Checking your internet speed

Are you getting the broadband speed you pay for? Here's how to test it, how much speed you really need, and how to get better Wi-Fi around your home.

If you have broadband at home, you're paying for a certain speed. But are you getting it – and do you need as much as you're paying for?

What do the numbers mean?

Broadband speed is measured in Mbps (megabits per second). Think of it like a water pipe – the bigger the number, the more can flow through at once.

As a rough guide, per person or screen:

Email, browsing, online banking, video calls: under 10 Mbps
Watching TV in HD (BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Netflix): about 5 Mbps
Watching in 4K (Ultra HD): about 15–25 Mbps

Most fibre broadband packages today offer anything from around 30 Mbps to 900 Mbps or more. For one or two people, an entry-level fibre package is usually plenty – you don't need to pay for the fastest.

How to test your speed

Stand next to your router (the box your broadband comes into).
On a laptop, tablet or phone, go to www.speedtest.net (opens in a new tab), or download the free Speedtest by Ookla app, and tap Go.
Test a few times, at different times of day.
Now move to where you usually use the internet – your armchair, the kitchen, next to the TV – and test again.

What the results tell you

Slow even next to the router? Restart the router (switch it off, wait a minute, switch it back on) and test again. If it's still well below what you were promised, contact your provider. Most big providers have signed up to Ofcom's code of practice: if your speed stays below the minimum they guaranteed and they can't fix it, you can usually leave your contract without paying a penalty.
Fast next to the router, but slow elsewhere? The broadband is fine – it's the Wi-Fi that isn't reaching. Read on.

Getting better Wi-Fi around the house

Move the router if you can. Wi-Fi travels best from somewhere central and in the open – not in a cupboard, on the floor, or behind the TV. Thick walls and mirrors can block it.

Ask your provider. Many offer Wi-Fi boosters, sometimes free or at a reduced price.

Mesh Wi-Fi – for example TP-Link Deco or BT Whole Home Wi-Fi. Two or three small units placed around the house work together to give a strong signal everywhere. A starter set usually costs from around £60.

Powerline adapters use your home's electrical wiring to carry the internet to another room. One plugs into a socket near the router and connects to it with a cable; the other plugs into a socket in the room where you need a better connection. They're especially useful for a smart TV, which you can connect with a cable.

Wi-Fi extenders are the cheapest option. They plug in halfway between the router and the weak spot, but they don't always work as well as mesh systems.

Need a hand?

Our friendly volunteers can help at our free sessions:

Mondays 10am–12noon – St Wilfrid's Church Hall, Burgess Hill
Thursdays 10am–12noon – Spire Café, St John's Church, Burgess Hill
Haywards Heath – Bentswood @ No.34, America Lane (by appointment)

Call 07349 916841 or email spire.computer.help@gmail.com. No question is too small.

The Spire Computer Help Team