Take a Wi-Fi Speed Test
Click below to take an internet speed and test upload and download speeds, ping, and jitter. Not sure what these metrics mean? No worries, continue below for help understanding speed test results.
How To Understand Speed Test Results
What Is Download Speed?
Download speed measures how quickly data is transferred from the internet to your device. It affects activities like
streaming video, loading websites, downloading files, and browsing social media.
What Is Upload Speed?
Upload speed determines how fast data is sent from your device to the internet. It plays a major role in video calls,
file uploads, cloud backups, and online gaming communication.
What Is Ping?
Ping measures how quickly data travels between your device and a server. Lower ping means faster response times, which is especially important for gaming, video calls, and real-time online applications.
What Is Jitter?
Jitter refers to variations in ping over time. High jitter can cause lag, choppy video calls, and inconsistent performance even when download and upload speeds appear fast.
What Are Good Internet Speeds?
Wondering what are good internet speeds for streaming, gaming, or working from home? Match your results from the Wi-Fi speed test to your household activities to help ensure smooth connectivity.
Basic Internet Use
For internet usage such as browsing, email, social apps, and light HD streaming the ideal internet speeds are 25-100 Mbps download and 5-10 Mbps upload.
Family Internet Use
Recommended internet speeds for streaming, multiple device support, smart devices, and casual gaming are 200-500 Mbps download and 20-50 Mbps upload.
Work From Home Use
Recommended internet speeds for working from home and supporting usage such as video calls, uploads, background streaming are 300-500 Mbps Download and 50-100 Mbps upload.
Gaming & Streaming Use
Recommended internet speeds for gaming competitively and low latency needs are 1-2+ Gigs download and 100+ Mbps upload.
For everyday activities like browsing the web, checking email, and scrolling social media, internet speed requirements are relatively modest. In these cases, a good download speed is one that allows pages and videos to load quickly without buffering, even on a single device.
Light HD streaming also fits comfortably within this range as long as the connection is stable. When slowdowns occur, it’s usually due to Wi-Fi signal quality, device performance, or background apps—not because the internet plan itself is too slow.
If your usage is limited to one or two devices at a time, higher speeds typically won’t change the experience in a noticeable way.
In homes with multiple people online at once, bandwidth adds up quickly. Even if each activity seems lightweight on its own, streaming video, smart devices, gaming, and background updates can all run simultaneously, increasing overall demand.
For these households, a good download speed needs enough headroom to support multiple streams and devices at the same time. 4K streaming requires significantly more data than HD, and smart home devices frequently communicate in the background, creating brief spikes in usage.
Higher download and upload capacity helps prevent buffering, lag, and slowdowns when several devices are active—especially during busy evening hours.
Remote work places heavier demands on upload speed than most people expect. Video conferencing, file sharing, screen sharing, and cloud backups all rely on a strong upstream connection—not just fast downloads.
For remote workers, a good upload speed is essential for keeping video calls clear and preventing delays when sending files. Adequate upload capacity also ensures other household activity doesn’t interfere with work sessions.
If video calls freeze, audio cuts out, or uploads slow everything else down, it’s usually an upload bottleneck rather than a download issue. This speed range is designed to keep work sessions smooth and reliable throughout the day.
Online gaming is less about raw download speed and more about latency and consistency. While a good download speed ensures games load quickly, low ping and stable connections are what allow actions to register instantly during gameplay.
In busy households, gaming performance can suffer when the network is saturated by streaming, downloads, or uploads happening at the same time. Higher overall capacity helps prevent congestion that can introduce lag or disconnects.
For homes with competitive gamers, high-resolution streaming, or many connected devices, gigabit-level speeds provide the headroom needed to keep everything running smoothly at once.
What Causes Inconsistent Internet Speed?
Network Congestion and Time of Day
Internet usage typically peaks in the evenings, when more households are streaming video, gaming, and using connected devices at the same time. During these high-demand periods, speeds can temporarily dip as bandwidth is shared across the network. This often leads to slow internet or inconsistent internet speed, especially compared to early mornings or midday when fewer users are online.
