You are paying a certain amount based on the connection speed. Let’s say you have a 1 Gbps internet connection. Are you getting the Wi-Fi speed you paid for?
You should know how to check your Wi-Fi speed. You might be surprised to know that your speed is not up to the mark.
Why are you getting slow speed?
Is it due to ISP? What if the slow Wi-Fi speed is due to your router?
Don’t worry, and you don’t need any special training to know all these details. It is pretty simple. This article will explain everything related to Wi-Fi speed.
Table of Contents
Why Do Wi-Fi Speed Matter?
There are three significant reasons to have a good Wi-Fi speed at your home:
Work from Home Trend
The covid pandemic has changed the work environment altogether. Work from home (WFH) is a new trend accepted by all organizations. As a result, we require a better internet connection at home to communicate with our team members and clients.
Video conferencing apps like zoom, google meet have become very common. These applications require a proper internet speed for video/audio calling. So, we should have a good Wi-Fi speed for our office-related works.
Online Teaching-Learning Process
What if you have some students at your home? Most of the colleges, universities, and schools have stopped offline classes due to the pandemic. However, all educational institutions have started online courses. So, you need good internet speed for online classes like you do for WFH.
Entertainment
There was a time when we used to go outside to watch movies. Now, it isn’t easy to go outside due to Covid-19. It helped OTT (Over the Top) platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime to grow more. Most of the latest shows/movies are directly released on OTT platforms. You need a high-speed connection to watch your favorite shows online. Some of your family members may be interested in online gaming that also requires a high-speed connection.
Imagine a scenario. You are in a video call with your colleagues. Your child is attending online classes. Your brother is playing the online game, and your wife is watching the latest movie through the OTT platform. Everyone needs high-speed internet connectivity.
How Much Wi-Fi Speed Is Enough for Me?
If you want to enjoy High Definition (HD) streaming, OTT platforms require an internet speed of 5 Mbps or faster. This speed is applicable for a single device. However, in a home of 5 persons, 5 Mbps is not enough. If we connect our mobile phones, smart TV, laptops with a single connection of 5 Mbps, the Wi-Fi speed is distributed among the devices.
An online game requires a Wi-Fi speed of 10-25 Mbps for a fantastic experience. You can also play an online game with an internet speed of 5-10 Mbps. Video conferencing requires a minimum speed of 4-5 Mbps. How much speed is enough to fulfill the needs of all home members?
Generally, a family of 5 members can take an internet connection with a download speed of 50 Mbps. It will fulfill all their requirements. With such speed, you will be able to download a 2 GB video file in 5 minutes. If you have a 1Gbps connection, you can download the same video file in 16 seconds.
5 Best Ways to Check Wi-Fi Speed on Laptop
1. Check Wi-Fi Speed on Windows
Step1: go to the Start Menu
Step 2: type control panel in the search bar
Step 3: Click on Control Panel from the search results
Step 4: go to Network and Internet
Step 5: Click on Network and Sharing Center
Step 6: Click on Change Adapter Settings
Step 7: double click on the Wi-Fi connection
Step 8: you will find a field called Speed. It represents your Wi-Fi speed. It may fluctuate with time.
2. Check Wi-Fi Speed on Mac OS
Using Wi-Fi Icon
- You will find the WIFI icon in the menu bar.
- Only clicking on the Wi-Fi icon will not provide you the required information. You have to use a combination of the option key and Wi-Fi icon to know the Wi-Fi speed.
- So, press the option key and keep it pressed while you click on the Wi-Fi icon.
- It will provide you with plenty of details like Wi-Fi name, IP address of laptop/router, etc., related to your Wi-Fi connection. Among these details, you will also find the TX rate (i.e., transmission speed). This is the Wi-Fi speed of your network.
Using the Network Utility
- You can reach Network Utility with the help of the Spotlight search box.
- You can also go through the Applications > Utilities to reach Network Utility.
- Once you reach there, you will find Link Speed under the Info tab.
- Link speed represents your Wi-Fi speed.
- The speed may vary when you take your laptop around your house. If you are nearer to the router, speed will increase, whereas speed may go down if you go away from the router.
