Internet Speed Test

What’s Considered a “Good” Internet Speed in the US?

What qualifies as a “good” speed depends heavily on what you do online and the number of people using your connection. Here’s a general guide based on typical US usage:

• 1-25 Mbps: Suitable for basic email, web browsing, and standard definition (SD) streaming on one device at a time. Often associated with DSL or satellite in some areas.

• 25-100 Mbps: Good for high-definition (HD) streaming, online gaming on one device, and supporting a few connected devices. Common speeds for Cable internet plans. (The FCC’s definition of “broadband” is currently 25/3 Mbps).

• 100-300 Mbps: Excellent for households with multiple users streaming HD/4K content, online gaming, video calls, and handling many connected devices simultaneously. Increasingly common with Cable and entry-level Fiber plans.

• 300+ Mbps to 1 Gbps (1000 Mbps): Very fast speeds ideal for large households, heavy data users, frequent large downloads/uploads, 4K streaming on multiple devices, and future-proofing. Often delivered via Fiber optic connections, common in many urban and suburban areas.

Remember, advertised speeds are often “up to” speeds. Running a speed test helps you see the actual speed you’re receiving.

Factors That Can Affect Your Internet Speed Test Results

Your speed test result is a snapshot and can be influenced by various factors:

• Your Internet Plan: You can’t get speeds faster than the maximum allowed by your subscription.

• Time of Day: Speeds can slow down during peak usage hours in your neighborhood (e.g., evenings).

• Wi-Fi vs. Wired Connection: Testing over Wi-Fi can show lower speeds than a direct Ethernet cable connection due to interference, distance from the router, and router quality. Always test wired if possible for the most accurate reading of your ISP’s speed.

• Your Equipment: An old or low-quality modem or router can bottleneck your connection.

• Number of Devices: The more devices actively using your internet, the less bandwidth is available for the test.

• Background Activity: Downloads, streaming, or automatic updates running on your device or network during the test will impact results.

• Server Location: While our tool aims to pick a nearby US server, testing to very distant servers can show higher ping and slightly different speeds.

What To Do If Your Speed Test is Consistently Slow

If your speed tests are consistently much lower than what you’re paying for, try these steps:

1. Reboot Your Equipment: Power off your modem and router, wait 60 seconds, and power them back on. This fixes many common issues.

2. Test with a Wired Connection: Connect a computer directly to your router with an Ethernet cable and run the test again. If the wired speed is significantly faster than Wi-Fi, the issue is with your Wi-Fi network.

3. Test on Multiple Devices: See if the slow speed is specific to one computer or device.

4. Minimize Network Usage: Ensure no other devices are heavily using the internet during the test.

5. Check Your Equipment: Make sure your modem and router are up-to-date and suitable for your plan speed. Your ISP can advise on this.

6. Contact Your ISP: If speeds are still low after troubleshooting, contact your internet service provider (like AT&T, Optimum, Kinetic, Earthlink, Frontier, Spectrum, etc.). Provide them with your speed test results. There might be an issue with the line to your home or their equipment.

7. Consider Upgrading: If you consistently need more speed than your current plan offers, it might be time to explore faster tiers available in your area.

Internet Speed in the USA – Common Connection Types

The type of internet connection available greatly impacts potential speeds in the US:

• DSL: Delivered over phone lines. Generally slower, speeds vary significantly based on distance from the provider’s facility.

• Cable: Delivered over coaxial cable lines (like cable TV). Offers a wide range of speeds, often faster for download than upload. Widely available.

• Fiber Optic: Uses fiber-optic cables to transmit data with light signals. Offers the fastest speeds currently available (often symmetrical – same download/upload), but availability is growing but not universal.

• Satellite: Available almost anywhere but typically has higher latency (ping) and lower speeds than wired options, plus data caps.

• 5G Home Internet / Fixed Wireless: Uses cellular or dedicated wireless signals. Availability and performance vary by location and provider’s network capacity.

Our speed test tool works for all these connection types.