What Is the Best Wifi Channel to Use

November 21, 2021

How to Perform a Speed Test on Your Wifi

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Your Wi-Fi home network speed is just as important as your internet speed — maybe even more so. To keep it running smoothly, you should perform a Wi-Fi speed test on your home's network speed regularly. Not only does the test confirm you're getting the speed you're paying for, but it also reveals areas in your home where you get the fastest speeds as well as your home's dead spots. This information is helpful when you need to decide whether to purchase a more powerful router to boost your Wi-Fi signal or just relocate your router to another area to maximize the signal.

Before you begin this simple test, keep in mind you're testing for both download and upload speeds. Your download speed dictates how fast you can do things like watch a Netflix series, update an app or download an Xbox game. Upload speed, on the other hand, determines how quickly you send gigabytes of data to others for work or personal purposes. Gamers also need to pay attention to the "ping" speed of their Wi-Fi, which is the signal's response time. A lower ping means a quicker response time, which is ideal for online gaming.

Here's one easy way to perform a speed test on your home network Wi-Fi.

Turn Off All Your Devices

Turning off a device means shutting it down and not putting it in standby or sleep mode. Before doing this, pause any ongoing downloads and updates on the device. This ensures these processes won't suck up your Wi-Fi speed when you turn the device back on and connect to your network. Turn off all devices in your home, including Wi-Fi compatible TV sets, smart watches, fitness trackers and security cameras.

Do a Baseline Speed Test

Various Wi-Fi speed testing services are available at no cost. This guide refers to Speed Test by OOKLA. Do a baseline speed test, ideally with a PC that connects to your router using an Ethernet cable. If you don't have one in your home, use a device such as a smartphone and move it as close to the router as possible without any obstructions. Turn on the smartphone and use the browser to log on to www.speedtest.net or download the app. Once you're on the website or after opening the app, begin the test. Write down the results for ping, download speed and upload speed.

Repeat the Speed Test in Other Rooms

If you took the baseline speed with a PC, turn on a mobile device such as a smartphone, and test it near the router. Compare the Wi-Fi speed with the baseline Ethernet speed. Move on to other areas in your home and repeat the test. Note if there are any changes in speeds when you conduct the test in other areas.

Repeat the Tests Using One or Two More Devices

Repeat the tests using one or two more devices with browsing capabilities, such as a tablet or a laptop. Write down the speeds registered in each room. If your TV set has a browser, do the test from its location, especially if you use it to watch streaming movies and TV shows. Gamers should also test for ping from the location of their consoles.

Compare the Results

Once you have the results, determine if your internet speed is close to what you're supposed to receive from your ISP. It's normal for speeds to come up short by a few Megabits per second, but if the speed comes up too short, call your ISP and ask them to resolve the issue. Compare the speeds from each room where you conducted the test to determine if you have spots with weak or no signal.

Ideally, there should be no major disparities between the Wi-Fi speeds on each device. If there is, then the issue is device-based and has nothing to do with your Wi-Fi. If the speed isn't consistent when testing from each room, you can relocate your router to allow it to send signals better throughout your home or use a Wi-Fi repeater. Alternatively, you can upgrade to the latest router. Newer router models perform better in households with a high number of Wi-Fi capable devices that run simultaneously.

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