Monitor Your Internet Speed: Why and How to Test It

Your broadband provider tells you you're getting 67 Mbps, but your Netflix keeps buffering and your Zoom calls keep freezing. Sound familiar? The truth is, most people have no idea what their actual internet speed is or how to measure it properly.

Testing your internet speed regularly takes about two minutes and can tell you a lot about what's really happening in your home network. It's one of the quickest ways to spot problems before they become serious headaches, and it often reveals issues that have nothing to do with your broadband at all.

Why Your Advertised Speed Isn't What You Get

When your ISP sells you a 'superfast' broadband package, that speed is the theoretical maximum you might get under perfect conditions. In reality, several things can slow you down. Your router might be in the wrong place, too far away from where you actually use the internet, or surrounded by obstacles like walls and interference from other devices. Wi-Fi signal degrades with distance and physical barriers, so someone in Stockbridge using Wi-Fi on the other side of a thick Victorian tenement wall will get much less than someone sitting next to the router.

Wired connections (using an ethernet cable) are always faster and more reliable than Wi-Fi, but most of us don't want cables running across our living rooms. That's why knowing your actual speed helps you work out whether you've got a real problem or whether you're just expecting too much from wireless. It's also the first question anyone will ask if you call to complain about slow internet.

What Speed Do You Actually Need?

Before you test anything, it helps to know what speeds you should expect for different tasks. Browsing websites and checking email need very little: around 5 Mbps is comfortable. Video calls like Zoom or Teams need about 2.5 Mbps upload and download. Streaming video on Netflix needs about 5 Mbps for HD and 25 Mbps for 4K. Online gaming is similar to streaming, around 5-10 Mbps depending on the game.

If you're working from home in Morningside or running a business from Leith, you might want 30-50 Mbps to handle multiple users and devices at once. The key point is: if you're consistently getting below what you need, there's definitely something to investigate. If you're getting what you need but things still feel slow, it's usually a Wi-Fi or network problem rather than a speed problem.

How to Test Your Speed Properly

There are several free speed testing tools available online. Speedtest.net is the most well-known, but there's also Fast.com (made by Netflix) and OpenSpeedTest. They all work roughly the same way: you visit the website, click a button, and they measure how fast you can download and upload data. The test takes about 30 seconds to two minutes depending on your connection.

For the most accurate results, test your speed a few different ways. First, test on a wired connection if possible, plugged directly into your router with an ethernet cable. This gives you your 'maximum' speed and shows what your broadband line is actually capable of. Then test on Wi-Fi from the room where you actually work or use the internet most. Test at different times of day too, because speeds can vary depending on how busy your ISP's network is. Write down your results and compare them to your package speed and to what you actually need for your usage.

What Different Speed Results Tell You

If your wired speed is much lower than your package promises, the problem is with your broadband connection itself. This could be a problem with your ISP's network, your modem, or the line coming into your house. If your Wi-Fi speed is much lower than your wired speed, you've got a Wi-Fi problem. This could be poor signal, interference from other devices, or your router is too old or positioned badly.

A huge gap between your wired and wireless speeds, like 60 Mbps wired and 5 Mbps wireless, tells you that your router isn't working properly or you're too far away from it. If your speeds are consistent and match what you should be getting, but things still feel slow, the issue might be that your devices are just trying to do too much at once, or something on your network is using up bandwidth in the background. Speed tests are a useful diagnostic tool, but they're not the whole story.

Regular Testing Helps You Spot Problems Early

If you test your speed once a month and keep a record, you'll quickly notice if something changes. Maybe your speeds have been dropping slowly over weeks, which could mean your router is overheating, your Wi-Fi channel is getting crowded with interference from neighbours' networks, or your ISP is throttling your connection. Getting the data down in writing before you call to complain makes a huge difference.

People in New Town, Corstorphine, and all over Edinburgh often discover that their 'slow internet' is actually just that they've been testing Wi-Fi from too far away, or too many devices are connected at once. Sometimes it's a real fault, but you won't know until you've tested it properly. Keep test results from a few different dates so you can show a clear pattern if something's genuinely wrong.

Other Tools That Help You Diagnose Network Problems

Speed tests are useful, but they're just one piece of the puzzle. Another quick check is to restart your router. Most people never turn their router off, but a simple restart often fixes speed problems. Unplug it for 30 seconds, plug it back in, and wait for the lights to settle. Test again and see if things improve.

If you use a lot of devices or want to understand what's using your bandwidth, your router's admin panel can show you connected devices and activity. Every router is different, but usually you can access this by typing 192.168.1.1 into a web browser and logging in. If you don't know your router password, check the back of the device or your ISP's paperwork. This helps you work out whether something is hogging your internet without you realizing.

When to Get Help With Your Speed Problem

Once you've tested your speed and worked out whether the problem is your broadband, your Wi-Fi, or something else, you're in a much stronger position. If your wired speed is consistently below what you're paying for, you have a genuine complaint for your ISP. If your Wi-Fi speed is poor, that's usually fixable with better router placement, a newer router, or a mesh network system. If your speed tests are fine but things still feel slow, we need to dig deeper into what's happening on your devices.

The testing process takes a few minutes and gives you concrete information instead of just a hunch that things are slow. It's the starting point for any internet speed conversation, and honestly, it's often enough to help you fix the problem yourself. But if you've tested everything, tried the basics, and you're still stuck, that's where it helps to get someone in who can look at the bigger picture.

If you've tested your speed and found a problem you can't solve, or you're not sure where to start, give Rob at Curly IT a call on 07352 385477 or email rob@curly-it.co.uk. He covers Edinburgh and offers remote support across the UK, so whether you're in Leith or London, Rob can help you diagnose what's really going on with your internet and get it sorted. There's no charge if he can't fix it.