Doing a speed test on the mobile is essential to be able to determine a fault in the WiFi or mobile data network. And while it is true that you can detect the symptoms yourself when using a web browser or an app that connects to the Internet, the speed test is the most accurate.
Far from requiring complex software or external tools, doing the check will take just a few seconds with the right applications and knowing what each value shown in the results means. In this post we explain all the ways to do a speed test from your mobile so that you can report an incident to your operator if the case arises.
Android and iOS speed test apps
Regardless of whether you have an Android mobile or an iPhone, you will find that the two most efficient speed measurement apps are shared by both systems. Logically, there are more than those that we show here and having one will be enough for you, but we have compiled the ones that in our experience are more accurate.
SpeedTest
A classic where they exist and that, despite having a web version , works very well in your application. It shows interesting speed data, as well as the network to which you are connected. It is completely free , although it contains advertising that is in no way intrusive as it is a small banner.
Speedtest the Ookla
- Price: Free
- Developer: Ookla
- Download on: Google Play (Android)
- Download at: App Store (iOS)
nPerf
We have previously talked about nPerf as a perfect benchmark to analyze your connection . In addition to measuring speed, it also analyzes other parameters and even the coverage of operators in Spain. The fact of offering a careful interface with graphics helps to make its data easy to understand and interpret even by those who do not have much technical knowledge.
nPerf : speed test velocidad
- Price: Free
- Developer: nPerf SAS
- Download on: Google Play (Android)
- Download at: App Store (iOS)
From the web browser
Through the browser, without the need to install apps , you can also do a speed test. Without going any further, Xiaomi’s own browser hides a speed test in its interface . However, and in order to make it similar to iOS as well, we will resort to a universal one: Google’s.
The Google speed test works in any web browser and regardless of whether the mobile is Android or iPhone.
And it is that in the Google search engine itself there is a speed test . To access it, it will be as simple as opening the normal Google website and in the search box type “speed test” (or “speed test” and the like). After that, the first result that appears will be that of the tool, all you have to do is press the corresponding button to start the test.
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What do the results of the speed test mean?
Once you have done the speed test, either with applications or from the browser, a series of data will appear as a result. If you’re not familiar with these connection terms , don’t worry. These are their meanings:
- Upload speed:expressed in Megabits per second (Mbps), it refers to the time it takes for the mobile to upload data to the network. For example, imagine you want to post a tweet or upload a video to YouTube; the faster your upload connection, the sooner the content will upload.
- Download speed:the reverse of the previous case, since it is also expressed in Mbps and in this case refers to the time it takes for your device to download data from the network. The clearest example in this case is when you download a file from the Internet or wait for the content of a social network or your WhatsApp chats to load, since the higher this speed, the sooner you will be able to have that content.
- Ping:is a unit that measures the latency of the connection and is equivalent to the milliseconds it takes for your mobile to establish a connection with a remote computer. For example, “20 pings” would mean having a delay of only 2 milliseconds on your connection. This is seen a lot in online video games, considerably improving the experience the less ping you have, since it will feel much more fluid as there is less latency.
How to interpret the results of the speed test
Despite having already seen with the previous examples what each value means, it may not be enough for you to know how to detect when the connection is slow or fast . The most convenient thing is always that there is a high and symmetric speed of upload and download speed accompanied by a low Ping.
However, the reality is different and more in wireless connections such as those of the mobile, considerably lower than those connected by cable to the router. Finding the ideal speed will always depend on the use you make of the Internet , since downloading or uploading many data packages is not the same as simply sending and receiving WhatsApp messages, the first case being much more demanding.
Be that as it may, having a low speed and/or a high ping is not always synonymous with problems , since your contracted Internet may be like that. You should look at what speed you contracted with your operator and if it offered you symmetrical speeds, although as a general rule the upload speed is always somewhat lower than the download speed.
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If you detect that your connection is excessively slow or very far from what you contracted , you could check the following points first:
- Remove the mobile cover, as absurd as it may seem. There are some cases that, due to their construction, limit the signal input and are bad friends with a fast connection. This is most likely not the problem, but you’d be surprised how many times this has been the source of the slowness.
- Being close to the router, since the further away you are, the worse the WiFi signal will reach you. Not to mention the possible obstacles that hinder the propagation of the signal .
- Coverage problemsin the event that it is with mobile data, since you do not always have the same signal and more so if you are on the move. The mobile is connecting to different antennas and this can cause coverage problems .
- Check if the router is buggyas it may be broken or crashed. To rule out failures in the router , all you have to do is restart it, this being a solution to many “faults” that later are not such.
- Reset the mobile network settings, which will cause all your WiFi connections ( also Bluetooth and others ) to be lost and you will have to connect to them again. Reestablishing the connection manually might solve the problems.
If after carrying out the checks you still notice that you have a slow connection , you will have no choice but to notify your operator. If the problems are via WiFi, the one that supplies you with this service. If it is with mobile data, to your mobile operator. This way they will be able to verify if it is a specific failure in the area, if it is a matter of the router and even if it may be a hardware failure of your mobile
