# Internet speed test - does my internet service suck?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 14, 2014, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441 "2014-09-14T00:38:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441/1 "2014-09-14T00:38:08Z")

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I suspect that my internet speed is slowly getting worse over time.

I did a few different online speed tests and got these results:

1. Download: 1.6 Mbps. Upload: 1.75 Mbps. Ping: 9 ms

2. Download: 10.97 Mbps. Upload: 1.83 Mbps. Ping: 102 ms

3. Download: 4.45 Mbps. Upload: 1.82 Mbps.  
These results are from three different sites minutes apart.

Help me interpret and compare my numbers with what others, on average, typically experience.

Does my internet suck?

Thanks!  
mmm

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441/2 "2014-09-14T00:40:40Z")

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Try [speedtest.net](http://speedtest.net) to a local server and report back.

11 Mbps isn’t bad, but nothing to brag about. \<5Mbps is pretty awful.

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**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441/3 "2014-09-14T00:59:53Z")

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What level of service are you paying for?

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**Author:** ![Amberlei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Amberlei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amberlei)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441/4 "2014-09-14T01:16:45Z")

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For comparison, using [speedtest.net](http://speedtest.net), my stats are:  
DL: 1.1 Mbps  
UL: 0.27 Mbps  
Ping: 47ms

I PAY for 7.1 to 15Mbps, but I think 1.26 is the highest DL I’ve ever seen. My speed gradually gets slower and slower until I call them when it gets down to about 0.5. They’ll do something and things will speed up, only to taper back down over the course of a few months. Darn contracts.

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**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441/5 "2014-09-14T01:18:08Z")

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Where are you? What sort of connection?

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**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441/6 "2014-09-14T01:22:07Z")

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On [speedtest.net](http://speedtest.net) I get 127Mbps down, 12Mbps up. But that’s now when I am ethernet-connected to the router. When I was using wifi, sitting next to the router I would get 50Mbps down. And when I used it on the second floor, across the house from the router, I was lucky to get 10Mbps down, usually 4-5.

So - are you getting this on a wired connection to the router or on wifi?

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**Author:** ![Amberlei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Amberlei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amberlei)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441/7 "2014-09-14T01:32:30Z")

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I’m on a wireless connection, two rooms away from the router. My room-mate is wired in and just got almost the same thing as I did, though. DL 1.1 Mbps, UL 0.26 Mbps, and a ping of 45. I’m pretty certain that in our case, the problem lies with our service not living up to its promise.

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**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441/8 "2014-09-14T01:48:55Z")

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> [@Terr](#):
>
> On [speedtest.net](http://speedtest.net) I get 127Mbps down, 12Mbps up. But that’s now when I am ethernet-connected to the router. When I was using wifi, sitting next to the router I would get 50Mbps down. And when I used it on the second floor, across the house from the router, I was lucky to get 10Mbps down, usually 4-5.
> 
> So - are you getting this on a wired connection to the router or on wifi?

That does not sound like basic home service. What are you (or whoever pays) paying for that? From whom?

I just tested and am getting  
54.63Mbps down  
3.08Mbps up  
7ms ping to a nearby server.

This is the basic home cable broadband from Virgin in the UK. A few years ago in the US however, I was getting only about 10Mbps down (on a good day - but it often sank much lower) from my local cable provider (and, unlike most people in the USA, I was lucky enough to live in an area where there were two, competing cable providers).

So, **mmm** , yes, your service sucks, but how much it sucks - how much cause for complaint you have - depends on where you are and what level of service you are paying for. It might also depend on whether you are on cable, DSL, satellite, or whatever.

The last I heard, the best place for home broadband speeds was South Korea, but the US is close to being the worst (on average) amongst first world countries.

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**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441/9 "2014-09-14T01:57:43Z")

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There are certainly a wide variety of factors that could lead to those results, but one that you might want to consider is that someone or something is actively using your network. How is your WiFi secured encryption/password-wise? Could be a neighbor helping themselves to free internet access.

It’s also possible that your PC or that of your roommate has been hijacked by malware that is using your system and network as part of its botnet, transferring who-knows-what to who-knows-who.

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**Author:** ![The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e79b87/32.png) [@The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Joker_and_the_Thief)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441/10 "2014-09-14T01:58:24Z")

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Download: 147.61 MB/s  
Upload: 51.09 MB/s

Over wifi. But I’m not on a residential connection.

