Internet Speed Test Tool

Check your internet speed with this simple, fast and accurate speed testing tool.

What do my speed test results mean?

Just as there’s no one-size-fits-all internet plan, there’s also no one perfect internet speed to suit all Australians. The internet speed you experience will depend on the type of broadband connection you have and the plan you choose, but knowing the speed you should be achieving can help you determine if your plan is underperforming. This is where running an internet speed test can come in handy.

Simply click or press the ‘Go’ button above, and our in-page tool will perform an instant speed test on your internet connection. In a matter of seconds, you’ll receive three key results: your download speed, your upload speed, and your ping (see below for what these terms mean and why they’re important).

Download speed: How fast your connection can retrieve information from the internet (for example, loading websites or streaming YouTube).

Upload speed: How fast your connection can send information to the internet (for example, posting on social media or making Zoom calls).

Megabits per second (Mbps): Units of measurement that indicate how much data can be transferred across a connection per second. The more megabits that can be sent, the faster your connection should be.

Typical evening speeds: The average download speeds experienced by customers during the busiest usage hours of between 7pm-11pm.

Ping & latency: Latency refers to the response time of your connection, i.e. the time between you performing an action or sending information, and that information reaching its destination. This is measured in milliseconds, and is often referred to as ‘ping’; ideally, your ping should be as low as possible.

Bandwidth: How much data your connection can send or receive per second.

Can you speed test all internet types?

The above internet speed test tool tests all types of internet — whether you want to do an NBN speed test, check your Starlink service or test how your 4G or 5G home internet is holding up. As long as you can connect to the internet, you can perform an internet speed test.

What is a good internet speed?

A good internet speed is ultimately one that matches what you pay for. After all, you don’t want to be paying for a plan that isn’t meeting your expectations.

If you have an NBN plan, it’s relatively easy to work out if you have a good internet speed. The NBN speed tier your plan is on, gives you an indication of the maximum speeds you should be able to reach on your plan. However real-world performance can differ between households and providers.

Looking at your plan’s typical evening speed can be a better indication of what speeds you can expect on your NBN plan during the busy evening peak between 7pm and 11pm, when there’s more network congestion. If you run an internet speed test during this time and your NBN plan isn’t anywhere close to meeting the typical evening speeds your provider lists, you might need to speak to your provider to see if there’s a reason your service isn’t meeting the expected speeds.

NBN evening speeds compared

You’ll most likely see an ‘evening speed’ or ‘typical evening speed’ listed with your NBN plan, which is supposed to give a more realistic representation about the maximum NBN speeds you can expect to achieve in peak periods. The peak period is from 7pm to 11pm and frequently experience maximum speed slowdown of around 20% or more.

The good news, however, is that telcos do seem to be doing better to curb peak period slowdown, and over time speeds do seem to be improving. If you want to find the typical evening speed you can expect with a certain telco, you can check the telco’s website for more information.

What internet speed do I actually need?

The right speed for you will depend on several factors, including:

• How many people are in your household? Will they be using the internet at the same time?
• What do you typically use the internet for? Basic use — such as browsing web sites and sending emails — may be fine with a slower plan, but more intensive activities such as high-definition streaming or online gaming will require something faster.
• How many devices will you be connecting, and will they be used simultaneously? Alongside computers and laptops, you may need to connect smartphones, smart TVs, gaming consoles, tablets, security systems and more.
• What speeds are available on your NBN connection type? FTTP and some HFC connections can access all speeds, while FTTN, FTTB and FTTC may be limited to NBN 100 or NBN 50, and satellite and fixed wireless connections max out at around NBN 25 speeds (NBN 50 for fixed wireless plus).
• What is your budget? Plans are priced by speed, so you may need to compromise if you have a spending limit.

Speed for the NBN

Depending on the NBN technology type used to connect your home to the network, you could have up to six speed tier options available at your address. These tiers are divided by the maximum download and upload speeds available; the higher the speeds, the faster your plan should be. Keep in mind that the expected typical evening speeds a provider lists for NBN plans can change every few months or so.

