---
title: "How to run an accurate internet speed test"
description: "How to run a speed test that reflects your real nbn connection, including using a cable, closing other apps and testing at different times of day."
url: "https://dev.www.lightningip.com.au/help/internet/run-an-accurate-speed-test"
canonical: "https://dev.www.lightningip.com.au/help/internet/run-an-accurate-speed-test"
updated: "2026-10-04"
---

# How to run an accurate internet speed test

How to run a speed test that reflects your real nbn connection, including using a cable, closing other apps and testing at different times of day.

A speed test only tells you something useful if you run it properly. Wi-Fi, background downloads and other devices can all drag the result down and make a healthy connection look slow.

1. **Connect with a cable if you can** - Plug your computer directly into the modem with an ethernet cable. This removes Wi-Fi from the equation entirely.
2. **Stop other activity** - Pause downloads, streaming and cloud backups on every device in the house.
3. **Run the test three times** - Take the best of three results. A single test can be skewed by a momentary spike in traffic.
4. **Test at different times** - Evening speeds between 7pm and 11pm are typically lower than off-peak because more people in your area are online.

## Reading the result

Download speed matters most for streaming and browsing. Upload speed matters for video calls and sending large files. Latency (sometimes shown as ping) matters most for gaming and calls.

Speeds are quoted as "typical evening speed" rather than a maximum, because that is the number that reflects real-world use.