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**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441/11 "2014-09-14T02:02:58Z")

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> [@njtt](#):
>
> That does not sound like basic home service. What are you (or whoever pays) paying for that? From whom?

Comcast Xfinity, in Houston. Not sure how much I am paying for that in particular. Would have to ask my wife, she pays the bills 🙂 It is part of the cable/internet/phone bundle. But nothing extraordinary.

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**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441/12 "2014-09-14T02:04:12Z")

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Jesus Christ.

DL: 1.35 Mbps  
UL: 0.25 Mbps  
ping: 27 ms.

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**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441/13 "2014-09-14T02:04:29Z")

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> [@beowulff](#):
>
> Try [speedtest.net](http://speedtest.net) to a local server and report back.
> 
> 11 Mbps isn’t bad, but nothing to brag about. \<5Mbps is pretty awful.

You guys are spoiled. Your figures seem to me plenty good enough to watch videos, or for most uploading chores.

I’ve previously mentioned my Fly-by-Night Wifi provider, which is my best option here, in a village with no phone lines. On very happy days, especially late at night, I can get (from [speedtest.net](http://speedtest.net)) almost 4 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up, the throttles I operate under. Rather often I get “Error: Unable to read the Upload file” or such. As I type this, I’m staring at “0.00” as speedtest tries to upload to Arizona. After a while it will put up its red error message. I’ll click _Submit Reply_ here and see if that works.

(Please excuse any typos in my posts here. Half the time response is so error-ridden, I feel lucky to click and don’t want to waste extra timeout-waits just for a Preview.)

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**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441/14 "2014-09-14T02:06:55Z")

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BTW. Capitalization matters 🙂 Mbps vs MBps. One is ~10 times slower than the other, with the same number. So my 125 Mbps is equivalent to around 11 MBps.

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**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441/15 "2014-09-14T02:10:39Z")

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Also, do you or your roommate possibly use BitTorrent? I remember someone’s laptop I “repaired” by pointing out to them that having BitTorrent autostart with Windows was a bad idea combined with the fact that they were actively seeding \*numerous \*huge files. They knew just enough about BitTorrent to get the movies they wanted to watch, but not enough to know the effect of never removing the torrents themselves once they were complete…

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**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441/16 "2014-09-14T02:12:11Z")

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I believe that in this context, **B** and **b** can mean very different things (bytes and bits respectively, I think). Are people paying attention to this? [Speedtest.net](http://Speedtest.net) gives speeds in Mbps, that is mega **bits** per second.

Ninjaed by **Terr**! (Though I think it is a factor of 8, not 10).

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**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441/17 "2014-09-14T02:17:09Z")

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> [@njtt](#):
>
> I believe that in this context, **B** and **b** can mean very different things (bytes and bits respectively, I think). Are people paying attention to this? [Speedtest.net](http://Speedtest.net) gives speeds in Mbps, that is mega **bits** per second.
> 
> Ninjaed by **Terr**! (Though I think it is a factor of 8, not 10).

There is, I believe, some error checking involved as well. That’s why it is around 10, rather than 8.

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**Author:** ![WreckingCrew](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wreckingcrew/32/4080_2.png) [@WreckingCrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WreckingCrew)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441/18 "2014-09-14T02:18:06Z")

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I am getting 43.8 Mb down and 45.8 up on wifi. I am paying for 50 both ways from Fios and I assume I could get it if I plugged in.

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**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441/19 "2014-09-14T02:53:37Z")

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> [@Terr](#):
>
> There is, I believe, some error checking involved as well. That’s why it is around 10, rather than 8.

😕 We are just talking about different measuring units here, not different protocols.

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**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-speed-test-does-my-internet-service-suck/698441/20 "2014-09-14T03:05:03Z")

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> [@Terr](#):
>
> Comcast Xfinity, in Houston. Not sure how much I am paying for that in particular. Would have to ask my wife, she pays the bills 🙂 It is part of the cable/internet/phone bundle. But nothing extraordinary.

I get about the same; 121 Mbps DL/11.75 Mbps UL. Also Comcast. I have one of their higher-end net packages but it’s still just an ordinary residential plan. It’s hard to split from the TV service, but I’d say it’s around $80 for just the internet service.

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