The more people in your home, and the more data-intensive your daily use is, the more likely you are to need a faster plan. To give you an idea of what the NBN speed tiers are best suited for, you can compare speed tier uses below.
← Mobile/tablet users, scroll sideways to view full table →

Keep in mind that you’ll need to be on an eligible FTTP or HFC connection for NBN 250 or NBN 1000 plans, and even NBN 100 might be out of reach for certain NBN connection types. The faster plans are typically quite expensive — ranging from $100 to $180 per month on average — and are best suited to large households with big download demands.

If you know which speed tier you’re currently using, you can then gauge whether your current speeds are up to par. The easiest way to check your internet speed is simply to run an internet speed test on your home NBN connection (especially during the popular usage times of 7pm-11pm). Use these results to see how close to your plan’s advertised and average speeds your service typically is.

Ideally, your results should be as close to your plan’s maximum download and upload speeds as possible. You may even find your download result is slightly higher than the advertised maximum for your NBN speed tier, as NBN Co often over-provisions network capacity to help guard against congestion. However, if your speeds are significantly less than what your provider advertises, it may be time to find a new plan.

Read more: What internet speed is best for my household?

How fast are wireless internet speeds?

If you’re on a home wireless or mobile broadband plan, you’ll be using a 4G or 5G mobile network to connect to the internet. How fast your mobile broadband plan is will depend on the network you’re connected to, your location, the devices you’re using, and the plan you’ve signed up for.

If you’re on a 4G mobile broadband or home wireless internet plan, you can typically expect download speeds between 12Mbps and 100Mbps, so similar to what you’ll achieve on the four most common NBN plans. Your real-world speed will depend on the provider you’re with, as well as the network coverage and congestion in your area.

A handful of providers also offer 5G mobile and home internet, which is significantly faster than 4G, but much less widely available. 5G mobile can theoretically reach speeds of one gigabit per second and up, but the speeds you’ll actually experience are unlikely to be quite that fast.

Optus cites a typical 5G internet speed of 210Mbps in busy hours for its uncapped plan, while Telstra lists speeds up to 300Mbps. Depending on your plan and provider, you can expect a maximum speed of anywhere between 100Mbps and 400Mbps during the evening, but you should check with your telco to see what’s typically available in your area.

You can use the above internet speed test tool to check your internet speed on mobile broadband and home wireless plans, alongside NBN or fibre connections.

Wireless internet speed caps

Some providers might throttle your wireless internet download speed. This is particularly common with 5G home internet and mobile broadband/data-only SIM plans, now that fast 5G technology is more widely available. Speeds are often capped at 50Mbps or 100Mbps, with providers usually offering a range of 5G internet plans with speed caps.

This means that providers can offer a 5G home internet plan but at a cheaper price point than plans with unlimited speeds or higher speed caps. This can be great if you’re looking for something faster than 4G home wireless but cheaper than uncapped plans. However, if you’re looking to take advantage of those faster 5G speeds, you’ll want to keep an eye out for speed caps.

Which NBN provider has the fastest internet speed?

While there’s no one ‘fastest’ internet provider, some telcos do typically out-perform other providers when it comes to average speeds. The ACCC releases a report every few months on the state of telco services and the speeds of NBN plans. In the December 2024 Measuring Broadband report, the ACCC found that in peak periods (7pm to 11pm) included providers achieved the following percentage of their maximum plan speed:

• Exetel: 103.0%
• Dodo & iPrimus: 102.4%
• Telstra: 102.3%
• Optus: 101.8%
• TPG: 101.8%
• Leaptel: 101.4%
• Superloop: 101.3%
• Vodafone: 99.9%
• Aussie Broadband: 99.4%
• Launtel: 99.4%
• iiNet: 98.0%

This in effect means that out of the biggest providers, Exetel was technically rated the ‘best’ performer, as its plans were more likely to achieve their maximum download speeds. In past reports, it has been a battle between Telstra, Optus, Exetel, Launtel and TPG for the top spot, showing that these speed performances can vary between reporting periods.

