Home›WiFi speed test

WiFi speed test

Test the speed your device is getting over WiFi right now, then find out whether the WiFi or the line behind it is the bottleneck.

This test measures the whole path from your device to the internet. To isolate the WiFi, run it once here, then once on a cable to the router. The gap between the two is what your WiFi is costing you.

WiFi speed vs internet speed: they are not the same thing

Your internet package is the speed of the line into your house. Your WiFi speed is what reaches the device in your hand, and it is almost always lower. A 100 Mbps fibre line can easily deliver 30 Mbps in the bedroom. When people say “my internet is slow”, most of the time they mean their WiFi is slow.

The quickest way to tell: test on WiFi where you normally sit, then plug a laptop into the router with an Ethernet cable and test again. If the cable result is close to your package and the WiFi result is far below it, the fix is in your home, not with your provider.

What WiFi speed is normal?

Where you are testing	Typical result on a 100 Mbps line	What it tells you
Same room as the router, 5 GHz	70–100 Mbps	WiFi is fine; anything lower is the line
Same room, 2.4 GHz	25–60 Mbps	Normal for the slower band
One room away, one wall	30–80 Mbps	Normal
Two rooms away, two walls	10–40 Mbps	Router placement or a mesh unit needed
Outside, through a brick wall	5–20 Mbps	Expected; add an outdoor access point if needed

South African homes with double-brick walls and steel security gates lose more signal per wall than the timber-frame homes most router guides assume. Plan for one extra room of loss.

How to fix slow WiFi

Move the router into the openRouters in cupboards, behind TVs or on the floor lose half their range. Put it in the open, waist height or higher, near the middle of the home.
Use the 5 GHz band up closeMost routers broadcast two networks. 5 GHz is faster but does not go through walls well; 2.4 GHz is slower but reaches further. Connect to 5 GHz in the same room and 2.4 GHz elsewhere, or let a “band steering” router choose.
Change the WiFi channelIn complexes and flats, dozens of routers share the same channels. In your router settings, set 2.4 GHz to channel 1, 6 or 11 and 5 GHz to a channel your neighbours are not using. Many routers have an auto option.
Count the devicesEvery phone, TV and smart plug shares the same WiFi. Old devices in particular slow the whole network down. Move fixed devices like TVs and desktops onto Ethernet where you can.
Replace an old routerA router from an ISP installation five years ago is probably WiFi 4 or 5 with a 100 Mbps port. A WiFi 6 router with gigabit ports is the single biggest upgrade for a fibre line above 100 Mbps.
Add a mesh system for large or multi-storey homesIf the router cannot cover the house from one spot, a two- or three-unit mesh system places a node in each dead zone and hands devices between them. Avoid cheap “WiFi extenders”, which halve the speed of anything connected to them.
Restart the router monthlyRouters accumulate errors. A restart every few weeks, or a scheduled reboot if the router supports it, keeps the WiFi stable.

WiFi during load-shedding

If your fibre ONT and router are on a UPS, WiFi keeps working through an outage. But your neighbours’ routers switch off, so your WiFi may actually get faster during load-shedding as channel interference disappears. When the power returns, everything restarts at once and speeds can dip for a few minutes.

Common questions

Why is my WiFi slower than my fibre package?

Because WiFi loses speed with every wall and every metre. Test on a cable to see the true line speed; the gap is what your WiFi setup is costing you.

Is 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz better?

5 GHz is faster in the same room and one wall away. 2.4 GHz reaches further but is slower. Use 5 GHz near the router and 2.4 GHz further away.

Do WiFi extenders work?

Basic extenders halve the speed of connected devices because they receive and retransmit on the same channel. A mesh system is a better fix for dead zones.

What WiFi speed do I need?

Around 10 Mbps per HD stream, 25 Mbps per 4K stream, and 25–50 Mbps for reliable video calls. Most homes are comfortable at 50 Mbps on WiFi in every room.

Does a VPN slow down WiFi?

A VPN slows your connection, not your WiFi specifically. Turn it off before testing to see your real speed.

Test by provider

Guides: Fibre speed test Ping test