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How to Interpret Connection Speed Test Results
Making sense of speed test data
By Nadeem Unuth Nadeem Unuth Freelance Contributor University of Mauritius Nadeem Unuth is a former freelance contributor to Lifewire who specializes in information and communication technology with a focus on VoIP. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on June 29, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email In This Article
Expand Jump to a Section Upload and Download Speeds Quality of Service Round Trip Time Max Pause Not all internet connection speed tests provide the same metrics or parameters in their results, but all of them provide both download and upload speeds. Other metrics may include QoS, RTT, and Maximum Pause. Upload and Download Speeds
Measured in kbps (kilobits per second) or Mbps (megabits per second), these values represent the rate at which data transfers to or from a network device. In the case of download speed, it refers to the rate at which data downloads to your computer or mobile device—be it VoIP data, software, documents, or media. The upload speed is how quickly the data can be transmitted to the internet, cloud, or network device. For a quality voice call, a download speed of 100 kbps and an upload speed of 80 kbps are sufficient. You can get an idea of your upload and download speeds by installing a network meter. QoS Quality of Service
QoS represents the ratio of the worst data reading to the best. It is a measure of the level of consistency in download speeds. In speed tests, it is represented as a percentage. The higher it is, the better the quality. For good VoIP, the QoS should be 80 percent or more. RTT Round Trip Time
The RTT is the time it takes for your device to send and receive a packet via the network path being tested. It is measured in milliseconds (ms). The smaller this number, the better the connection. For VoIP, it is sufficient to have an RTT of 250 milliseconds or less. This means that the packet of data took a quarter of a second or less to go from your device to the test host and back. Round trips that take more time are likely to result in dropped calls or lag time. Max Pause
This is the longest pause your test has recorded between data packets. For a good call, this should be a small number. Any max pause below 100 is good for VoIP. These values should give you a clear idea about how good or bad your connection is. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire 5G Speed: How to Understand the Numbers How to Turn Off RTT on iPhone Internet Speed Test Sites (Last Updated October 2022) SpeedOf.Me Review (An Internet Speed Test Site) Understanding Broadband Internet Speeds How to Test Your VoIP Connection How to Use the Netflix Speed Test What Is VoIP Latency, and Can It Be Reduced? TestMy.net Review (An Internet Speed Test Site) Comcast/Xfinity Speed Test: A Full Review Network MTU vs. Maximum TCP Your Options for High-Speed Internet How Do Bits, Bytes, Megabytes, Megabits, and Gigabits Differ? How to Stop Echoes in Voice Calls What Is a Good Download Speed and Upload Speed? Are You Getting the Internet Speed You're Paying For? Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies