Sometimes downloading a file from the internet takes a lot of time. You assume internet speed might be an issue. However, if it continues to happen frequently, you may want to measure or even monitor your connection speed. But how does it do that? In this article, we tell you how to check internet speed on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android.
If you are experiencing network problems or feel that you are not getting the correct speed promised by your provider, you can measure the internet speed.
So, let’s check out how to know internet speed on any device. But before that, let’s first understand how speed is measured.
How to Measure Internet Speed?
Internet speeds can confuse users. If we started our article with how to measure internet speed directly, even you would think that your speed is wrong. But that’s not the case. Once you understand how speed is measured, you stop cursing your Internet service provider (ISP) for lying to you.
For starters, there is a difference between the speed your internet provider offers and the actual download speed. Most internet providers show speed in Mbps or Mb/s. Note the small b. This is pretty important. Now, if you download something you will notice that the download speed will be capital B i.e. MBps or MB/s.
One would think that there should be no difference between the two. But this is wrong. There is a huge difference. The small b in Mbps represents bits, while the big B in MBps is Bytes. The rest of the letters are the same, i.e. M = mega, p = per and s = seconds.
Technically, a bit is the smallest unit of data or storage. So 8 bits make 1 byte. Alternatively, you could say 1 byte is 8 bits. This means 1MB = 8Mb. Therefore, your actual internet speed will be less than what your provider indicates.
Fun Fact: By default, files and storage size are usually displayed in MB.
So, if your internet provider says you have 20Mbps internet speed, you need to divide by 8 to get the actual speed in MB. So, 20MBps ÷ 8 = 2.5MBps. Your actual download speed is 2.5MBps. In simple words, your promised internet speed ÷ 8 = actual speed.
If you want to convert your download or actual speed displayed in MB to that offered by your provider, ie Mb, you need to multiply this by 8. So, actual speed * 8 = internet speed. In reality, both speeds are the same. The difference lies in the way they are displayed.
Most speedometers show speed in Mbps. But if you are using a download manager, you will need to convert the speed to MB to get the real result. In summary, the higher the Mbps, the faster your internet connection will be.
Now that you know how to read your internet speed correctly, it’s time to measure it.
How to Measure Internet Speed on PC and Mobile?
Measuring internet speed is easy. You can do this through online tools using a browser or download an app.
In the first case, all you have to do is open any browser on your computer or mobile phone. Next, visit a speed test site. Some of the best sites are:
- speedtest.net
- fast.com
- speedtest.telstra.com
- speedmart.net
- openspeedtest.com
For simplicity’s sake, we’ll cover the Speed Test website. If it doesn’t start automatically, press the Go button to start the process. On some websites you will see Start or Get Started buttons.
Wait a minute or two until the website has finished completing the test. Results of download and upload speeds will be shown to you.
You can also search Google for ‘check internet speed’ and a speed test tool from Google will appear. Click or tap Run Speed Test.
If you want a special app to measure internet speed, you can download the apps below.
- Network Speed Test (Windows)
- Speed Test from Ookla (Windows)
- Meteor (Android)
- Speed Test Master (Android)
- Speed test from Ookla (iOS)
- Speedcheck Internet Speed Test (iOS)
Note: When you use a speed monitor tool, it tests the speed of the currently connected network. So if you are using Wi-Fi, its speed will be determined. Turn off Wi-Fi if you want to check the speed of your mobile data.
How to Continuously Show Internet Speed on Windows and Android?
Instead of opening an app or a website to repeatedly check your internet speed, you can watch from your taskbar on Windows and from the status bar on Android. Both download and upload speeds will be displayed.
We have covered the issue in detail for Windows and Android separately. Learn how to show internet speed in Windows taskbar and Android status bar.
How to View Adapter Speed in Windows 10
You can subscribe to an excellent Internet plan. But to use it, your network adapter must support it. There are two methods to view the maximum speed of your network adapter:
Method 1
Stage 1: Open Settings on your Windows PC and go to Network & Internet.
Step 2: Click on Wi-Fi from the left sidebar. Scroll down and click Change adapter options.
Stage 3: Double-click your Wi-Fi network.
Step 4: The Wi-Fi status window will open. Check the speed under connection.
Alternatively, open Run windows by pressing Windows + R to open the Run dialog. Medicine ncpa.cpl and press Enter. Double-click your Wi-Fi.
Method 2
Stage 1: Open Settings and go to Network & Internet.
Step 2: Click Status. Scroll down and click View your network properties.
Stage 3: Scroll down and look for Connection speed.
How to Get Perfect Speed Test Results
To get the best results from your speed test, make sure to stop all network-using apps like Netflix, online streaming apps like Torrent or any other downloads in progress. You should also measure at different times of the day to get an average speed.
Next: Is your Windows 10 computer using too much data? Learn how to reduce data usage on your PC in the next link.
