Why Don't I See the Full Speed I'm Paying for in a Speed Test?
We hear this question a lot, and in answering this, it's important to understand the difference between Internet and Wi-Fi. Internet comes into your home via a modem, which is connected to your router. If you run a speed test off of the router (a great way to do this is through the Lynxx Command IQ App) you'll get something close to the internet speed you're paying for.
For any device that connects with a wireless signal (or Wi-Fi), a speed test will show you what that particular device is getting while sharing the wireless signal with all the other devices in the home. Keep in mind that there are many factors that impact the connectivity of a wireless device, some of which are listed below.
For those who like word pictures, think of the Wi-Fi signal coming off your router as a hose. The water is most intense at the source, but the spray weakens the further you get from the nozzle. The same happens in your home with your Wi-Fi signal. If you run a speed test from your phone, for example, you'll see the speed it is getting as it shares the proverbial water - the Wi-Fi signal - along with all the other connected devices in the home. And, using the hose example, the distance the phone is from the router is going to have an impact as well. So you won't see the full speed you're paying for off a wireless device or mesh unit. In addition, there are four things that can impact the bandwidth that a wireless device receives:
- Interference & router placement. If the router is not centrally located in the home, the signal won’t always reach where it needs to. Also, there are items in your home that can block a wireless signal, such as mirrors and microwaves. If the wireless signal has to go through any of these obstacles, the strength of it can be impacted.
- Device capability. Different devices have different capabilities. A 2.4 Ghz device has low frequency and less bandwidth, but a longer range of signal. Compare this to a 5 Ghz device, which has a higher frequency and higher bandwidth, but a shorter range of signal. As a result of the different frequencies, a 2.4 Ghz device won’t see the full 2 Gig speed you’re paying for in a speed test because it operates on a lower frequency with less bandwidth. You can look at the “Things” tab in the Lynxx Command IQ App to see the Ghz of each device connected to your network.
- Who is using the bandwidth. If you have 10 devices all using the same SSID (Service Set Identifier; also your Wi-Fi network's name), then the bandwidth is shared between all those devices. A speed test is going to show how much bandwidth is available. Some devices use more bandwidth than others, and this will impact what you can see on a single device in a speed test.
- Distance in the home between the router and the device. Think of the water hose example; if the device is toward the edge of the “spray” it won’t see the full bandwidth. Plus, add in all the other factors listed here.