Why is my speed test result lower than my plan's advertised speed?

Advertised speeds are theoretical maximums over a wired connection under ideal conditions. Wi-Fi overhead, the distance from your router, congestion on your ISP's network, and the number of devices sharing your connection all reduce the real-world figure.

Should I run the test over Wi-Fi or a wired connection?

Run it both ways if you can. A wired test shows your ISP's true delivery; a Wi-Fi test shows what your devices actually get. The gap between the two tells you whether your Wi-Fi is the weak link.

How many times should I run the test to get an accurate result?

Run it three to five times at different times of day — morning, afternoon and evening peak hours — and average the results. A single measurement can be skewed by momentary congestion.

Does the speed test use my data allowance?

Yes. Each test transfers a real payload — typically a few hundred megabytes — to measure your speeds accurately. If you're on a metered connection, run the test on Wi-Fi or keep that in mind.

Speed Test

APP

Measure your download, upload, ping and jitter.

Best on the app

Speed Test needs your phone's hardware

Accurate speed tests run best natively. Download Carbide free to use it — plus all 111 tools, fully offline.

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What it does

Speed Test measures the real-world performance of your internet connection by running a download test, an upload test, and a latency check all in one place. You get your download speed in Mbps, upload speed in Mbps, ping in milliseconds, and jitter — the variation in that ping — so you have everything you need to judge whether your ISP is delivering what you're paying for, whether your Wi-Fi is the bottleneck, or whether it's time to move closer to the router. The test connects to a nearby server, transfers real data, and reports accurate figures rather than theoretical maximums. It's free, needs no account, and your results stay on your device — nothing is stored or sent to Carbide's servers.

How to use the Speed Test

Open the Speed Test tool. The nearest test server is selected automatically.
Tap Go to start the test. The download measurement runs first, filling the gauge as data is transferred.
Watch the upload measurement run immediately after. Both figures appear in Mbps.
Review your ping and jitter results below the speed gauges — lower is better for both.
Compare results against your plan's advertised speeds. Tap Share to send the results to your ISP if you need to raise a fault.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my speed test result lower than my plan's advertised speed?: Advertised speeds are theoretical maximums over a wired connection under ideal conditions. Wi-Fi overhead, the distance from your router, congestion on your ISP's network, and the number of devices sharing your connection all reduce the real-world figure.
Should I run the test over Wi-Fi or a wired connection?: Run it both ways if you can. A wired test shows your ISP's true delivery; a Wi-Fi test shows what your devices actually get. The gap between the two tells you whether your Wi-Fi is the weak link.
How many times should I run the test to get an accurate result?: Run it three to five times at different times of day — morning, afternoon and evening peak hours — and average the results. A single measurement can be skewed by momentary congestion.
Does the speed test use my data allowance?: Yes. Each test transfers a real payload — typically a few hundred megabytes — to measure your speeds accurately. If you're on a metered connection, run the test on Wi-Fi or keep that in mind.

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