If you secretly suspect your parents invited you home to not only see your darling face but also because they’re waiting for you to fix their computers or mobile devices, you aren’t alone. Adult children of baby boomers are frequently tasked with tech support and a visit home is the perfect time for your family to capture your attention.

While this may seem like a chore because the internet feels so obvious to you, you probably have some untapped skills that could save your family a lot of time and frustration. If you want to give your family the gift of faster internet (and maybe show off a little), try this simple DIY home internet audit at the old homestead.

Houston, do we even have a problem?

Before you dive in with fancy fixes and shiny new equipment, it helps to get the lay of the land. Visit Speedtest.net for a free, quick snapshot of how fast your parents’ internet speeds actually are. Or, connect to their Wi-Fi and then run our mobile Android or iOS app. The global median download speed is 71.39 Mbps for fixed broadband connections as of September 2022, which is plenty if you are connecting a few devices. Connectivity over 50 Mbps download and more than 5 Mbps upload should allow you to do most things on the internet, but there are limits to that rule of thumb. If your family’s Speedtest result fails to reach those speeds, you might have a little work to do. Check out the Ookla Performance Directory^™ to find out what’s achievable in your hometown.

Step 1. Find out what type of service they’re paying for

If your parents’ internet bill says anything less than 25 Mbps, you’ve probably just found the source of slow speeds. Any download below 20 Mbps and any upload speed slower than 5 Mbps puts you in the bottom 10% of speeds for fixed broadband performance. Most streaming platforms require about 25 Mbps download to stream smoothly, and even more affordable satellite internet options can typically achieve that.

Whether you ask your parents to pony up for better service, you decide to pitch in to get them a faster plan, or you try to lobby their ISP to provide better service, you’re already on the road to improving your family’s connection to the internet.

Step 2. Search out their modem, wireless router, and any repeaters

Chances are that your parents have a modem/router combination that’s either leased from their ISP or, if they purchased it themselves, potentially very outdated. Many, many people do.

You want a modem and router or modem/router combination that are:

• New(ish). While it is technically possible to use the same modem and/or router for five or more years, it’s a terrible idea if speed is at all a concern. Most modems and/or routers really only have a two- to three-year lifespan, and if your parents have waited longer than that to upgrade their equipment, those devices are probably slowing whatever speeds they are paying for waaaaay down. The latest routers operate on the 802.11ax standard (also referred to as Wi-Fi 6) and the latest modems have DOCSIS 4.0, but 3.0 or 3.1 should be more than enough to do the job. If your family’s computer is compatible with that, a new router makes a great birthday or holiday gift. Especially if you set it up for them. If you don’t know what to look for, check out PC Mag’s “Best Wireless Routers” or ask for recommendations at your local technology store.
• Centrally located. Your parents’ modem is probably close to where service comes into the house — most likely from a coaxial cable line. Or it’s in an office, a closet, or under a bed. The location of the modem doesn’t really matter because it’s just translating the service into something your parents can actually use.
  
  What does matter (and this matters A LOT) is where the router is located, especially if you have a router/modem combination. If it’s out of range of where your family members actually use their Wi-Fi, which could be about 30 feet or closer, they’re likely to suffer from slow speeds and dropped connections. Don’t put a router in a basement closet. Ever. That’s where your childhood trophies live. Even if a router is located near the computer, make sure it isn’t obstructed by objects like doors, chimneys, or thick plaster walls that might weaken the signal. And if your parents still live in the big family home, consider setting up a wireless repeater for them or if nothing else works, installing a mesh network.
• Password-protected. Bandwidth matters. And while your parents probably aren’t streaming Netflix while playing a PlayStation game in one room and uploading 1,000 photos at a time in another, if their network isn’t password-protected, they might be inadvertently providing internet to the neighbors (or worse — exposing you to major privacy issues!) Sharing may be caring, but it’s okay to expect everyone on the street to pay for their own internet. Especially if there’s a bandwidth hog on the block.
  
  Many routers these days come with different spectrum settings, which allows guests to be on one channel and your heavy bandwidth needs on another — but even those will hit limits, especially if your internet speeds are slow.
• Not actually a 5G, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), or satellite internet connection. More and more ISPs are offering wireless connections that rely on mobile or satellite technologies. That’s great, but if you’re having difficulties figuring out what’s going on — maybe double check to make sure your parents’ connection isn’t supposed to be wireless.
  
  While you’ll still need to make sure the connection isn’t too obstructed, knowing where your internet is supposed to be coming from will make troubleshooting much easier. If they are relying on satellite internet, you’ll still want to know where the connection is, and then confirm nothing is blocking it’s exterior line of sight to the satellite (which, unfortunately, may require a bit of dangerous work and a service call if the ISP doesn’t offer an app to make sure the satellite is lined up properly).
• A malfunctioning or badly located repeater. Repeaters (also known as Wi-Fi extenders) are devices that receive and retransmit Wi-Fi signals, but they can be a double-edged sword for connectivity. On one hand, they extend the range of a Wi-Fi signal, and on the other, they can drastically slow the speeds. If you are having issues with slow speeds, make sure it’s not because you’re relying on a Wi-Fi repeater that’s out of date, working poorly, or maybe even competing with your main Wi-Fi signal. You should strategically place your router/modem where you need it the most, and use your extender where it is less important.

Step 3. Check the age of their computers

Computers, tablets, and phones are a little like race horses, once they reach a certain age, they’re never again going to set any records for speed (particularly when it comes to supporting modern Wi-Fi standards like 802.11ax). It’s perfectly okay if your family is happy plugging along in a bygone age of internet speeds, but if that were true you wouldn’t be reading this article. If all the devices you come across are of a certain age, it might be time to upgrade at least one to the modern era and designate that laptop or tablet for any internet use that requires speed.

Step 4. “Have you tried turning it off and on again?”

You’ve probably heard this line any time you’ve reached out to a tech support professional for anything. That’s because it works! Turning a computer, router or modem off and then back on can sometimes clear up lingering issues present on the network. Simply unplug the power from both the modem and the router. After 60 seconds, plug the modem back in. Give it a minute or two to fully reboot, after which you can plug back in the router. If the internet’s running faster, you’ve already won. Sometimes this might require a hard modem reset directly from the ISP, but that hopefully should be only a quick call or easy request on a computer.

Step 5. Make sure there isn’t a short-term outage

Sometimes the internet just isn’t working. A service can be down, there may be a localized outage, or a whole host of issues that aren’t necessarily your parents’ fault. If you can get any kind of service (either on your phone or internet browser), you should check out Downdetector^® to make sure your parent’s ISP isn’t down, see if other people in your area are having similar issues, or if there is another reason your internet isn’t working.

Step 6. If all else fails … call the ISP

If you’ve gotten this far, you have done an awesome job troubleshooting your family’s internet speed woes. But some things you just can’t fix on your own. So if you’ve discovered slow speeds despite a rocking router in a central location, newish devices and a squatter-free network, it’s time to call in the pros. Take heart that you’ve done your due diligence and see if you can schedule a service window before you skip town.

Step 7. Download the Speedtest app

Congratulations! You’ve probably just improved your family’s internet speeds by leaps and bounds. You’ve certainly made them feel loved. If you want to build on all this good work, download the free Speedtest app, which comes with a tab for Downdetector data, for your parents’ Windows and Mac computers or for iOS or Android for devices. That way they’ll have a quick measure of internet speed to reference the next time they need your help, as well as a log of tests you can show your ISP if all else fails. If your dad’s like mine, he’ll present you with a spreadsheet of results graphed out over time so you can really dig into the data. Yay.

For extra bonus brownie points

If your family is still experiencing internet issues, or if you just want to pay your parents back for the lifetime of free storage they’ve provided for your childhood mementos, go the extra mile with any (or all) of the following tech-y projects:

• Uploading and cataloging photos
• Installing and running antivirus software
• Deleting toolbars
• Creating a family email distribution list
• Managing passwords
• Printing address labels for their holiday cards
• Removing cookies
• Clearing the cache
• Blocking pop-ups

If you secretly suspect your parents invited you home to not only see your darling face but also because they’re waiting for you to move the last 12 months of photos from digital camera to computer, you are not alone. Adult children of baby boomers are frequently tasked with tech support and a visit home is the perfect time for your family to capture your attention.

While this may seem like a chore because the internet feels so obvious to you, you’re probably rocking some untapped skills that could save your family a lot of time and frustration. If you want to give your family the gift of faster internet (and maybe show off a little), try this simple DIY home internet audit at the old homestead.

Houston, do we even have a problem?

Before you dive in with fancy fixes and shiny new equipment, it helps to get the lay of the land. Visit Speedtest.net for a free, quick assessment of how fast your parents’ internet speeds actually are. Or, connect to their Wi-Fi and then run our mobile Android or iOS app. The average download speed for the US is just over 50 Mbps for broadband connections. If you’re looking at speeds within 10 Mbps of that, you’re golden. If you’re not, you might have a little work to do. Check out that link above to see more precise city and state averages to find out what’s achievable in your hometown.

Step 1. Find out what type of service they’re paying for

If your parents’ internet bill says “dial-up” anywhere on it, you’ve just found the source of slow speeds. Infrastructure matters and even the fastest internet service provider (ISP) in the world is limited by the infrastructure your family is connecting with.

Whether you ask your parents to pony up for better service or you decide to pitch in to get them a faster plan, you’re already on the road to improving your family’s connection to the internet.

Step 2. Search out their modem and wireless router

Chances are that your parents have a modem/router combination that’s leased from their ISP. Many, many people do. If this is the case, you’re looking for one device. If not, you’re looking for two that are likely in close proximity to one another.

Whether one device or two, you want a modem and router that are:

• New(ish). While it is technically possible to use the same modem and/or router for five or more years, it’s a terrible idea if speed is at all a concern. Most modems and/or routers really only have a two- to three-year lifespan, and if your parents have waited longer than that to upgrade their equipment, those devices are probably slowing whatever speeds they are paying for waaaaay down. The latest routers operate on the 802.11ac standard. If your family’s computer is compatible with that, a new router makes a great birthday or holiday gift. Especially if you set it up for them. If you don’t know what to look for, check out PC Mag’s “Best Wireless Routers for 2016.”
• Centrally located. Your parents’ modem is probably close to where service comes into the house. Or it’s in an office or a closet. The location of the modem doesn’t really matter because it’s just translating the service into something your parents can actually use. What does matter (and this matters A LOT) is where the router is located. If it’s out of range of where your family members actually use their Wi-Fi, they’re likely to suffer from slow speeds and dropped connections. Don’t put a router in a basement closet. That’s where your childhood trophies live. Even if a router is located near the computer, make sure it isn’t obstructed by objects like doors, chimneys or thick plaster walls that might weaken the signal. And if your parents still live in the big family home, consider setting up a wireless repeater for them.
• Password-protected. Bandwidth matters. And while your parents probably aren’t streaming Netflix while playing a PlayStation game in one room and uploading 1,000 photos at a time in another, if their network isn’t password-protected, they might be inadvertently providing internet to the neighbors. Sharing may be caring, but it’s okay to expect everyone on the street to pay for their own internet. Especially if there’s a bandwidth hog on the block.

Step 3. Check the age of their computers

Computers, tablets and phones are a little like race horses, once they reach a certain age, they’re never again going to set any records for speed (particularly when it comes to supporting modern Wi-Fi standards like 802.11ac). It’s perfectly okay if your family is happy plugging along in a bygone age of internet speeds, but if that were true you wouldn’t be reading this article. If all the devices you come across are of a certain age, it might be time to upgrade at least one to the modern era and designate that laptop or tablet for any internet use that requires speed.

Step 4. “Have you tried turning it off and on again?”

You’ve probably heard this line any time you’ve reached out to a tech support professional for anything. That’s because it works! Turning a computer, router or modem off and then back on can sometimes clear up lingering issues present on the network. Simply unplug the power from both the modem and the router. After 60 seconds, plug the modem back in. Give it a minute or two to fully reboot, after which you can plug back in the router. If the internet’s running faster, you’ve already won.

Step 5. If all else fails… Call the ISP

If you’ve gotten this far, you have done an awesome job troubleshooting your family’s internet speed woes. But some things you just can’t fix on your own. So if you’ve discovered slow speeds despite a rocking router in a central location, newish devices and a squatter-free network, it’s time to call in the pros. Take heart that you’ve done your due diligence and see if you can schedule a service window before you skip town.

Step 6. Download the Speedtest app

Congratulations! You’ve probably just improved your family’s internet speeds by leaps and bounds. You’ve certainly made them feel loved. If you want to build on all this good work, download the free Speedtest app for your parents’ Windows and Mac computers. That way they’ll have a quick measure of internet speed to reference the next time they need your help. If your dad’s like mine, he’ll present you with a spreadsheet of results graphed out over time so you can really dig into the data. Yay.

For extra bonus brownie points

If your family is still experiencing internet issues, or if you just want to pay your parents back for the lifetime of free storage they’ve provided for your childhood mementos, go the extra mile with any (or all) of the following tech-y projects:

1. Uploading and cataloging photos
2. Installing and running antivirus software
3. Deleting toolbars
4. Creating a family email distribution list
5. Managing passwords
6. Printing address labels for their holiday cards
7. Removing cookies
8. Clearing the cache
9. Blocking pop-ups

So you took a Speedtest… now what? It’s fun to measure how fast your internet connection is, but you may not realize that you can take those results a step further. We’ve gathered some fantastic ways to put your newfound information to use so you can save yourself time, money and data.

But first a very quick primer on internet testing and what speeds you should be looking for. Skip ahead if you’re already a pro.

How Speedtest works

Once you press “Go,” Speedtest sends packets of data up from your device to our network of local servers and back again. This measures the actual speed your connection is experiencing for downloads and uploads and also shows your ping (the time it takes for your connection to respond after you make a request).

Not all speeds are created equal. You need a much faster connection for streaming video than you do for emailing, for example. Here’s a general guide:

Tips to get the most out of your Speedtest result

Get extra mileage out of your Speedtest result with these simple ideas.

Make work easy

Prepare for video calls

You need strong upload and download speeds for all those video conferences that are rapidly becoming the norm in today’s business environment. Take a Speedtest to make sure that your upload speed is at least 2 Mbps so you don’t drop a call with a very important client.

Work remotely (and efficiently)

Take a Speedtest to see which coffee shops will keep you connected while you “work from home.”

Know when to upload large files

If you frequently upload large files — videographers, photographers and architects, we’re looking at you — you know how very long that can take. Before you resign yourself to a lifetime of overnight uploads, experiment with Speedtest throughout the week to see when your upload speeds are best and worst. Then use that information to streamline your workflow.

Network testing and improvement

Troubleshoot your connection

Sometimes it feels like your connection is lagging. But how do you know if it’s your computer, your Wi-Fi extender, your router or something else holding you back? Run Speedtest from different devices in different scenarios (connected to Wi-Fi, hard-wired, in different rooms, etc.) to better understand where your chokepoints are. If nothing helps, try these troubleshooting tips.

Negotiate with your Internet Service Provider (ISP)

If you feel like you’re paying for a lot more speed than you’re getting, take a Speedtest. Then share the result with your ISP to see if they can help you spot neighborhood bottlenecks or maybe adjust your bill to match the speeds you’re actually receiving. Our test is your independent verification of actual speeds.

Compare mobile service

One of the best ways to see which mobile operator is right for you is to get a group of people with different operators to run Speedtest from their phones all at the same time in the same location. You’ll get quick insight into who’s really fastest in your area.

Choose a mobile operator

With background sampling turned on, Android users can see a map of which operators have the best coverage in places that matter to you. That could be at home, work, during your commute or in your favorite leisure spot.

Entertainment and leisure

Save your data

A Speedtest result can tell you whether the Wi-Fi when you’re out and about is good enough to turn your cellular connection off. If it is, you can stream content to your heart’s content without using up your data allowances.

