How to Test Your Internet Speed (And What the Results Actually Mean)

Why Testing Your Internet Speed Matters

Your internet plan promises a certain download and upload speed — but are you actually getting it? A speed test takes less than a minute and tells you exactly what your connection is delivering right now. Whether you are troubleshooting buffering video calls, checking that you are getting what you pay for, or deciding if it is time to upgrade, knowing how to run and read a speed test properly makes the difference between useful data and misleading numbers.

How an Internet Speed Test Actually Works

A speed test measures your connection's performance by transferring data between your device and a test server. Here is what happens behind the scenes:

1. Server selection. The test tool picks a server — usually the one closest to you geographically, to minimize the influence of distance on results. Some tools let you choose a specific server.
2. Ping (latency) measurement. The tool sends a tiny data packet to the server and measures how long the round trip takes, in milliseconds. This is your latency or ping.
3. Download test. The tool pulls increasingly large chunks of data from the server to your device, measuring throughput over several seconds. The result is your download speed in megabits per second (Mbps).
4. Upload test. The same process in reverse — your device pushes data to the server. This gives your upload speed, also in Mbps.
5. Jitter calculation. Some tests also measure jitter — the variation in latency from packet to packet. Low jitter means a more consistent connection, which matters for video calls and gaming.

The entire process usually takes 15–30 seconds.

What the Numbers Mean

Download Speed (Mbps)

This is how fast data travels from the internet to your device. It determines how quickly web pages load, videos buffer, files download, and streaming content starts playing. For most households, download speed is the number that matters most.

General benchmarks:

• 25 Mbps — Enough for one person browsing, emailing, and streaming in HD
• 50–100 Mbps — Comfortable for a household of 2–3 with simultaneous streaming, browsing, and smart-home devices
• 150–300 Mbps — Handles a busy household with 4K streaming, gaming, and multiple work-from-home setups
• 500+ Mbps — Overkill for most homes, but valuable if you regularly download large files or have 10+ connected devices active simultaneously

Upload Speed (Mbps)

Upload speed measures how fast data travels from your device to the internet. It matters for video calls (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet), uploading files to the cloud, live streaming, and sending large email attachments. On most cable connections, upload speed is significantly lower than download — often 10–20 Mbps on a 150 Mbps download plan. Fibre connections often offer symmetrical speeds (upload matches download).

Ping / Latency (ms)

Measured in milliseconds, ping tells you how responsive your connection is. Lower is better:

• Under 20 ms — Excellent. Ideal for competitive gaming and real-time applications
• 20–50 ms — Good. No issues for video calls, casual gaming, or general use
• 50–100 ms — Acceptable for browsing and streaming, but you may notice lag in video calls or online games
• Over 100 ms — High. Expect noticeable delays in interactive applications

Jitter (ms)

Jitter measures how much your latency varies from moment to moment. Ideally, jitter stays below 5 ms. Higher jitter causes choppy audio on calls, stuttering video, and rubber-banding in games — even if your average ping looks fine.

How to Get an Accurate Speed Test

Speed test results are only useful if the test reflects your actual connection — not some bottleneck in your testing setup. Follow these steps for the most reliable results:

1. Use a Wired Connection

Plug your computer directly into your router or modem with an Ethernet cable. WiFi adds overhead, interference, and distance penalties that make your results look worse than your internet connection actually is. If you are testing WiFi performance specifically (for example, checking coverage in a bedroom), that is a separate and equally valid test — just know it reflects your WiFi, not your ISP's service.

2. Close Background Applications

Pause cloud backups, close streaming tabs, pause downloads, and quit applications that sync in the background (Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud). Any data flowing during the test competes with the test traffic and drags your numbers down.

3. Disconnect Other Devices (or Account for Them)

If your kids are streaming and your partner is on a video call, their traffic will eat into the bandwidth the test can measure. For a true baseline, test when the network is quiet — or at least be aware that the result reflects available bandwidth, not total bandwidth.

4. Pick the Right Server

Most speed-test tools auto-select the closest server, which is usually correct. If you are in Calgary or Edmonton, the closest server is likely in the same city. If you are in a smaller centre, the nearest server may be a few hundred kilometres away — your results will still be valid but ping will be slightly higher than in a major city.

5. Run Multiple Tests

A single test is a snapshot. Run at least three tests at different times of day — morning, afternoon, and evening — to get a realistic picture. Speeds often dip during peak hours (roughly 7–10 PM) when everyone in your neighbourhood is streaming.

