Internet Speed Test
Curious About Home Internet Speeds? Put Yours to the Test.
Your internet speed tells you how much data and information can be sent and received over the web on your network at one time.
Not sure if yours measures up? Use our free internet speed test to check your current connection. You can even start any classes, meetings, videos, or games you’d typically access or stream before you run the test. Once you have your results, read on to see how your current speed compares to EarthLink’s internet options.
When you have the right speed, you can seamlessly stream, game, work, and more — without worrying about buffering or lag times.
Your high-speed internet just has to be up to the task. Try our internet speed test now to check your connection.
When Should I Test My Internet Speed?
If you’re noticing a slow internet connection, it’s a good time to run an internet speed test. But when you’re comparing your results against your plan, keep in mind that ISPs guarantee speeds up to the speed on your plan. It doesn’t mean that you’ll experience those speeds 100% of the time, but you should consistently get at least 95% of that speed.
If you’re noticing a slower connection on just one computer or tablet, it might be a device-specific issue. Restarting the device, closing any unnecessary apps, or installing a software update (if needed) might help. If you’re still noticing a slow connection on everything, now’s the time to use our free internet speed test.
What Do My Internet Speed Test Results Mean?
Once you’ve run the test, you’ll want to make sense of your results. Here are the basics:
The test server shows the location that the speed test was run through. The closer the server, the faster your internet.
Your download speed is how much data can be downloaded from the server per second. High-data activities (streaming, video conferencing, and gaming) require higher download speeds. It’s the main number associated with your internet plan.
Upload speed is how fast data can be sent to the server. If you’re sending large email attachments, posting live videos on social media, or playing live tournament video games, you need fast upload speeds.
Latency, or ping, describes how much time your device requires to send signals to a server and receive the response. This is basically a time delay or lag, so the lower the number is, the better.
Retransmissions happen when the network is congested, and data (also called packets) gets dropped. Any dropped packets must be re-sent. This number should be very low, but unless your retransmission rate is above 2%, you shouldn’t notice any connection issues.
Why Your Home Internet Speed Matters
The internet has become a nearly essential part of our day-to-day life. The U.S. has approximately 284 million active internet users nationwide according to Statista — and nearly 86% of Americans accessed the internet in 2020.
Reliable, fast speeds are important to make sure you stay connected to your favorite online activities. But did you know that your upload and download speeds both matter? Speed asymmetry is when your download speed is faster than your upload speed. This was the standard in the past with things like cable internet. Most people were downloading more information than they were sending, so it was not a problem. But that’s changing.
With the rise of video calling, competitive gaming, and other real-time online activities, upload speeds matter more than ever. Ideally, your upload and download speeds should match, also known as speed symmetry. When your upload speeds are higher, you never have to miss a beat – or repeat yourself on a conference call. How can you get symmetrical speeds? Fiber internet.
Don’t let slow internet stop you from enjoying your favorite shows, connecting with family and friends, working or going to school from home — or anything else.
Not Sure What Internet Speed Is Right For You?
Some ISPs want to sell you huge internet packages that simply don’t fit how you use the internet. Or offer you overstuffed bundles and complicated options with short-lived teaser rates, and contracts that leave you feeling stuck. With Earthlink, it doesn’t have to be that way.
You can stop searching “test my internet speed” every few weeks. Our experienced team can walk you through all the options to find the right connection — at the right price — for your home.
25+ Mbps
The right residential high-speed internet service for 1-2 devices. Great for occasional streaming and gaming, photo sharing, and downloading music.
100+ Mbps
Amazing speed for up to 5 individual devices. Faster download speeds for streaming the latest shows, playing online, and sharing photos and music.
500+ Mbps
Great for up to 12 devices. Remote school and working from home, rapid streaming, downloading large files, multiplayer gaming, video conferencing, and more.
1 – 5 Gigs (1000 – 5000 Mbps)
Created for unlimited devices. Rapid streaming, downloading large files, multiplayer gaming, music and photo sharing, and smart home devices.