How to Test Your Internet Speed and Fix Slow Wi-Fi

When the internet feels slow, the cause is often inside your home: the router position, the Wi-Fi band or a crowded network. One clean test tells you which side to fix first.

Step 1: Run a proper speed test

1. Connect a laptop to the router with a network cable if you can. If not, stand near the router.
2. Close downloads, streaming and other devices that use the internet.
3. Run a test on a well-known speed test site or app. Run it two or three times and note the lowest and the highest result.

A phone on Wi-Fi in another room is a poor test. It measures your Wi-Fi, not your line.

Step 2: Read the numbers

• Download matters for streaming and browsing. Upload matters for video calls and sending files.
• Ping (latency) matters for calls and games. Lower is better.
• Speeds are in megabits per second (Mbps). File downloads show megabytes per second (MB/s). One MB/s is eight Mbps, so a 40 Mbps line downloads about 5 MB/s at best.

Compare your cable result with the package you pay for. A result somewhat below the package is normal. A result far below it, at several times of day, is worth reporting.

Step 3: If the cable test is fine but Wi-Fi is slow

• Move the router to a central, high, open place. Walls, metal and water tanks weaken the signal.
• Use the 5 GHz band near the router. It is faster but covers a shorter distance. The 2.4 GHz band reaches farther but is slower and more crowded.
• Restart the router by unplugging it for ten seconds.
• Check the device list in the router page for unknown devices and change the Wi-Fi password if you see any.
• Change the Wi-Fi channel if many neighbours use the same one.

Step 4: If the cable test is also slow

Restart the router and the fibre or modem box, then test again. If it is still low, collect proof before you call the provider: the test results with the time of each one, and the package name. A written record gets a faster answer than "the internet is slow".

Common mistakes

• Testing from a phone far from the router.
• Judging the line by one result.
• Buying a more expensive package when the router position is the problem.
• Keeping the default router password.

Bottom line

Test by cable first. If the cable result is good, the problem is your Wi-Fi: move the router, pick the right band and restart it. If the cable result is poor, call your provider with dated results.