How to speedtest 1Gbps – Use an App
One of our most common questions is how do you properly speedtest a 1Gbps connection.
Many customers visit sites like speedtest.net and then come away wondering why their 1Gbps connection only shows 200-300Mbps.
A few things affect this:
- You can’t test on WiFi. Most WiFi is limited to 300-400Mbps.
- Whilst some routers may have 1Gbps network ports, they can’t route traffic at 1Gbps.
- Some less-modern computers don’t have fast enough network interfaces. It may link at 1Gbps but it can’t pass 1Gbps of traffic.
You must directly connect to the ONT. This is the unit on the wall where the fibre comes in and an ethernet goes out.
Once you have your computer directly connected to the ONT, confirm you have an Internet connection. Now you’re ready to test. Install the Speedtest.net app at the bottom of the page and use that to test your connection.
Above 100Mbps, testing with a browser based tester is hit and miss. Recently Speedtest.net has notifying users not to speed test more than 100Mbps using the browser.
This is testing using a browser:
It’s not even a third of the full 1Gbps. The same test run in the Speedtest App shows the full 1Gbps:
Same computer, using the same test server.
The official Speedtest.net apps can be found here:
Windows: https://www.speedtest.net/apps/windows/
Mac: https://www.speedtest.net/apps/mac/