Home network test
Take the internet out of the test altogether. Measure the speed between a device and your router, and you know for certain whether the Wi-Fi is what is slowing you down.
An internet speed test measures every link in the chain at once. This test measures only one: the hop between a device and your router. A computer on a cable acts as the other end, so nothing outside the house can affect the number.
1. Run the test
All three options are free. You need one computer plugged into the router with a cable.
- 1On the cabled computer, install the free, open-source OpenSpeedTest server (Windows, Mac and Linux) and start it. Allow it through the firewall for private networks if asked. If you use Docker, this does the same:Optional: Docker (works best on Linux or a NAS)
docker run --restart=unless-stopped --name openspeedtest -d -p 3000:3000 -p 3001:3001 openspeedtest/latest - 2It shows an address such as
http://192.168.1.20:3000. - 3On the phone or laptop in the problem spot, type that address into a web browser and press Start.
- 4Note the download figure and enter it below.
2. Read the result
Your plan speed
What good looks like
- Same room as the router, modern device: 300 Mbps or more.
- A room or two away: 100 to 300 Mbps.
- Under 50 Mbps: the link is struggling with distance, walls or old Wi-Fi hardware.
Rough guide only. Every house and device is different.