While this is a general guide only, it’s worth keeping in mind if you really value a fast internet plan, and also to give you a rough idea of which providers seem more likely to deliver the speeds you’ll expect.

Additionally, you may also want to compare telcos in Canstar Blue’s annual internet provider ratings to see which names are the most highly-rated for speed. In our 2024 NBN ratings, winning provider Aussie Broadband scored five stars for speed and reliability, as did Exetel and iPrimus, while a range of other providers, including Superloop, iiNet and Telstra, scored four stars. Our ratings for home wireless broadband had winning brand iiNet as the only provider to score five stars for speed and coverage.

How to do an NBN speed test

If you’re starting to question the quality of your NBN service, running an NBN speed test can help you get an indication of how good – or bad – your internet is.

In order to run an NBN speed test, make sure that your chosen device — computer, tablet or smartphone — is using your home’s NBN service and not connected to a mobile network. Then you can use the speed test tool at the top of this page.

Keep in mind that if your device is connected to your home’s WiFi network, you’ll be running a WiFi speed test. Any device, such as a desktop or laptop computer that you connect to your modem via an ethernet cable, may record faster speeds on a speed test than if it’s connected to the WiFi.

All in all, running a speed test is a very simple process and can give an insightful look into how your internet is performing.

Internet speed tests for specific providers

Whether you’re looking for a Telstra speed test, a TPG speed test, an Optus speed test or a speed test for any other specific provider, the good news is that you don’t need a different speed tool to test those speeds.

You can use our free internet speed test tool at the top of this page to test your internet speeds from a wide range of internet providers — whether you’re a Telstra, TPG, Optus, Dodo, Aussie Broadband or Superloop customer, or a customer with any other internet provider.

However, you might still find it useful to test your internet speed (especially during the busy evening peak) and compare your results to the speeds your provider is stating that your plan should be able to achieve. If you think your plan is underperforming — and you’ve checked that there aren’t any other factors that could impact your service — it’s worth getting in touch with your telco to make sure there aren’t any issues with your service.

What internet speed do I have?

Not sure which NBN speed you have? You should be able to see your NBN speed tier listed on your latest broadband bill, or by logging into your NBN provider’s self-service portal or app. NBN providers will typically list a plan’s speed tier in that plan’s name or description; for example, iiNet’s NBN 50 plan is named ‘NBN50 Liimitless’. If you’re unsure, you can contact your provider directly for clarification.

If you’re not on the NBN, your bill will likely still provide information on the speeds available with your plan, especially if you’re on a fibre connection such as OptiComm. If you’re using mobile or home wireless broadband, your plan only offers the fastest speeds available at your location, but even then there’s no need to put up with a slow performance.

If all else fails, run our free speed test and use those results to see how fast your plan actually is on average. You can use your results to help figure out which NBN or fibre speed tier you’re paying for, or to take to your provider if you feel your connection is slower than it should be.

What can affect an internet speed test?

When you’re running a speed test, the results of your test might not be a totally accurate representation of your internet service. Several things can impact your internet speed or speed test results.

• Running a WiFi speed test might not produce as good a result as running a speed test with your computer plugged into your modem via an ethernet cable.
• Other people and devices using the internet at the same time as when you run your speed test can heavily skew results.
• VPNs can affect overall speed due to routing traffic through a foreign country or location far away from your home — you might need to disconnect from your VPN for a more accurate result.
• If you have older equipment, like an older modem/router, might not have the technology to deliver faster speeds, so you might need to check or even upgrade your hardware, or it could be out-of-date software.
• A virus or malware infecting your device.
• Being stuck on an overloaded DNS server.
• Your home’s NBN technology type can affect the speed and performance of your plan — some NBN speeds are not available to certain connection types.
• The location of your home, which could be further away from servers or network towers (for 4G and 5G internet).
• Internet outages due to network maintenance or downtime.

