Check Your Wireless Internet Speed
WiFi is often the hidden bottleneck between your fast broadband connection and your devices. This test measures the speed your device is actually receiving over WiFi — not just what your ISP delivers to your router. Compare it with a wired ethernet test to see exactly how much speed your wireless setup is costing you.
Common questions about wifi speed test
WiFi always introduces overhead compared to a wired connection. Common causes of slower WiFi speeds include: distance from router, walls and obstacles, interference from neighbouring WiFi networks, an outdated router, too many devices connected simultaneously, or operating on the congested 2.4 GHz band. Run both a WiFi and ethernet test to isolate the bottleneck.
WiFi 5 (802.11ac) is widely deployed and supports up to ~3.5 Gbps in ideal lab conditions. WiFi 6 (802.11ax) improves performance in dense environments with multiple devices and supports up to 9.6 Gbps. WiFi 7 (802.11be, released 2024) reaches up to 46 Gbps and introduces multi-link operation for lower latency. For home use, WiFi 6 provides excellent real-world performance.
5 GHz offers faster speeds (up to 1 Gbps+ on WiFi 6) but shorter range and poor wall penetration. 2.4 GHz is slower (max 300–600 Mbps) but reaches further through walls. Use 5 GHz for devices near the router (phones, laptops, smart TVs). Use 2.4 GHz for IoT devices and anything far from the router. WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 also add a 6 GHz band for even faster short-range connections.