Rate your hotel

The Wi-Fi may be free, but is it good? Take a Speedtest to see if you’re getting a real benefit or if you’re better off paying for a connection somewhere else next time.

Make sure your vacation rental is Wi-Fi-ready

Ask your potential host to share a Speedtest result from the property so you know whether you’ll have to wait until you get home to post all those vacation pics.

Boast about your gigabit connection

You love that you have the fastest connection on the block (or even in the neighborhood). Take a Speedtest and then casually share your results somewhere everyone can see.

Get game-ready

Test your ping to make sure you’re not going to get knocked out early by lag. Your gameplay deserves better than that.

Gain peace of mind

Let’s be real, sometimes it helps just to have independent verification that there really is a problem. Take a Speedtest the next time your connection is lagging and take heart… it isn’t you.

Excited to try some of these out? Try Speedtest today on the web, Android or iOS. If you’re really serious about your internet testing, check out our desktop apps.

Autumn means back to school in the Northern Hemisphere, and this year many students’ classroom experience will be at least partially digital. This transition could place a major strain on network infrastructure both at schools and in homes, so we’ve gathered some information to help teachers, students and administrators stay virtually connected.

Internet speed matters

Video conference platforms like Zoom and Google Meet only work well when connected to adequately fast internet. Zoom suggests download and upload speeds of at least 3 Mbps for sending 1080p HD video. Google support documentation recommends having both upload and download speeds of at least 3.2 Mbps for group video meetings with multiple participants.

Take a Speedtest® to ensure that your download and upload speeds are at least 3 Mbps. If your connection is not delivering the speed you need, call your internet service provider.

More users = less speed

Every new user you add to an internet connection places additional strain on the connection, potentially slowing it down. This is true if you’re a school administrator trying to support multiple teachers streaming from one building. It’s also true if you’re a parent trying to set up multiple remote classrooms in addition to a remote office for yourself.

When measuring the speed of your connection, try connecting all the users to your network at the same time and have them use the network in the way they normally would to see what the throughput really is.

Make sure your modem is up to date

Older modems can be a bottleneck when it comes to internet speeds. In general, if your modem is more than three years old, it might be time for an upgrade. If you’re using a cable modem, you’ll want to look for one that supports DOCSIS 3.1. A DOCSIS 3.1 modem is able to bond multiple frequency channels, offering faster speeds and a more reliable connection. If your ISP supports the technology, you can get even faster speeds by upgrading to a DOCSIS 4.0 modem, but this is not yet universally available.

Replace your modem if it’s more than three years old. Look for DOCSIS 3.1 if you’re upgrading a cable modem.

Wi-Fi can add to your woes

Your router could be slowing you down

Choose a router that supports 802.11ax (802.11ac if you want to drop the price point a bit). You’ll need an up-to-date computer to get the most power out of 802.11ax, but 802.11 is generally backwards compatible. That means you should get improved service with a modern router. Over the years, improved router standards have included wider channel bandwidth (up to 160 MHz), denser constellation and additional spatial streams over previous versions that can keep your Wi-Fi router from becoming a bottleneck.

Look for a router that supports 802.11ax (or at least the most up-to-date standard that your computer can handle).

More antennas mean more speed

The number of transmitting and receiving antenna elements directly affects the ability to extract and process multiple spatial streams out of a single transmission.

Check the number of antennas on your router. More = better.

Wi-Fi extenders can be problematic

As nice as it is to set up your classroom anywhere in the house or garden, Wi-Fi extenders are notorious for slowing down connections because everything you transmit over your network needs to be sent multiple times. If you cannot run enough wired connections for every user in your space, use traditional Wi-Fi extenders with caution.

Many of the challenges of bolting a Wi-Fi extender onto an existing network can be solved by replacing your existing Wi-Fi access point(s) with a mesh system. Place these devices around your home and they will automatically tune themselves to use the appropriate channels to ensure you are getting the best possible coverage. These mesh points generally use one channel to communicate back to the wired base station and an entirely different channel to communicate with your devices. This allows them to minimize potential interference, and automatically adjust coverage to best suit your needs.

Instead of using a traditional Wi-Fi extender, look to a Wi-Fi mesh system that can more intelligently select channels and route traffic.

Gigahertz matter

Many Wi-Fi setups let you choose between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. 2.4 GHz is best for connecting with older devices and when you want the farthest range possible. 5 GHz offers faster speeds and less interference, but it requires your devices to be closer, or have line of sight, to the base station. To get a better connection, especially if you’re using 2.4 GHz, move away from cordless phones, microwaves, baby monitors, Bluetooth devices, and anything that could be broadcasting a signal.

Choose 5 GHz if you’re close to the wireless access point and need speed or are worried about interference. Choose 2.4 GHz for older computers or devices that are farther away from the access point.

Is the service even working?

Like taking a deep breath, make sure to check Downdetector before assuming that your personal setup has failed if a class blinks out. Many online services will be tested in ways never before considered as everyone heads back to school, and outages will likely happen. Possible points of failure include the video conference software and your internet service provider, so use the Downdetector homepage (on your phone if needed) to check what’s down — before you start turning everything off and on again.

Check Downdetector before you assume the error is on your end.

This year will be an adjustment as much as an adventure. We hope these tips can help you make the most of your virtual learning experience. For additional help with your remote setup, read this article.

If you’re lucky, there are many, many mobile operators and internet service providers (ISPs) in your area who are clamoring for your business — courting you with ads that claim they are the fastest, best, most reliable, etc. Great! But how do you sort through that information to understand what you really need? This guide to marketing awards and claims should help you sort through some of the details so you can choose the mobile operator or internet service provider (ISP) that matches your needs.

