Home Telecom Speed Test for WiFi

Home Telecom Speed Test for WiFi

At Home Telecom, we pride ourselves on giving you lightning-fast speeds! Here are some pointers for the Home Telecom speed test to make sure you’re getting the speeds your devices need.

Speed Test for WiFi

The first thing to determine is whether you are getting the speed that you are subscribed to. It is likely that you have many more devices in your home than you had a few years ago. All of these devices use applications that consume much more bandwidth than they did before. Ten years ago, a 10 Mbps connection may have worked fine, but it will likely be far too slow now. It probably isn’t that your internet connection has slowed down; it is more likely that additional devices are using more bandwidth. The Home Telecom speed test for WiFi will determine whether you are getting the speed you are subscribed to or indicate whether there may be an issue slowing you down.

When performing a speed test, make sure to use a computer that is hard-wired to the internet jack in the wall, or hard-wired directly to your router, which is hard-wired to the wall jack. A wireless connection from a mobile device or wireless laptop will NOT provide an accurate result. Also, make sure you are not using any other applications or devices that connect to the internet at the same time. This is important because anything else running will use a portion of your bandwidth, making your speed test result slower than it actually is. Even having your email open can decrease your test results.

Many different factors influence the internet speed test result you receive. The measured speed may vary depending on your computer's capabilities, internal and external network traffic conditions, the demands placed on the speed test server and protocol overhead. The protocol overhead is the routing information that attaches to the data, such as destination and source ports. This can account for up to 25 percent of the total data sent. Another example: if you have a 1 Gig speed plan, you may see speeds closer to 400 Mbps or 700 Mbps when connected to WiFi.

If you are getting the speed you are subscribed to but feel your internet is slowing you down, it may be time to consider upgrading to a higher speed. If you are getting slower than the plan that you are subscribed to, we’ve included some tips below to optimize your experience.

Take the Home Telecom speed test for WiFi.

Optimize Your Network for the Home Telecom Speed Test

If you took the Home Telecom speed test for WiFi and you are getting the speed that you are subscribed to through your wired connection, but feel you are not receiving the speeds you should on your WiFi devices, take a look at what might be affecting your speeds.

1. Router Placement – WiFi signal can be significantly impacted by physical barriers in your home. Construction materials such as brick walls and metal frames, appliances and even fish tanks can affect the speed of your WiFi. For the best possible performance, keep your router as close as possible to where you use online devices most and minimize the number of barriers between them. For example, rather than putting your router in a spare bedroom, consider placing it in your living room entertainment center.
2. Distance from Router - A general rule is that if you double the distance between the router and the wireless device, throughput decreases by one-third of its original strength. People often put their routers in an out-of-the-way area of the home, but the best placement for good coverage is in the center of the first floor of your home, up off the floor and in a room where the internet is frequently used.
3. Number of Devices – Think of your bandwidth package like a pie. Each device you connect takes a piece of that pie. The more devices you have, the smaller the piece for each device, which means each device will be slower than if you had fewer devices connected.
4. Network Security – Your network speed is shared by all devices connected to your network, so if your WiFi is not password-protected, your neighbors could be using part of your bandwidth pie. Be sure to secure and password-protect your WiFi.
5. Age of Devices – WiFi technology has evolved over the past few years, so if you have older devices, they most likely lack the internal components needed for fast speeds. Even many new devices cannot achieve more than 2,000 Mbps.
6. Dirty Devices – Viruses and malware can run in the background and use your bandwidth without you even being aware. Keeping your system clean with regular virus scans will keep both your devices and your internet running smoothly.

Learn more information about router placement to help boost your Home Telecom speed test results.

Home Telecom’s MyWiFi Xtreme App

Have complete control over your home WiFi with the MyWiFi Xtreme App. With the app, you’ll be able to prioritize bandwidth, set network security, improve your WiFi security and so much more. Learn more about how MyWiFi Xtreme can help you better understand your network and boost your internet speeds.