Using the System Information Utility
- You can reach the System Information app from Spotlight search or with the help of Applications > Utilities.
- You can go to WIFI or Airport (depends upon Mac version) from the network tab.
- On the right-hand side, you will get the required Wi-Fi speed info under transmission rate.
3. Check Wi-Fi Speed with Google
- Open www.google.com and type speed test.
- You will find the Google service link https://projectstream.google.com/speedtest.
- Click on it.
- After opening the page, you can hit the Check Now blue button.
- It will provide you the Wi-Fi speed.
- You can also use the Google Wi-Fi app or Google Home app to check the Wi-Fi speed.
4. Check Wi-Fi Speed with Fast.com
- Fast.com is a service started by Netflix.
- You should type fast.com in the web browser and press the enter button.
- You will get the required information related to Wi-Fi speed.
- If you want more details like latency, upload test results, you can click on more results.
- Fast also provides android and iOS app for checking internet speed.
5. Check Wi-Fi Speed with Speed Test
- Go to the web address www.speedtest.net.
- Once the page opens, click on GO.
- It will analyze and provide you the Wi-Fi speed in a few seconds.
- Comcast is the owner of the Speed test.
- You can also install the Speed Test app for Wi-Fi speed checking purposes.
Upload vs. Download Speed are the two standard features you will observe while checking the Wi-Fi speed. When your device access data from the internet at a certain speed, it is known as download speed. When you transfer data from your device to the internet, we call it the upload speed.
How Can I Improve My Wi-Fi Speed?
When you set up a Wi-Fi network at your home, you may face some issues related to Wi-Fi speed. Here, we will discuss some common problems faced by the users and how we can solve them.
Slow Connection
Slow connection is one of the significant issues faced by users. If your Wi-Fi is providing an internet connection with slow speed, there may be different reasons. However, given below are some common causes and their solutions:
Reason: When we are far away from the router, it brings the Wi-Fi speed down.
Solution: To solve this issue, we should come closer to the router for fast internet speed. If your router is in a different room, go to that room and check whether the problem is solved or not. You should also make sure that the router signal is not interfering with other devices. If some electronic devices are near your router, it may disrupt the Wi-Fi signal. Keep your router on the upper shelf, away from other devices. If the problem persists, buy a new router to extend the network signal.
Reason: Wi-Fi speed may slow down due to the limited bandwidth. It happens when more devices are connected to the Wi-Fi router.
Solution: you should disconnect the devices that are not in use. You can reduce Wi-Fi load by connecting some devices through the ethernet cable. If it does not solve the issue, it indicates you have a slow internet connection. You should either upgrade or call the ISP for the solution. In some cases, your neighbors may be using your Wi-Fi. Apply a Wi-Fi password to avoid such a scenario.
Other Major Reasons and Solutions to Slow Wi-Fi Speed
Reason 1: Wi-Fi is facing an interference issue.
Solution: To avoid the interference issue, select the least crowded frequencies. The latest router updates the frequencies automatically.
Reason 2: Internet speed slows down during peak hours like office time, weekends.
Solution: You can adjust your schedule to avoid peak hours.
Reason 3: Your Wi-Fi router is running on the old technology and the slow wireless standards.
Solution: It is better to update the firmware of your router. If it is still providing slow speed, change the router. Experts recommend changing the router every two years.
Reason 4: Sometimes, the router and modem stop communicating, and we lose connectivity.
Solution: To overcome such a situation, unplug the cables. Switch off the power button and wait for 30 seconds. Restore all the settings.
Reason 5: Everything is working perfectly on your side, but there is no internet connection.
Solution: In such a condition, you can do nothing except complaining to ISP. You will provide all necessary information to them, and ISP will rectify the issue. Choose an ISP based on its old customer satisfaction record.
Reason 6: You upgraded the internet speed, and ISP resolved all issues. You are still facing a slow connection.
Solution: In such cases, you should reset the router. It will delete all network settings, including the Wi-Fi password. Most of the routers have a reset button. Keep pressing that button for 10 seconds. It will erase all data. Then, you can again configure the router as you did the first time.
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