A stable connection with low jitter is ideal for activities requiring a consistent data stream, such as VoIP calls or online gaming. Jitter: This metric tracks the variation in latency over time. Lower latency is ideal for real-time online activities like gaming and video calls. It's the round-trip time for data to go from your device to the server and back. Latency (Ping): This measures your internet connection responsiveness.Higher uploads make for smoother photo or video sharing, better video calls, etc. Upload Speed: The reverse of download speed, upload speed, demonstrates how quickly you can send data from your device to the internet.Higher downloads mean quicker website browsing, smoother video streaming, faster file downloading, etc, and it's one of the main reasons to improve your internet speeds. Download Speed: This gauges how fast data flows from the internet to your device.Here's what those numbers and metrics mean: The test results show you important metrics that help you understand the quality and capabilities of your internet connection. When you run an internet speed test, you get a snapshot of your connection's performance at that moment. Enter your postcode below to see deals in your area, or check our pick of the best broadband deals.Understanding Internet Speed Test Results It's always worth checking to see what broadband deals are on offer from other providers, especially if you're out of contract and could stand to make significant savings. If you're not happy with your ISP's response, follow our guide on how to complain about your broadband speed. If it can't, it must allow you to exit your contract penalty-free. If your speed drops below this, your provider must improve it within a month. If your broadband contract started after March 2019 and you're with one of the providers that's signed Ofcom’s voluntary code of practice (BT, EE, Plusnet, TalkTalk, Utility Warehouse, Virgin Media and Zen Internet), your provider must give you a minimum guaranteed speed when you take out a new contract. Start by providing evidence of your internet speeds (it's a good idea to keep a diary of interruptions and to regularly use the speed checker tool to build up a true picture of your service). If you've done everything you can to speed up your connection and you're still getting a lower speed than you were promised, your broadband provider may be in breach of contract.Ĭall your internet service provider (ISP) as a first step to see what it can do. If your speeds are significantly less than you expected, check our advice on how to speed up slow broadband. Tech tips you can trust – get our free Tech newsletter for advice, news, deals and stuff the manuals don’t tell you What you can do if your broadband speeds are slow The speed your provider is delivering to your home may be higher, especially if you're performing the test wirelessly at some distance from your router. The results also only show the speeds you're getting on the device you're using for the test. To build an accurate picture, run several tests during a single week, in peak-use time (between 8pm and 10pm) and during off-peak times. However, if you use your broadband connection for video calls or online gaming, keep an eye on the upload rate too, as it's essential for both. Download speeds are also usually what are advertised to you by broadband providers. As with download speed, it's measured in megabits per second.ĭownload speeds are usually of more interest, as most tasks require you to download information, for example searching online for information. The upload speed shows the rate that data is transferred from your device to the internet – how quick it is to upload a photo or document to an email, for example.It's measured in megabits per second (Mbps) – the higher, the faster. The download speed shows the rate at which data is transferred from the internet to your device – how quick it is to access a newspaper article online or stream music, for example. This particularly sought after for applications where timing is everything, such as interactive video games. More responsive connections are those with a low number of ms (meaning they take less time to respond).
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