Other factors such as your choice of server can also impact test results. Also note that some providers may even be able to detect you’re running a speed test and prioritise bandwidth to you, which may not give an accurate representation of what speeds you actually experience.

Why is my internet so slow and how to increase it

As mentioned above, there are a range of factors that can impact your internet performance and often these can really slow down your internet speeds. Unfortunately, some of these issues may be out of your control and you might need to switch to a faster internet plan, switch to a different internet type (if possible) or provider, or find other ways to boost your internet speed.

One of the quickest and most effective ways to increase your internet speed is to switch to a faster broadband plan. If you’re on a lower NBN speed tier, you can easily upgrade to a faster plan from as little as $5 or $10 more per month. You may also want to compare and check internet speeds for your current NBN tier across different providers — moving to another telco could give you a significant speed boost, without the need to pay for a faster speed tier.

Compare Fastest Internet Plans

If you’re not an NBN user, or don’t plan on paying more for your broadband plan just yet, there are also some quick DIY options to improve your home internet speeds. These include:

• Optimise your WiFi range and signal with a WiFi extender or booster, and make sure your modem is unobstructed and as close as possible to your devices.
• If you’re using a VPN, consider switching it off when you don’t actively need it.
• Check your modem-router for damage or out-of-date software/firmware, and consider upgrading to a newer model.
• Check to make sure there’s no automatic downloads, updates or background processes running on your devices that could impact available bandwidth.

More advanced options include changing your DNS server, switching your WiFi channel, and disabling your router’s Quality of Service feature.

Related: How to increase your internet speed

Want a plan with faster internet speeds?

If you’re struggling with slow internet, it may be time to look for a faster plan. For most Australians, your best bet is upgrading to a better NBN speed tier — although the right option for you will depend on how you use the internet, the size of your home, and how much money you’re willing to spend.

We’ve compiled a range of fast NBN plans in the below tables to help you compare options and prices.

Compare NBN Plans ⚡

About our internet experts

Tara Donnelly, Utilities Editor

Tara Donnelly is Canstar Blue’s Utilities Editor, leading the team that focuses on energy, telecommunications and consumer technology, across news, reviews and how-tos. Tara has spent more than a decade covering these topics in Australia, the US and Canada, which means she’s written about countless product launches and industry changes, including the rise of 5G, Australia’s ongoing NBN rollout, the recent years of energy price volatility and the rise of renewable energy sources.

Tara also has long experience in writing within the comparison industry, giving her great insights into the information consumers want when determining which plan or device will best meet their needs, while time spent in the financial sector before turning her talent to content lets her crunch the numbers on price with ease. Tara leads the coverage of Canstar Blue’s ratings and awards for the internet and phone sectors and is an expert at advising consumers on how to use comparison tools to find the best power, internet or phone deal.

Her expertise has seen her appear in national media including 9 News, 7 News, Sunrise, the ABC, The New Daily and The Sydney Morning Herald.

Josh Filosi, Data Insights Analyst

Josh Filosi is a Data Insights Analyst at Canstar, where he uses his expertise in data analysis and interpretation to develop and deliver the methodology for Canstar Blue’s Value Rankings and Outstanding Value awards in the telecommunications sectors.

His double-major in Economics and Behavioral Science from Griffith University provides him with the analytical skills and understanding of consumer markets to uncover insights in complex data, as well as passion for helping consumers find genuinely good deals when faced with countless competing options for their hard-earned cash in the Internet and Phone sectors.

Josh’s real love for all things tech gives him a unique perspective, too, on the telecommunications industry and the needs of its customers – staying up-to-date with the latest developments in the field is no onerous task, and it means Josh spots small details that can add up to a big difference to customers. He recently worked on the development of a Value Ranking methodology for the growing wireless broadband sector.

Josh relishes the opportunity to dedicate his professional effort to the cause of tech and telco users and is keen to continue building his understanding of this fascinating, ever-changing industry. When Josh isn’t poring over telco data, he likes to tinker with gadgets and electronics.