Almost everyone runs a speed test when the internet starts to feel slow. Far fewer people know what the numbers actually mean, or what counts as normal. A speed test can tell you a lot about your connection — but only if you run it properly and know what you’re looking at.
How to run a speed test properly
The result is only as reliable as the conditions you test under. For the most accurate picture:
- Use a well-known tool such as Speedtest by Ookla or Fast.com in your browser.
- If you can, connect your computer to the router with a network cable. WiFi adds its own limits and can hide the real speed reaching your home.
- Pause downloads, streaming, and large updates on other devices first.
- Run the test two or three times, and again at different times of day — evenings are the busiest.
Download speed
This is the number most packages are sold on, measured in Mbps. It affects how quickly pages load, how many video streams you can run at once, and how fast large files come down. As a rough guide, 10–20 Mbps comfortably handles HD streaming and browsing for a small household, while a busy home with multiple 4K streams and big downloads is better on 30–40 Mbps or more. Because WebSpace Internet packages are unlimited and not throttled, the speed you pay for is the speed you keep, even at peak times.
Upload speed
Upload is how fast your connection sends data out: your camera feed on a video call, cloud backups, sending large files, posting content, and pushing CCTV footage offsite. On many connection types upload is lower than download, and it matters more than people expect if you work from home or run a business. If your work depends on it, ask what upload speed your package actually delivers.
Ping, or latency
Ping is measured in milliseconds and shows how long a small signal takes to travel to a server and back. It has nothing to do with how much data you can move — it is about responsiveness. Under about 30 ms to a local server is excellent, and under 100 ms is fine for most things. Hundreds of milliseconds is where video calls talk over each other and online games feel laggy. High ping alongside good download and upload usually points to WiFi interference, an overloaded router, or too many devices competing at once.
Jitter and packet loss
Jitter is the variation in ping from one moment to the next. A steady connection is better for calls than a fast but erratic one, because sudden spikes are what cause audio to break up. Packet loss is data that leaves your device but never arrives — it should be at or near zero. Even a small amount causes frozen video, dropped calls, and pages that stall halfway through loading.
When the numbers don’t match what you pay for
Before assuming there is a fault, work through the basics:
- Test once over WiFi and once with a cable. A big gap points to a WiFi or router issue inside your home, not the line.
- Restart your router and test again.
- Check how many devices are online and what they are doing.
If you test on a wired connection, at a quiet time, with nothing else running, and you are still well below your package speed, that is worth reporting. Our support team can check the line from our side and see what is happening.
If your speed tests keep coming back short and you are not sure why, give WebSpace Internet a call on 0702 447 334 or reach us through our contact page. We would rather look into it than have you guessing.