Internet Speed Test
How to test your internet speed
- Pause other downloads, streams and updates on this device and the rest of the network, so they do not share the line with the test.
- Click Start test. It measures the ping first, then the download speed for 8 seconds, then the upload speed for 8 seconds.
- Read the download and upload speed in Mbps, with the ping and jitter in milliseconds. The graph shows how steady the speed was during the run.
Frequently asked questions
How does the test work?
It downloads and uploads random data to the nearest Cloudflare data center over several connections at once, so the line is kept full, and counts the bytes that go through. The first two seconds of each run are left out, because a connection takes a moment to reach its full speed.
Why is my result lower than my plan?
Plans are sold as an upper limit. Wi-Fi is the most common cause: walls, distance and a crowded channel can cut the speed by half or more, so test on a cable to check the line itself. Other devices using the network, a VPN, an old router and a busy evening can also bring it down.
What do Mbps and MB/s mean?
Internet speed is given in megabits per second (Mbps). Download managers usually show megabytes per second (MB/s), and a byte is 8 bits, so 100 Mbps is about 12.5 MB/s.
How much speed do I need?
Roughly 5 Mbps per HD video stream and 15 to 25 Mbps per 4K stream, and about 3 to 4 Mbps each way for a 1080p video call. Add up what runs at the same time in your home. In the US, the FCC counts 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up as broadband.
What are ping and jitter?
Ping is the time a small request takes to reach the server and come back. Under about 30 ms feels instant in games and calls, and over 100 ms is noticeable. Jitter is how much the ping changes from one request to the next; a high jitter makes calls choppy even when the speed is fine.
How much data does the test use?
About 1 MB for every Mbps of speed in each direction. On a 100 Mbps line that is about 100 MB of download and 20 MB of upload for a 20 Mbps upload, so take care on a metered mobile plan.
Where does my data go?
The test traffic goes to Cloudflare, which sees your IP address like any website does. The uploaded data is random bytes made by your browser, not anything from your device.