Know that we at Ookla® are always looking carefully at our data to ensure that any claim using the Ookla or Speedtest® name is one you can rely on. For example, any provider that licenses a claim from Ookla must have at least 3% of the market share by sample count in a given location throughout the period — that’s to say that you should be able to actually access their services in the place described. A provider must also have a statistically significant lead over the competition to qualify to license a claim. And we don’t monkey with questionable timeframes. A provider either qualifies for the claim based on data from a full calendar quarter (or longer) or they don’t. For more information on individual metrics, read our methodology. Any claim that Ookla verifies is built on real-world consumer-initiated results and backed by rigorous data science. Look for your specific region, state or city to make sure you’re getting the provider that’s right for you.

What “Fastest Provider” really means

Many people look for the fastest service around — and why wouldn’t you? Having the fastest internet service can allow you to watch movies, livestream events or even play multiplayer games. Any provider named as having the Fastest Network by a Speedtest Award^™ has been thoroughly vetted by our data science team using a combination of download and upload speeds that make up their Speed Score^™. The top provider with the highest Speed Score who has provided service for the entire award period is then qualified to license the Fastest Award.

How customers inform “Top-Rated” mobile and fixed networks

How would you rate your internet provider? Would you recommend them to friends and family? We present Speedtest users with single-question surveys at the end of a test where they can give feedback on their mobile or fixed broadband provider. This data is used to inform “Top-Rated” Awards for the provider with the highest star rating in a specific location and time period.

Which mobile networks have the “Best Coverage”

If you’ve ever tried to get a call or text out only to find you have no service, you know mobile coverage matters. Every day Ookla receives hundreds of millions of coverage scans from Android Speedtest users around the world. This data is processed to assign a Coverage Score^™ for each operator in a given location. The operator we stand behind as having the “Best Coverage” is your best bet for having access to service in the areas where people go most often.

Why “Best Availability” matters to mobile customers

Some people are most interested in making sure they always have access to a particular level of service. The “Best Availability” claim for mobile operators can help those consumers see the proportion of users who spend the majority of their time on a given cellular technology, both on network and when roaming. Availability claims are based on data from Android devices. Specific availability claims Ookla supports are:

• Best 5G Availability describes the mobile provider with the highest percentage of users with 5G-capable devices who spend the majority of their time on 5G. Check the Ookla 5G Map^™ to see if 5G is available in your area.
• Best 4G Availability describes the mobile provider with the highest percentage of users who spend the majority of their time on 4G and above.
• Best Network Availability describes the mobile provider with the highest percentage of users who spend the majority of their time connected to any cellular technology (i.e., 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G) rather than having no service. This is similar to Best Coverage, but focuses on the amount of time spent connected to a network rather than the distinct locations in which service is available.

How we determine which provider is “Most Consistent”

Consumers who prioritize consistent performance should look for a provider licensing the “Most Consistent” claim, which is based on our Consistency Score^™. Consistency Score describes the percentage of a provider’s users who experienced download and upload speeds that met or exceeded our thresholds for the majority of their tests.

For mobile (all technologies), the threshold of consistent service is 5 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload. For mobile 5G and fixed broadband, the threshold is 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload. Achieving these speeds means you’re likely to be able to do things like stream HD and 4k video where and when you want to.

Best Availability + Most Consistent = “Most Reliable Mobile Network”

We all hope for the provider who is best at everything. Starting in July, Ookla’s “Most Reliable” claim can be used for mobile operators who have achieved both the best availability on a given technology and the best Consistency Score for that technology in the area described. The Most Reliable Network is one that should provide you with good performance and network availability. The Most Reliable 5G will represent the mobile operator with the best 5G Availability and best Consistency Score on 5G.

Fastest speeds + Best Coverage = “Best Mobile Network”

A fast internet speed with poor coverage leaves you hopping around trying to find that one spot you could stream from. Good coverage without fast speeds leaves you crossing your fingers that you can stream at all. The combination of speed and coverage is so important, in fact, that Ookla only allows a superlative claim of “Best Mobile Network” when a mobile provider has been confirmed to win the “Fastest Mobile Network” and “Best Mobile Coverage” awards.

A quick guide to choosing a provider

We hope the above information helps you choose the mobile operator or internet service provider that meets your needs. Here is a quick cheat sheet of the most common terms:

There are many factors that go into choosing a mobile operator or ISP. We hope this guide to claims and awards will help you find the provider that matches your needs. Once you have your new service in place, be sure to take a Speedtest to check if you’re getting the speeds you expect from your provider.

Tips from an engineer at Ookla

My name is Brennen Smith, and as the Lead Systems Engineer at Speedtest by Ookla, I spend my time wrangling servers and internet infrastructure. My daily goals range from designing high performance applications supporting millions of users and testing the fastest internet connections in the world, to squeezing microseconds from our stack — so at home, I strive to make sure that my personal internet performance is running as fast as possible.

I live in an area with a DOCSIS ISP that does not provide symmetrical gigabit internet — my download and upload speeds are not equal. Instead, I have an asymmetrical plan with 200 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload — this nuance considerably impacted my network design because asymmetrical service can more easily lead to bufferbloat.