6. Try More Than One Tool

Different speed-test tools use different server networks and methodologies. Running tests on two or three tools gives you a more reliable average. Popular options include:

• Speedtest by Ookla (speedtest.net) — The most widely used tool, with thousands of server locations worldwide
• Fast.com — Run by Netflix, optimised for measuring streaming-relevant download speeds
• Google speed test — Type "speed test" into Google and click "Run Speed Test" for a quick in-browser check
• Your ISP's own speed test — Tests to a server on your provider's network, removing internet backbone variables

What to Do If Your Speeds Are Low

If your speed test consistently shows results well below your plan's advertised speed, work through this checklist:

1. Restart your modem and router. Power them off for 30 seconds, then plug the modem back in first. Wait for it to fully reconnect before powering on the router. This clears temporary issues more often than you would expect.
2. Test wired. If you only tested over WiFi, plug in an Ethernet cable and retest. If wired speeds are fine, the issue is your WiFi network, not your internet connection. See our troubleshooting slow internet guide for WiFi fixes.
3. Check for network congestion. Test at different times. If speeds are fine at 10 AM but drop at 8 PM, your ISP's local network may be congested during peak hours — a common issue on cable networks where bandwidth is shared among neighbours.
4. Check your equipment. An old router may not support the speeds your plan offers. If your plan is 300 Mbps but your router maxes out at 100 Mbps (common with routers older than 5–6 years), new hardware will fix the problem instantly.
5. Contact your ISP. If wired speeds are consistently 30% or more below your plan speed and your own equipment is not the bottleneck, your ISP should investigate. Document your test results (screenshots with timestamps) before calling — it makes the conversation much faster.

"Up to" Speeds vs. Real-World Speeds

Internet plans are almost always advertised as "up to" a certain speed — for example, "up to 150 Mbps." This is not deceptive; it reflects the nature of shared network infrastructure. Here is what to realistically expect:

• Fibre connections typically deliver 90–100% of the advertised speed, even during peak hours. Fibre does not share bandwidth with neighbours the way cable does.
• Cable connections usually deliver 70–90% of the advertised speed during off-peak hours and may dip to 50–70% during peak evening hours, depending on neighbourhood congestion.
• DSL connections vary heavily based on your distance from the provider's equipment. Speeds degrade the farther you are from the central office.

If you are consistently getting less than 70% of your plan speed on a wired connection during off-peak hours, something is likely wrong and worth investigating.

How Often Should You Test?

You do not need to test daily, but a few situations call for a check:

• After signing up for a new plan or provider — Confirm you are getting the speeds you are paying for
• When something feels slow — A test tells you whether it is your internet or the website/service you are using
• After changing equipment — New router, new mesh system, new modem? Test to verify the upgrade made a difference
• Monthly spot-checks — Running a quick test once a month builds a baseline so you notice degradation early

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a speed test use my data?

Yes. A typical speed test transfers 100–400 MB of data depending on your connection speed. On an unlimited plan this is irrelevant, but if you have a data cap, keep it in mind — do not run dozens of tests in a row.

Why do I get different results every time?

Speed varies naturally based on network load, server distance, background activity, and even the time of day. Small variations (10–15%) between consecutive tests are completely normal. If results swing wildly (50 Mbps one minute, 200 Mbps the next), your connection may be unstable — contact your provider.

Is my WiFi speed the same as my internet speed?

Not necessarily. Your WiFi speed is limited by your router's capabilities, the distance between your device and the router, walls, interference from other electronics, and the WiFi standard your device supports. Your internet speed (measured by a wired test) is what your ISP delivers to your home. If WiFi is slow but wired is fast, the fix is on your side — better router placement, a mesh WiFi system, or a wired connection for demanding devices.

Should I use my ISP's speed test or an independent one?

Both. Your ISP's speed test measures performance to their own servers, which removes internet backbone variables and tells you what the connection itself can do. An independent test (like Speedtest by Ookla) measures performance to a third-party server, which is closer to your real-world experience. If the ISP test shows full speed but independent tests are slow, there may be a peering or routing issue between your ISP and the broader internet.

Can my ISP see when I run a speed test?

Your ISP can see the traffic but generally cannot distinguish a speed test from any other large data transfer. The urban myth that ISPs "boost" speeds during tests is largely outdated — modern speed tests use multiple connections and randomised data patterns that make gaming the results impractical.

Get WiFi is a registered trade name of Get Energy Corp, a licensed internet service provider operating in Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan. Speed test results depend on many factors including your equipment, network conditions, and test methodology. Advertised plan speeds represent maximum achievable speeds under optimal conditions.