How to Check If You’re Getting the Internet Speed You’re Paying For?

To ensure you are getting the correct internet speed and bandwidth from your ISP, you can follow these useful tips:

1. Verify Speed with a Speed Test
✅ Use the following tools to measure your internet connection speed:

• Speed test by Ookla (https://www.speedtest.net)
• Fast.com (Netflix Speed Test)
• Google Internet Speed Test

✅ Testing Guidelines:

• Use a LAN cable instead of Wi-Fi for more accurate results.
• Close any background downloads, streaming, or cloud uploads during the test.
• Test at different times of the day morning, afternoon, and night for accuracy.

2. Understand Download vs Upload Speed
ISPs often advertise high download speeds, but upload speeds may be lower.

✅ Check the contract for both download and upload speeds.
✅ Low upload speed can cause issues with video calls, gaming, and cloud-related work.

3. Check Ping (Latency) and Jitter

✅ Ping (Latency): The response time to a server (measured in milliseconds). Lower is better.
✅ Jitter: Indicates the stability of your internet. High jitter means unstable connection.
✅ For gaming, live streaming, and video calls, ping should be below 50ms.
✅ Average jitter should ideally be under 30ms.

4. Test During Peak Hours

✅ Peak hours are usually from 8 PM to 11 PM.
✅ Test your speed during these times to see if the ISP can maintain promised speeds.
✅ A significant drop during peak hours indicates the ISP may be struggling with network load.

5. Check Your Router and ONU

✅ Sometimes ISPs provide low-quality routers or ONUs that can’t deliver full speed.
✅ A dual-band router (2.4 GHz & 5 GHz) is recommended.
✅ 2.4 GHz has longer range but lower speed, while 5 GHz offers higher speed but shorter range.

6. Read Your ISP Agreement Carefully

✅ Confirm the stated speed in your agreement.
✅ Some ISPs follow a Fair Usage Policy (FUP) where speed may drop after a certain data limit is crossed.

7. Evaluate Technical Support

✅ Assess how quickly and efficiently your ISP provides customer support.
✅ If you are not getting proper speed, raise a complaint and observe their response.

8. Compare with Other ISPs

✅ If possible, check what speed other ISPs in your area are offering.
✅ Consider switching to a different ISP if your current one fails to meet expectations.