Is your home getting enough internet speed? There's nothing more annoying than discovering that you aren't getting the internet speeds you've been paying for. And on the flip side, it doesn't make sense to pay for speeds you don't really need -- avoiding that mistake can help you save hundreds of dollars on your internet bill.
Let's face it, home internet is expensive. In a CNET broadband survey, 63% of US adults paying for home internet said their price increased last year. With those rising costs, it can be easy to get stuck paying too much for an internet service that doesn't meet your home broadband needs, especially if you're tied down to a long-term contract.
Here's a quick way to determine whether you're getting your money's worth: Take an internet speed test. Whether you're experiencing lag during gaming, streaming or Zoom calls; you're testing the connection strength in different rooms; or you're unsure just how fast (or slow) your internet really is, a speed test can give you answers in minutes. These tests are quick, easy and free.
Internet speed is measured in megabits per second or Mbps. We use this measure to determine how fast your internet download and upload speeds are. Several different speed tests are available, each offering unique features and metrics that can provide insights into your internet speeds. So, let's get into it.
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What's the best internet speed test overall?
Getty Images/Tharon Green/CNET
There are plenty of online speed tests available, most of which are easy to use and don't require you to be an expert. However, among all speed tests, CNET's pick for the best speed test overall is Ookla, a tool we've been using to determine broadband speeds from internet service providers for a while now. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) Even with the use of FCC-mandated broadband labels, our daily speeds are not always what our ISP advertises. CNET broadband expert Amanda Kooser writes that sometimes it's not your ISP's fault. Multiple factors can impact your speeds, such as network congestion, outdated equipment and the number of devices on your network. Regardless of what contributes to your slow speeds, determining what internet speeds your network is pulling is the first step to deciding if you should switch internet providers or upgrade your plan. Ookla, which has been used for 55 billion tests to date, can report the speeds you're getting at your address in a user-friendly manner. Plus, Ookla's speed test data compiles national and global internet speed averages for a comprehensive research index.
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