Wi-Fi Signal Strength and Interference
Most speed tests are run over Wi-Fi, and wireless connections are highly affected by distance, walls, and interference from nearby electronics. Routers placed far from devices or blocked by walls and floors can struggle to deliver consistent performance. Nearby Wi-Fi networks, smart devices, and household appliances can also interfere with your signal, contributing to inconsistent internet speed, dropped connections, or increased network jitter during video calls and streaming.
Multiple Devices Sharing Bandwidth
Every device connected to your network shares available bandwidth. Streaming video, cloud backups, software updates, and smart devices can all consume data in the background—even when you’re not actively using them. When several devices are online at once, your internet speed may slow as bandwidth is divided across the network. This is a common cause of slow internet in busy households and a frequent focus of basic slow internet troubleshooting, especially when performance drops during peak usage times.
Device and Hardware Limitations
Older devices, outdated network adapters, or aging routers may not be capable of handling modern internet speeds. In these cases, a speed test may reflect the limits of your device. Upgrading equipment or adjusting your network setup can often reduce network jitter, improve stability, and help your devices take full advantage of faster internet speeds.
How Can You Increase Your Internet Speed?
Explore ALLO Internet Plans
ALLO Fiber delivers ultra-fast 500 Mbps, 1 GIG, and 2 GIG symmetrical speeds so you never have to worry about download and upload speeds again.
Upgrade Today
Already with ALLO? Upgrading to 1 GIG, or 2 GIG and future proof your home giving it more speed and more capacity to grow.
Before Upgrading, Try These Internet Troubleshooting Tips
Restart Your Router and Modem
Restarting your router and modem can clear temporary network issues and force a fresh connection to the network.
This simple step often resolves short-term slowdowns and connection instability.
Check Your Wi-Fi Placement
Wi-Fi signal strength is affected by distance, walls, and nearby electronics. Routers placed in central, open
locations tend to deliver more consistent speeds than those hidden in closets or basements.
Limit Background Internet Usage
Streaming video, cloud backups, software updates, and smart devices can all use bandwidth in the background.
Disconnecting unused devices or pausing large downloads can improve performance for active tasks.
Run a Speed Test Using a Wired Connection
Testing your internet speed with an Ethernet connection removes Wi-Fi variables and provides the most accurate
view of your connection’s performance. This helps determine whether slow speeds are caused by Wi-Fi or the network itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I check my internet speed?
You should check your internet speed whenever you notice buffering, slow downloads, lag during video calls, or dropped connections. It’s also smart to run a speed test after setting up new equipment, adding devices, or changing your internet plan.
What is the difference between upload vs download speed?
Download speed measures how fast data moves to your device, which affects streaming, browsing, and downloading files. Upload speed measures how fast data moves from your device, which impacts video calls, sending files, cloud backups, and online gaming. Most internet plans prioritize download speed, but upload speed is increasingly important for remote work and gamers.
Can I use a Wi-Fi speed test on multiple devices?
Yes, you can use a Wi-Fi speed test on phones, tablets, laptops, smart TVs, and computers. Results will vary depending on the device’s hardware, Wi-Fi capability, and distance from the router. Testing multiple devices helps identify whether slow speeds are caused by the network itself or by a specific device.
Why is it important to know how to test internet speeds?
Knowing how to test internet speeds allows you to accurately diagnose performance issues instead of guessing. It helps you confirm whether slow speeds are caused by Wi-Fi setup, network congestion, or your internet plan. Understanding how to test properly also ensures you’re getting the performance you pay for and helps you decide when adjustments or upgrades are necessary.
What are good upload and download speeds for streaming 4K video?
For smooth 4K streaming, a download speed of at least 200 Mbps per stream is recommended. If multiple devices are streaming 4K at the same time, higher speeds of 500 Mbps or more are ideal. Upload speed is less critical for streaming but should be at least 20-50 Mbps to support background activity like video calls or uploads without interruption.
