Test your broadband speed

Happy with your speed?

Ireland’s leading broadband providers advertise speeds of 100 Mbps, 360 Mbps and even 1,000 Mbps in some cases. But there’s a catch! These advertised speeds only refer to the maximum speed possible with your plan, they are by no means a guarantee.

In fact, in many cases, the speed you actually get will be much slower than what you might expect. If you aren’t happy with the speed you’re getting at the price you’re paying, you can compare broadband providers and switch to a better deal today.

What do my results mean?

The most important result from your broadband speed test is ‘download speed’ Your download speed is the rate at which your device is able to access content from the internet.

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So, a high download speed will allow you to load internet pages instantaneously and enjoy online video streaming without buffering. On the other hand, a low download speed will leave you with long page load times and pixelated or laggy video streams.

Your upload speed measures the rate at which you are able to add content to the internet or send messages, pictures and videos to others. Upload speeds tend to be much slower than download speeds since most of us do much more uploading that downloading. So don’t worry if your download and upload speeds are vastly different.

Ping, which is measured in milliseconds, indicates how quickly your connection can respond to a request. The lower your ping, the faster your internet connection is at responding to the actions you ask it to take.

Jitter is a bit like Ping, in that it is measured in milliseconds and refers to the responsiveness of your connection. The lower your Jitter, the more consistently reliable your broadband connection is likely to be.

How can I compare broadband speeds from one provider to another?

To compare the latest broadband offers from major Irish providers like eir, Pure Telecom, Sky, Virgin Media and Vodafone, simply visit the broadband providers page on bonkers.ie.

From there you can view a complete list of the top speeds available across Ireland. For a more tailored set of results, you can add your address to see the top broadband speeds available at your specific address.

Why am I not getting the broadband speeds I signed up for?

Let’s say, for example, you’ve signed up for a broadband deal that has been advertised at a 100Mbps but when you run a speed test, you’re only getting speeds of 20Mb/s. It’s important to remember that 100Mbps refers to the potential top speed offered by the connection and there is no minimum speed guarantee.

How can I speed up my broadband connection?

There are a number of things you can do to give your internet connection a boost.

1. Reposition your router - moving your router into the direct line of sight of your device will help maximise your speed. Don’t leave your router tucked away in a corner, behind an armchair or a thick wall - this will interfere with your signal.
2. Turn your router off and on again - switching your router off for about 30 seconds and then turning it back on can really help improve your speed. When you turn it back on, it will search for the fastest channel available at that moment.
3. Remove obstacles from your the vicinity of your router - items like baby monitors and microwaves can interfere with your broadband signal. Removing these from the same room as your router can help you to improve your broadband speed.
4. Update your browser - whatever your browser of choice is, make sure you’re using the latest version. Downloading the latest browser updates can help you maximise your connection’s speed.
5. Install anti-virus software - if your device gets infected with malware, you will likely see a decline in performance speed. By installing anti-virus software, you can protect your laptop or tablet against an infection and keep your speed in top form.
6. Password-protect your network - if you have home WiFi, make sure that your network connection is protected by a strong password (“password” and “1234” are to be avoided!). If you don’t have a password, your neighbours can jump on your WiFi connection without you knowing and slow everything down.
7. Switch providers - often the best way to significantly increase your connection speed is to switch to a different broadband provider, with a higher speed capability.