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How to Test Your WiFi Speed

Testing WiFi properly means comparing it with a wired result and testing in the places you actually use the internet. Twenty minutes with a laptop or phone is enough to map your home.

Updated October 6, 2026 · How we write our guides

What you need

  • A laptop, ideally one with an Ethernet port or adapter, and an Ethernet cable.
  • Your phone, if you want to see what it gets too. Different devices get different WiFi speeds.
  • A few quiet minutes when others are not streaming or downloading.

Step 1: Get a wired baseline

Plug the laptop into the router with the cable, turn its WiFi off, and run the speed test twice. This is the most your connection delivers. If this is already well below your plan, start with fixing slow internet rather than WiFi.

Step 2: Test room by room

  1. Unplug the cable and turn WiFi on.
  2. Test about 3–6 feet from the router, with nothing in between. This is the best your WiFi can do.
  3. Test in each room where people use the internet, sitting or standing where they normally would. For a TV, test next to the TV.
  4. Note download, upload, ping and jitter for each spot.
Example room-by-room log
LocationDownloadUploadPingJitter
Wired baseline    
Next to router    
Living room    
Bedroom / office    

Step 3: Read the pattern

Fast near the router, slow far away

A coverage problem. Distance, walls and floors are eating the signal. Moving the router to a central, raised spot, or adding a mesh point or wired access point, usually fixes it.

Slow even next to the router

The router’s WiFi, or the device, is the bottleneck. Check that the device is on 5 GHz (or 6 GHz) rather than 2.4 GHz, update the router firmware, and try a newer device for comparison. Older routers often can’t deliver fast plans over WiFi.

Speed is fine but ping and jitter jump around

Interference or crowded channels, common in apartments. Try a different channel, prefer 5 GHz, or use a cable for gaming and calls. See how to reduce jitter.

One device is much slower than another in the same spot

The device supports an older WiFi standard or has weaker antennas. Nothing in the network will fully fix that.

Step 4: Retest after every change

Change one thing at a time, such as router position, band or channel, then retest the same spots. That way you know which change helped. Our guide to improving internet speed lists changes in order of cost and effort.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find WiFi dead zones?

Run the test in each room where you use the internet, standing where you normally sit. Rooms where the result drops sharply, or where ping and jitter jump, are your weak spots.

Should I test WiFi next to the router?

Yes, as a baseline. Testing a few feet from the router shows the best your WiFi can do. Comparing it with other rooms shows how much speed you lose to distance and walls.

Why is one device slower than another in the same spot?

Devices support different WiFi standards and antenna counts. An older phone or laptop can be much slower than a new one on the same network.