Understanding your speed test results

Why are my speed test results lower than my plan speeds?

It is important to understand that this test does not measure the speed of the internet connection to your home, it measures the speed of the internet connection to a device within your home. Results are often lower than plan speeds due to various factors outside your internet provider’s control, including WiFi conditions and device capabilities. With that in mind, if you run a speed test from a device with an expected WiFi speed that is lower than your plan, the results will be limited to roughly your device’s expected WiFi speed.

How speed is delivered to your connected devices

Our high-speed data plans are designed to support the bandwidth needs of many devices at the same time. Internet service is delivered to your home and as you connect different devices, it is divided and shared among them, reducing the speed of data transmission. Think of it as a huge water pipe running into your home, with a network of smaller pipes branching off of it to carry water to different areas: with each intersection point, less water flows through each pipe. So, the more devices you have connected to the internet in your home, the more bandwidth you’ll need to maintain high speeds across them.

Tips to improve your internet speed

Step 1: Move the device closer to your WiFi gateway. The closer you are to your gateway, the less chance for signal interference.

Step 2: Make sure the WiFi gateway is in a clear space, which allows the signal to travel and expand for better speed and coverage. For best results, do not place it on the floor or in a cramped space like a cabinet, closet, or drawer.

Step 3: Avoid interference. Place your WiFi gateway away from large household items and other electronic equipment that may block your signal.

Step 4: Relocate your Wi-Fi modem or router to the center of your home to increase its coverage potential.

Step 5: Manually restart your Wi-Fi modem. Unplug the power cable, wait one minute, then plug it back in.

Step 6: Consider the age of your connected device.

What to expect from 2.5 Gbps internet

Your speed test is unlikely to return 2.5 Gbps download speeds

Many factors affect your achieved speed, such as the age and type of your connected device, and your connection method, to name a few. A device with a 2.5 Gb Ethernet port and a direct Ethernet connection between cable modem and computer are required to achieve speeds up to 2 Gbps (these ports are rare but can be found in some laptop and desktop computers). Though 2.5 Gbps capable cable modems can receive up to 2.5 Gbps speeds, it is important to note that this bandwidth will be divided among your connected devices. When using devices that are not fully capable of handling 2.5 Gbps throughput, the fastest connection speeds will be achieved by directly connecting to the Ethernet port instead of using WiFi.

Enjoy faster connections

If your household relies on internet for everyday connections like working from home, streaming services, virtual assistants, smart home devices, etc., 2.5 Gbps internet will make your connections faster than before. This is because the increased bandwidth to your home’s network is delivering more speed to each connected device. For example, if you previously had 1 gig internet with 10 connected devices, then each device was getting about 100 Mbps of speed. When you increase your internet to 2.5 Gbps, each of those devices’ connections become 2.5 times faster, at 250 Mbps.

Make more connections, faster

With 2.5 Gbps internet, more people and devices in your household will experience faster speeds. Think of it like opening additional lanes on a crowded highway: more vehicles (devices/users) can access the highway (internet) and the flow of traffic (speed) moves faster due to less congestion.

Maximum expected speed, by device

The device you are accessing the internet on matters, too

The age of your device has a big impact on the speed test results. Newer devices are capable of much more speed than older devices.

Here is what you should expect your device speed to be:

 

Computers (Ethernet)

Year Released	Maximum Expected Ethernet Speed
2021 - present	2,500 Mbps w/ 2.5 Gb Ethernet adapter
2010 - 2020	1,000 Mbps
2010 & earlier	100 Mbps

 

Computers (Wi-Fi)

Year Released	Maximum Expected Wi-Fi Speed
2021 - present	500 - 700 Mbps
2011 - 2020	150 - 500 Mbps
2007 - 2010	75 - 150 Mbps
2006 & earlier	25 Mbps

 

Mobile Phones and Tablets (Wi-Fi)

Year Released	Maximum Expected Wi-Fi Speed
2021 - present	300 - 600 Mbps
2011 - 2020	75 - 300 Mbps
2007 - 2010	25 - 75 Mbps
2006 & earlier	25 Mbps

 

Check if your current modem can support these new upgraded speeds. ➔