Wi-Fi Speed Test
Measure your wireless connection speed and compare it to your wired baseline
Run a full speed test — includes download, upload, ping, and jitter measurements.
What this test measures
A Wi-Fi speed test measures your wireless throughput from your device to the internet. The key insight comes from comparing your Wi-Fi result to a wired Ethernet test on the same connection — the gap shows how much speed Wi-Fi is costing you.
How to interpret your results
| Result | Rating | Typical context |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100% of wired | Excellent | Wi-Fi 6/6E; close to router; minimal interference |
| 70–90% of wired | Good | Wi-Fi 5 or 6; moderate distance; typical result |
| 50–70% of wired | Acceptable | Further from router; 2.4 GHz band; some interference |
| < 50% of wired | Poor | Distance, walls, interference, or old Wi-Fi standard |
What affects your result
- Wi-Fi standard — Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) caps at 150–300 Mbps. Wi-Fi 5 at 600–900 Mbps real-world. Wi-Fi 6 at 1–2 Gbps. If your device has an older adapter, it caps regardless of router speed.
- Frequency band — 5 GHz delivers faster speeds at shorter range. 2.4 GHz has better range but lower speed and more interference from neighbouring networks.
- Distance and obstacles — Every wall reduces 5 GHz signal by 30–40%. Three walls between device and router typically reduce Wi-Fi speed by 60–75%.
- Channel congestion — Neighbouring Wi-Fi networks on the same channel reduce your throughput. A Wi-Fi analyser app identifies the least congested channel.
- Router age — Routers older than 4 years often have Wi-Fi 4 or early Wi-Fi 5 radios that cap below 300 Mbps regardless of your ISP plan.
How to run an accurate test
Run a wired Ethernet speed test first to establish your baseline (your ISP's delivered speed). Then run the Wi-Fi test in each room you use. The ratio (Wi-Fi ÷ wired) shows your Wi-Fi efficiency. Under 50%: there is a fixable problem. Over 80%: Wi-Fi is performing well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my Wi-Fi speed so much lower than my plan?
Wi-Fi introduces overhead (20–40% throughput reduction vs wired) plus distance and interference losses. A 1 Gbps plan delivering 200 Mbps on Wi-Fi across two rooms is not unusual. Fix: use Ethernet for stationary devices, upgrade the router, or add a mesh node.
Should I use 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz for speed tests?
Use 5 GHz for a meaningful test — it reflects what your devices can actually use when close to the router. Test on 2.4 GHz to measure range-extended coverage and to understand why devices far from the router are slow.
Does more devices on Wi-Fi slow it down?
Yes. Wi-Fi is a shared medium — every active device competes for airtime. 10+ simultaneous devices on an older Wi-Fi 5 router will each get a fraction of the total throughput. Wi-Fi 6's OFDMA feature handles dense device environments significantly better.