the same network share the speed with the test.
- VPNs and security software. They route or inspect your traffic, which adds delay and can lower the speed.
- Busy times. Many networks slow down in the evening, when everyone is online.
- Your device. Older phones and laptops, or a 100 Mbps network port, can’t reach the speed of a fast plan.
Run the test a few times, at different times of day, on Wi-Fi and on a cable. Your results stay in this browser, so you can compare them.
How to improve your internet speed
- Restart your router and modem, and keep the router somewhere open and central, off the floor.
- Use the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band when you’re close to the router, or a cable for computers and game consoles.
- Pause cloud backups and big uploads while you’re on calls or gaming: a full upload slows everything else down.
- If latency under load is much higher than your idle ping, turn on smart queue (SQM) or QoS in your router.
- Still slow? Copy your result and send it to your provider: download, upload, ping and the time you tested.
Speed test questions
Is this internet speed test free?
Yes. It runs in your browser on any phone, tablet or computer, and it’s free to use as often as the fair-use limit allows.
How accurate is this speed test?
It times real transfers between your device and the test server: about ten seconds of download and ten of upload on M-Lab’s servers, or about eight seconds each way after a short warm-up on our server in Newark, US. The nearest server usually shows the highest speed, and M-Lab measures over one connection, so a very fast line can read a little lower than tests that open several. Compare results from the same server over time.
Which server does the test use?
By default, the nearest of M-Lab’s free test servers, in 80 cities worldwide: M-Lab’s locator picks the closest healthy one when you press Start. Press Set course to pick any other city on the map, or our own server in Newark, US. Your choice is remembered in this browser.
Is my speed test result published?
On M-Lab’s servers, yes: M-Lab (Measurement Lab, a non-profit) publishes every test as open data for research, including your IP address, and the note beside Start says so before you begin. To test without publishing anything, choose “Test privately instead”, which uses our own server.
What is a good ping?
Under 30 ms feels instant, under 60 ms is good for online games and video calls, and over 100 ms starts to be noticeable. Ping depends on distance as well as your connection, so a far-away server always adds some.
What is jitter?
Jitter is how much your ping changes from one request to the next. Low jitter (a few milliseconds) keeps calls and games smooth; high jitter makes video calls choppy and games stutter even when the speed is fine.
What is bufferbloat?
Bufferbloat is lag that appears only when your connection is busy. We measure ping while the download runs: if it jumps far above your idle ping, your router lets queues build up. Turning on “smart queue” (SQM) or QoS in the router usually fixes it.
Why is my upload speed slower than my download?
Most cable and DSL plans are built that way: far more download than upload, because most people receive more data than they send. Fibre plans are often the same speed both ways. Upload matters most for video calls, posting videos and cloud backups.
How much data does a speed test use?
On M-Lab’s servers the test runs for about ten seconds each way, so the data depends on your speed: at 100 Mbps the download alone is about 125 MB. On our own server it’s at most about 80 MB down and 25 MB up. On a mobile plan with a data cap, keep that in mind.
Is anything uploaded from my device?
Only random test data. During the upload part your browser sends random bytes that the test server counts and throws away. No files or personal data are sent.
Do you keep my results?
We don’t. Your results are worked out in your browser, and the last few are kept in this browser only, so you can compare them. M-Lab keeps and publishes the tests run on its own servers.
Mbps or MB/s?
Speeds here are in megabits per second (Mbps), the unit broadband plans use. Download managers often show megabytes per second (MB/s); divide the Mbps figure by eight to compare.
Why am I asked to wait before testing again?
Each test on our own server moves a lot of data, so the number of those tests one network can run in an hour is limited. If you reach that limit, try again a little later, or use one of M-Lab’s servers.