We will cover bufferbloat in a later article, but in a nutshell, it’s an issue that arises when an upstream network device’s buffers are saturated during an upload. This causes immense network congestion, latency to rise above 2,000 ms., and overall poor quality of internet. The solution is to shape the outbound traffic to a speed just under the sending maximum of the upstream device, so that its buffers don’t fill up. My ISP is notorious for having bufferbloat issues due to the low upload performance, and it’s an issue prevalent even on their provided routers.

As a result, I needed the ability to shape traffic over 200 Mbps speeds — this prevented me from using MIPS or ARM based routers, as they don’t have the CPU horsepower to route over ~150 Mbps without hardware offload (I was actually using Tomato on an Asus AC68U at the time). Very few routers provide the ability to shape a single direction of traffic in software, thus I had to find a solution that could handle bi-directional shaping over 200Mbps. While many of the Ookla Engineering team use Ubiquiti Edge Routers, their CPU limits their traffic shaping performance to the following:

• ERLite-3 and ERPoe-5: below 60 Mbps most likely will work, above 200 Mbps most likely will not work
• ER-8: below 160 Mbps most likely will work, above 450 Mbps most likely will not work
• ERPro-8: below 200 Mbps most likely will work, above 550 Mbps most likely will not work
• ER-X and ER-X-SFP: below 100 Mbps most likely will work, above 250 Mbps most likely will not work

Editor’s note: Since this article has been published, it is now possible on recent firmwares to perform traffic shaping in a single direction on the EdgeRouter platform.

Requirements

Thus, my router requirements were as follows:

1. x86-64 based hardware with a TDP less than 15w.
2. Strong support for native IPv6—many studies have shown
   IPv6 leads to a faster web browsing experience.
3. Ability to perform Point to Point VPN and Split VPN tunnels.
4. 802.1Q VLAN Tagging — I run three separate logical networks that correspond to respective SSIDs on the APs:
   • LAN network: the normal network we use in daily life. Has access to split VPN tunnels, Sonos devices, FreeNas storage server and Xen hypervisors.
   • GUEST network: network we place guests on, has no access to other networks/resources and is inbound rate limited to 100 Mbps.
   • IOT network: network for IOT devices, has no access to any other networks beyond WAN and is inbound rate limited to 5 Mbps. This is split off for security reasons, and the IOT devices we use (
     TPLink Smart Home, alarm system, security cameras) handle NAT translation without issue. (Note: these are affiliate links.)

I grabbed this small x86–64 server and combined it with 4GB of Kingston DDR3L and a 32GB Adata SSD. The key points to this server are fewer but higher frequency cores and 4xGBE Intel NICs. Intel NICs have some of the best support in the Open Source world, and it’s highly recommended to stay far away from the cheaper companies. This machine doesn’t have AES-NI or Intel Quickassist, but it hasn’t had any issues with encryption/decryption at line rate for the VPNs.

The actual routing

Once assembled, I installed PFSense 2.3 for handling the actual routing. For those who haven’t used PFSense, it’s an incredible routing operating system that is based on FreeBSD. It easily met the requirements above, and vastly surpassed them. I was able to apply CodelQ AQM shaping to outbound traffic to prevent bufferbloat, along with splitting the ISP provided IPv6 /60 into /64’s for my 3 VLANs.

In my research and testing, I also evaluated IPCop, VyOS, OPNSense, Sophos UTM, RouterOS, OpenWRT x86, and Alpine Linux to serve as the base operating system, but none were as well supported and full featured as PFSense. The closest runner up to PFSense was VyOS as I love the declarative CLI interface and read only primary/backup partition system, but there were a few reasons which blocked me from using it:

• VyOS doesn’t support IPv6 Prefix Delegation in the stable branch.
• The stable branch is based on Debian Squeeze, which is quite old. There’s a Debian Jessie version, but it’s considered experimental.
• Sadly, their development team and pace has shrunk considerably since the initial Vyatta fork.

PFSense isn’t without its issues, but it’s perfect for my use case. The biggest issue I had was the default DNS configuration. On PFSense, the DNS server (unbound) is set to function as a recursive resolver rather than a forwarding server. While this might have a security benefit in edge cases, the performance impact on lookups is substantial — web browsing was jerky as domain-sharded assets had slow lookups.

QoS Settings

Some people have asked what QoS settings I use in PFSense. I avoided the default wizard QoS settings because in general, I try to avoid proto/port classification. The majority of traffic on the modern web is TCP 80/443 with a smattering of UDP 53, so HSFC class based QoS isn’t as effective as it used to be. However, every case is different, so I’d love to hear about your rule setups.

I essentially emulated FQ-CODEL by placing a FAIRQ scheduler in front of a CODELQ queue. CODEL is capable of prioritizing streams and dropping packets when backoff is necessary, so it’s been highly effective in high contention scenarios. For the very curious, here’s a representation of the QoS tree I have setup in PFSense:

WAN - Scheduler: FAIRQ | BW: 12531 Kbps  
 └── WAN_main - Options: Codel Active Queue | BW: 12531 Kbps

GUEST_LAN - Scheduler: FAIRQ | BW: 100 Mbps  
 └── GUEST_LAN_main - Options: Codel Active Queue | BW: 100 Mbps

IOT_LAN - Scheduler: FAIRQ | BW: 5 Mbps  
 └── IOT_LAN_main - Options: Codel Active Queue | BW: 5 Mbps

LAN - (No limits/queues)

Why 12,531 Kbps?

For the eagle eyes out there — why was my upload speed shaped to 12,531 Kbps when my connection is 10 Mbps up?

