How to test Wi-Fi speed properly
Test from the device you actually use, in the place you actually use it. Wi-Fi throughput can drop by half from one room to the next, so a test next to the router says little about the bedroom. For a fair reading, stop other downloads and video calls first — they share the same airtime.
Then run the test twice: once where the connection feels slow, once right beside the router. A large gap between the two means the radio link is your bottleneck; similar numbers in both spots mean the limit is your internet line itself — see the wired comparison below.
What’s a good Wi-Fi speed?
Whatever your plan promises, minus a realistic wireless tax. On a healthy network, a nearby 5 GHz connection delivers most of your plan; across a wall or two, half is normal; at the far end of a flat on 2.4 GHz, a tenth is common. If you pay for 300 Mbps and the sofa gets 150 over 5 GHz, your Wi-Fi is doing fine.
Latency is the quieter half of the story: Wi-Fi adds a few milliseconds and — more importantly — jitter from retransmissions. If your ping and jitter here are much worse than wired, calls and gaming will feel it long before downloads do.
2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz (and 6 GHz)
The 2.4 GHz band travels furthest but is slow and crowded — microwaves, Bluetooth and every neighbor share it. The 5 GHz band is several times faster with far less interference, at the cost of range. Wi-Fi 6E/7 adds a 6 GHz band: faster still, shortest reach.
Most routers broadcast all bands under one name and steer devices automatically — sometimes badly. If your test result seems stuck at 2.4 GHz speeds (roughly 20–70 Mbps) while standing near the router, try splitting the bands into separate names and connecting to the 5 GHz one explicitly.
Wi-Fi slow? Find the real bottleneck
Compare against a cable: run this same test on a laptop or PC wired to the router. If wired is dramatically faster, work on the Wi-Fi — position the router high, central and in the open; prefer 5 GHz; consider a mesh node for far rooms.
If wired is just as slow, the Wi-Fi was never the problem — your line, your plan, or evening congestion at the provider is. Our guides on improving internet speed and on Wi-Fi vs wired dig into both paths.
Common questions
Why is my Wi-Fi speed test slower than my internet plan?
Because the radio link is almost always slower than the line. Distance, walls, band choice and neighboring networks all take a cut. Measure next to the router on 5 GHz to see your realistic wireless maximum, and wired to see the plan itself.
Why do I get different results in different rooms?
Signal drops with distance and every obstacle — brick and concrete cost far more than drywall. That’s normal physics, not a broken router. A mesh system or better router placement moves the fast zone to where you need it.
Does this test measure my Wi-Fi or my internet connection?
Both in series — your data crosses the radio link first, then your line. Whichever is narrower sets the number. The two-spot comparison (near the router vs far) tells you which one that is.
Is 100 Mbps over Wi-Fi good?
For most homes, yes: several HD streams, calls and browsing fit comfortably. It would only be disappointing if you pay for far more and sit near the router — then check the band (5 GHz?), channel congestion and router age.
Will a new router make my Wi-Fi faster?
If your current one is old (pre-Wi-Fi 5), placed badly, or serving many devices — often dramatically. If your line itself is the bottleneck, no router can add speed your plan doesn’t deliver.