Evidence guide
Internet speed, without invented universal ratings
A speed result is useful only when its scope and comparison are clear. This guide uses provider-published requirements and the site's documented browser-to-edge method.
Sources reviewed July 10, 2026.
What the measurements mean
- Download throughput is the rate at which this browser received measured bytes from the test edge.
- Upload throughput is the rate at which this browser sent generated bytes to the test edge.
- HTTP RTT is the elapsed time for a small browser request and response. It includes browser scheduling, the current network path, edge processing, and protocol overhead.
- RTT variation on this site is the mean absolute difference between consecutive successful HTTP timing samples.
WiFiSpeedTest does not label failed HTTP requests as end-to-end packet loss. It also does not claim to measure radio signal strength or the full capacity of an ISP plan. The exact sample counts, formulas, and trimming rules are in the measurement method.
Published service requirements
| Published use case | Provider figure | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Netflix 720p | 3 Mbps or higher | Compare with the measured download result while accounting for other traffic on the same connection. |
| Netflix 1080p | 5 Mbps or higher | Netflix's recommendation applies to one stream under its documented conditions. |
| Netflix 4K | 15 Mbps or higher | A household with simultaneous traffic needs capacity beyond a single stream's figure. |
| Zoom web app, 1080p group video | 3.8 Mbps down / 3.0 Mbps up | Both directions matter; Zoom lists other figures for other modes. |
| Microsoft Teams meeting video, best performance | 4 Mbps down / 4 Mbps up | Microsoft publishes lower minimum and recommended figures for several scenarios. |
| FCC fixed-broadband policy benchmark | 100 Mbps down / 20 Mbps up | This March 2024 benchmark is not an average, plan guarantee, or application requirement. |
How to make a comparison defensible
- Record the device, browser, connection type, test endpoint, and time.
- Pause avoidable downloads, updates, cloud backups, and other local traffic.
- Run several tests under the same conditions and compare their median rather than selecting one extreme.
- Repeat after changing one variable, such as moving closer to the access point or using Ethernet.
- For an ISP-plan dispute, also use the ISP's prescribed test method and keep its terms and result records.
There is no truthful universal percentage that every subscriber should receive from every advertised plan. Access technology, service terms, local network, test route, device, protocol, and congestion all affect the observation.