How to use the speed test

This tool estimates the speed of your connection from the browser. It gives you an idea of the state of your internet at that moment; it is not meant to audit the plan you contracted from your provider.

Close downloads, streaming and updates running on your device and, if possible, on the other devices in your home.
Click "Start Test".
Follow the progress bar and the status message. The test goes through three stages: latency (ping), download and upload.
When "Test complete" appears, read the three cards: Ping in milliseconds (ms), Download and Upload in Mbps.
Repeat two or three times, at different moments, and compare the results instead of trusting a single measurement.

What each number means

Ping: the time a small request takes to go to the test server and come back. The lower, the more responsive the connection, which matters in online games and video calls.
Download: the speed at which data reaches you. It is what counts for videos, web pages and downloads.
Upload: the speed at which you send data. It counts for video calls, sending photos and files, cloud backups and live streams.

How the measurement is made

The test uses Cloudflare's public servers (speed.cloudflare.com) and measures what actually happens between your browser and them:

Latency: nine tiny requests in sequence; the first one, which only opens the connection, is discarded, and the value shown is the median of the others.
Download: three transfers of 10 MB each. The speed is the total bytes received divided by the receiving time, converted to megabits per second (bytes x 8 / seconds / 1.000.000).
Upload: three uploads of 3 MB. The speed is the total sent divided by the time until the server responds.

In total, the test uses about 30 MB of download and 9 MB of upload, which is worth remembering if you are on a mobile data allowance. No number is simulated or filled in by default: if any stage fails, the tool shows the message "Could not measure right now" and leaves the cards empty, instead of displaying an invented value.

Limitations: it is an estimate

The result is an estimate made by the browser, not a laboratory measurement. It depends on the Cloudflare server chosen for you, the route to it, how busy your device's processor is and everything else sharing the network. Short transfers may not saturate very fast connections (above a few hundred Mbps), so the value may come out below the real one. Meters run by providers or tests over a cable usually give different numbers, and that is normal. To dispute a plan, repeat the test over a cable, at different times, and use a recognized official meter.

Practical tips

Compare Wi-Fi and cable: if the result improves a lot on the cable, the problem is probably the wireless signal, the distance to the router or walls in the way.
Test in the same room at different times, such as morning and evening. Neighborhood networks tend to slow down at peak hours.
Remember that Mbps (megabits per second) is not the same as MB/s (megabytes per second). A file downloads at a speed 8 times lower, in MB/s, than the number in Mbps. Illustrative example: 80 Mbps is about 10 MB/s.

Privacy and how it works

The calculation runs in your browser and the tool does not store results. To measure, the page makes requests to Cloudflare: it receives meaningless test data and, as with any visit to a website, sees your IP address. We do not send personal data. Blocking extensions, corporate firewalls or networks that filter Cloudflare may prevent the test. More details in the Privacy Policy. To find out which IP you present, see the Public IP tool.

Frequently asked questions

Why did the result change between two tests in a row?

The real speed of a connection fluctuates from moment to moment because of the network, Wi-Fi and other programs. Take several measurements and look at the range the values fall in.

The download came out higher (or lower) than my plan. Is that an error?

Not necessarily. This is a test estimated by the browser against a specific server; the contracted plan is measured by the provider up to its own network. Differences are common, especially on Wi-Fi.

"Could not measure right now" appeared. What should I do?

Check that the internet is working, temporarily disable ad blockers or VPN and try again. The tool prefers to warn about the failure rather than show a number with no basis.

Does the test use a lot of my data allowance?

It does. It is about 30 MB of download and 9 MB of upload per run, so avoid repeating the test many times on a mobile connection with a limited allowance.

⚡ Speed Test