The answer is two-fold. First, DOCSIS connections are often over-provisioned to make sure that, even with loss in the cable/modem, users will probably hit the speeds they pay for. So running a Speedtest on my 10 Mbps connection without shaping actually revealed ~13 Mbps. However, I needed to find the point that maximized the upload speed while not filling the buffers of the upstream device.

To find this point, many tutorials recommend “take a Speedtest, and then subtract 20%” — I argue that this is incorrect, as a flat percentage may be too much or not enough. To find the optimum point — I essentially did the following pseudocode:

Turn on QOS with upload at expected speed

Start a few massive uploads

while (true):  
    if (UDP loss > .5% and ICMP latency change is impactful):  
        reduce QOS upload speed by 1%  
    else:  
        increase QOS upload speed by 1%

This can easily be done by hand, and takes about 5 minutes of tweaking to perform. Thus, I settled at 12,531 Kbps as the highest upload speed possible without any impact on my service.

Distribution to client devices

The router then trunks to a HP Procurve 1810G switch, that then passes tagged VLAN traffic to three Ubiquiti UniFi AC Pro AP’s spread around the house. Untagged traffic then goes to other ethernet based devices.

PFSense has great monitoring tools to measure the health and quality of a connection, but I wanted to track the speed of my connection. I built a little Node and HTML5 app called speedlogger that takes a Speedtest every 8 hours and plots it in a pretty graph.

Was it worth it?

Absolutely.

As with any experiment, any conclusions need to be backed with data. To validate the network was performing smoothly under heavy load, I performed the following experiment:

1. Ran a ping6 against speedtest.net to measure latency.
2. Turned off QoS to simulate a “normal router”.
3. Started multiple simultaneous outbound TCP and UDP streams to saturate my outbound link.
4. Turned on QoS to the above settings and repeated steps 2 and 3.

As you can see from the plot below, without QoS, my connection latency increased by ~1,235%. However with QoS enabled, the connection stayed stable during the upload and I wasn’t able to determine a statistically significant delta.

That’s how I maximized the speed on my non-gigabit internet connection. What have you done with your network?

If you made it to the end of this article, you’re probably pretty nerdy like us. We are looking for a skilled Systems Engineer and Senior Software Engineer — if that’s up your alley, check out the postings on Workable.

The future of the internet is fast. Fourteen times faster than the 70 Mbps the US averaged for download speed in March, gigabit-speed fixed broadband is still rare, but it’s making appearances in locations over the globe. Before you get too attached to the idea of downloading 1 billion bits of data per second, know that getting gigabit service and adjusting your set-up to achieve top speeds is harder than you might think.

We’re here to offer a few tips to help you achieve the Speedtest results you dream of. Some of these will help you maximize your potential internet speeds even if gigabit is not available in your area.

Factors you can’t control

1. Is gigabit-level service available in your area?

While internet service providers (ISPs), municipalities and companies like Google have been making headlines with gigabit (the ability to download 1 billion bits of information in one second), service is still rare (and expensive).

Ask around to see if gigabit is available in your area. Google Fiber is one option in some cities. Also check with phone companies and smaller ISPs to see if they offer gigabit. Some forward-thinking governments in places like Longmont, CO; Grant County, WA and New Westminster, BC have even created their own fiber networks.

2. What kind of infrastructure is your service delivered over?

You’ll get the best speeds with fiber because you won’t have to deal with the noise or interference that occurs over copper lines. However, new coaxial technologies, namely DOCSIS 3.1, have the potential to provide gigabit speeds, but not symmetrically (see the next point). Finally, phone lines, used for DSL, absolutely won’t cut it at all.

Having fiber doesn’t mean you’ll automatically have gigabit; the service still needs to be available in your area and you’ll likely pay more for it.

3. Is the available service plan symmetrical?

That is, are the advertised download and upload speeds the same? This varies by ISP, but asymmetrical service is more likely over coaxial connections — symmetrical gigabit service requires the robustness of a fiber optic connection. Asymmetrical service can lead to bufferbloat.

4. Understand the network located upstream of you.

And the quality of that network matters. If your ISP’s central office doesn’t have the bandwidth to support all the gigabit connections in your area, everyone will see slower speeds during peak usage times.

This also applies to peer-to-peer connections. If you’re downloading games and/or streaming movies, your performance is impacted by both the quality of the network those applications are using and how fast those services allow content to be downloaded. Gigabit is great for ensuring that multiple users are having a consistent internet experience, but don’t expect to be downloading games from Steam at gigabit speeds.

5. Data overhead makes 1 Gbps a theoretical number.

Though perfect circumstances might allow you to send 1 billion bits of information per second, some of those bits are overhead (including preamble, inter-frame gaps and TCP) and your actual data throughput will be a little smaller. If there was no overhead, you might be able to achieve a Speedtest result of 997 Mbps, but you’re more likely to top out at 940 Mbps. For more details on the math, read this.

What you can control

6. Good quality wiring is essential.

To achieve the fastest speeds possible, the most important thing you can do is use Cat 6 ethernet wiring to connect your devices to your modem and/or router. Cat 5e can do it but you’ll get less crosstalk using Cat 6. Plus, if you’re going to spend the money on new cables, it’s worth future-proofing your investment. Cat 5e supports up to up to 1,000 Mbps while Cat 6 supports ten times that. Also don’t run your data cabling parallel to power lines — interference from the power lines can cause interference in the ethernet cabling.

