Monitor Your Internet Speed: Why and How to Check

Your broadband provider tells you you're getting 50 megabits per second, but your Netflix keeps buffering and downloads crawl along. Sound familiar? The gap between what you're paying for and what you're actually getting happens more often than you'd think.

Checking your internet speed regularly takes about 30 seconds and can help you spot problems before they get annoying. Whether you're in Morningside streaming a film, running a small business from Stockbridge, or just trying to get work done from home, knowing your real speed matters.

Why You Should Check Your Speed Regularly

Your internet speed can drop for lots of reasons. WiFi interference, a struggling router in the corner of your flat, too many devices connected at once, or issues with your broadband provider's network can all slow things down. Some problems fix themselves, but others get worse over time if you don't notice them.

If you're paying for 67 Mbps but only getting 30, you should know about it. Same if you notice a sudden drop from what's normal for you. Regular checks let you catch these problems early and either fix them yourself or contact your provider while you still have evidence something's wrong.

Tip: Check your speed at the same time of day each week and always do it with a wired Ethernet cable connected directly to your router. WiFi speeds vary depending on distance and interference, so a wired test gives you the real picture of what your broadband connection is actually delivering.

The Best Tools for Testing Your Speed

Speedtest.net is the most popular speed testing tool and works on pretty much any device. You just go to the website, click the big button, and wait 30 seconds while it uploads and downloads test data. It's free, reliable, and shows you your download speed, upload speed, and ping (which matters for video calls and online gaming).

There's also Fast.com, which is made by Netflix and gives you a quick download speed reading in about 15 seconds. If you want something simple and you're just checking if your connection is working, Fast.com is brilliant. For more detail though, Speedtest.net tells you more about what's happening.

Tip: Run the test from your laptop or desktop with an Ethernet cable plugged in for the most accurate result. If you're testing WiFi specifically to troubleshoot a problem, run it on your phone or tablet from different rooms around your home to see where the signal's strongest.

What Your Speed Numbers Actually Mean

Download speed is what most people care about. It's measured in megabits per second and affects how quickly you can watch videos, download files, and load websites. If you're streaming HD video, you need around 5 to 8 Mbps. 4K streaming wants about 15 to 25 Mbps. If you've got multiple people at home doing different things, add them together.

Upload speed matters more than people realise, especially if you're working from home in places like Leith or running a business. Video calls need good upload speeds, and so does sending large files to clients. Most broadband packages give you much lower upload speeds than download speeds, which is just how it's set up.

Ping is the time it takes for data to travel from your device to the server and back, measured in milliseconds. For normal browsing and watching video, ping doesn't matter much. For video calls, online gaming, or using remote support software, lower is better. Anything under 100ms is fine for most things.

What Counts as Good Speed

This depends on what you're doing. A single person browsing and the occasional bit of streaming can manage fine on 20 to 30 Mbps. If you've got a family sharing the connection, or you're running a business with video calls and file transfers, aim for 50 to 100 Mbps. If you've got lots of people working from home at once, higher is better.

Your broadband package tells you the maximum you should get, but real world speeds are usually a bit lower. Getting 90 percent of what you're paying for is considered normal and fine. If you're only getting 50 percent or less, that's worth investigating.

Tip: Don't panic if one test shows a slightly lower speed than another. Internet speeds bounce around a bit depending on network load. If you see a consistent pattern of lower speeds across several days though, that's worth looking into.

When to Act on Your Results

If you're consistently getting the speeds you're paying for, you're doing well and there's nothing to worry about. If you're getting significantly less, there are things you can try. Move your router to a more central location in your home, check that it's not overheating or tucked away in a cupboard, and restart it properly by switching it off for a minute.

If you're getting low speeds on WiFi but much better speeds when plugged in with Ethernet, your WiFi is the problem and might need repositioning or upgrading. If both wired and wireless speeds are low, your broadband connection itself might be struggling and it's worth contacting your provider with your speed test results.

Tip: Before you contact your provider, note down your speed test results from a few different days, including the date and time. If your speeds are consistently 20 percent or more below what you're paying for, you've got a solid case for asking them to investigate.

Common Reasons for Slow Speeds

Sometimes slow speeds aren't your provider's fault. Too many devices on the network, interference from microwave ovens or cordless phones, WiFi signals bouncing through too many walls, or an old router that's struggling can all make things slower. A quick speed test with everything plugged in with Ethernet will help narrow down whether it's a WiFi problem or a broadband connection problem.

If you're living in a flat in the New Town or a terraced house anywhere in Edinburgh, WiFi interference from neighbours' networks is common. Your router might be picking up traffic from five other networks around you, which slows things down. A WiFi analyser app on your phone can show you this and help you pick a clearer channel.

Malware, spyware, or viruses on your devices can also hog bandwidth and slow everything down. If you've noticed slower speeds across multiple devices, that's less likely to be the problem. If it's just one computer or laptop being slow, it might be worth checking that device specifically.

Making Speed Testing Part of Your Routine

You don't need to check your speed constantly, but once a month is sensible if you've had problems before, or once every few months if everything's running fine. Keep notes of your results so you can spot trends. This is especially useful if you're working from home and broadband reliability matters to your job.

If you find you're frequently dealing with slow speeds, WiFi dead zones, or connection dropouts, there might be bigger issues worth tackling properly. Sometimes it's as simple as repositioning your router or upgrading to a mesh network. Other times you need a proper investigation to work out what's going on.

If you've checked your speed and you're worried about what you're seeing, or if you're struggling with slow speeds and you're not sure what to do next, get in touch. I can help diagnose whether it's a router issue, a WiFi coverage problem, or something with your broadband connection. I cover Edinburgh and do remote support across the UK. Ring me on 07352 385477 or email rob@curly-it.co.uk and we can work out what's going on and how to fix it.