Understand Your Speed Test Results

Four numbers come out of a speed test. Here is what each one means and which one to care about for what you do.

Download and upload (Mbps)

Download is how fast data comes to you; upload is how fast it leaves. Streaming leans on download; calls and backups lean on upload.

Ping and jitter (ms)

Ping is the round-trip delay to the server; jitter is how much that delay varies. Low and steady is what makes gaming and calls feel responsive.

Mbps vs MBps

Plans are sold in megabits (Mbps); downloads often show megabytes (MBps). Divide Mbps by 8 — a 100 Mbps line downloads at about 12.5 MB/s.