7. Are both the ports and the CPU in your router gigabit-ready?

Read the fine print when choosing a router. Not every consumer-grade router can support gigabit speeds over the ports in the back. And sometimes the ports support gigabit but the router’s CPU can’t keep up. In general, x86 processors are fastest, followed by ARM and then MIPS. You still need to check this even if your router was provided by your ISP.

Typically you’ll find that recently-released and the more expensive consumer grade routers are up to the task. Here are two routers we recommend along with affiliate links to make your shopping easy:

• Ubiquiti Edgerouter. The super advanced user will enjoy the pared-down customizability of this router. Many of the Ooklers use some version of this router. It doesn’t have Wi-Fi built in so be sure to get one or more compatible access points.
• Velop Whole Home Wire Mesh. To set up your entire house at once, try this system. It comes pre-loaded with Speedtest so you can easily test your connection.

8. Use a hardwired connection.

While Wi-Fi technology is catching up, you’ll still likely see better speeds if you plug that Cat 6 ethernet cable directly into your computer.

9. Check your adapter.

Not all laptops have ethernet ports, so you’ll need an adapter for a hardwired connection. Make sure the adapter you’re using is gigabit capable. Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 adapters are usually good, but the performance of other adapters varies widely. And don’t forget, USB based adapters also add data overhead.

10. If you must use Wi-Fi, pick a clear channel and sit close to your router.

All kinds of things can interfere with your Wi-Fi signal and thereby slow down your connection: fluorescent bulbs, baby monitors or even a cheap pair of wireless headphones. This is critical for Wi-Fi performance as only one device can use the channel at a time. In addition, Wi-FI uses CSMA-CA to handle collisions — if it detects a collision on the channel, the Wi-Fi device will halt sending and wait until the channel is clear. Interference counts as collisions, so you will end up with a sporadic and halting connection with interference nearby.

If your connection is clear, attenuation (signal drop over distance) is a very real problem when using Wi-Fi. The 2.4 GHz band handles attenuation better but is more subject to interference. The 5GHz band is less subject to interference but has more issues with attenuation. Either way, you’re still likely only to achieve speeds topping out around 600 Mbps.

If you are on the 2.4 GHz band, make sure to chose from channels 1, 6, or 11 (or 14 if allowed by your country) — those are the only non-colliding channels at 20 MHz. At 40 MHz, you will pretty well consume the entire 2.4 channel spectrum, thus, it will be even more at risk of interference. For an illustration, click here.

11. Make sure your computer is using the latest Wi-Fi standards.

The nonprofit Wi-Fi Alliance keeps a close eye on these standards. In 2016 they announced Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac standards which include Multi-User Multi-Input Multi-Output (MU-MIMO), 160MHz channels, quad-streams and extended 5GHz channel support. These standards change as technology improves, so check to make sure you’re working with the latest certifications. And just because your router supports these standards doesn’t mean your laptop or wireless device does.

12. Decipher the hype behind the marketing.

For example, a wireless router that says it can support 4 gigs doesn’t necessarily mean it can support one 4 Gbps connection. It’s more likely that the device has four radios with 1 Gbps specified maximums (real world performance is likely to be slower).

13. Stay up to date on router firmware, but don’t update on day zero.

Vendors regularly release software updates for their routers to improve their stability, performance and security. It’s usually always the best option to stay up to date with these firmware patches. With that said, many of us Ooklaers wait anywhere from a week to a month to apply these patches (assuming they are not critical security updates) to make sure there are not any regressions or issues.

14. Use our desktop apps to run your Speedtest.

If you’re sure your setup is perfect but you’re still not seeing the Speedtest result you expect, download our free desktop apps for Windows or MacOS. Many lower performance systems can’t reach 1 Gbps via browser tests due to various limitations. Plus our desktop apps give you data on jitter and packet loss.

Advanced options: For the tech savviest

15. Is your network interface card (NIC) up to the task?

Just being rated for 1000-Base-T may not be enough. NICs that use software offload instead of hardware offload are often found in older, cheaper computers and struggle to support gigabit speeds. Intel offers some of the best driver and hardware support on their NICs.

16. Encryption can be slow if it’s not done right.

Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) encryption, often enabled by default on Wi-Fi routers, will slow you doooowwwwn. Use Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) instead as it’s often hardware accelerated. The standard for WPA2 encryption, AES is both more secure and faster than TKIP. Some routers have TKIP options for compatibility reasons, though, even if you’re using WPA2, so check.

17. Turn off QoS shaping.

Quality of Service (QoS) shaping on a router can help you prevent large downloads from eating up all your bandwidth. But on consumer hardware, you’re also bypassing hardware acceleration so all your packets of data have to be inspected by the main CPU. This can cut your performance by 10x on a high bandwidth connection.

If you’ve gone this far and still want more, read how our lead systems engineer set up his non-gigabit connection to achieve super fast speeds

Is gigabit worth the trouble?

By now you’re probably thinking, “Getting the fastest internet speeds sure is a lot of work.” For some people hitting the maximum speed is worth any amount of work to get there. Others will be more than happy with the 300, 400 or 500 Mbps that they see on their gigabit plan with minimal tinkering.

Whether you’re gigabit ready or not, these tips will help you get the best speeds out of your internet connection now and in the future. Use this handy little list to keep track of all the steps:

If you answered “yes” to all of the above questions, congratulations! You’re now ready to unlock that superfast Speedtest result.