Mbps - Megabits per second shows how fast you can stream movies or upload and download files.

Download Speed - Download speed measures how fast data travels from the Internet to a device. When you stream video, stream music, or view a website, the information is downloaded to your device. 

Upload Speed - Upload speed measures how fast data travels from your device to a location or site on the Internet. When you upload videos, photos, or files to a site, the information is uploaded to the internet.

Ping (Latency) - Ping is the amount of time it takes for your network to transfer information from your computer to a remote server and back. There will always be some amount of latency over your network, but the lower this number, the better your performance will be. Typically, you want to keep a close eye on ping for online gaming, as high latency can result in a noticeable delay between your actions in the game and the actions of the other players.

It's important to differentiate between the speed of the Internet connection 'to your home' and the speed that reaches an individual device 'within your home' because they're two very different measurements.

Internet speed tests, like this one, measure the latter, or the speed reaching the device running the test. These test results are often lower than your plan speed due to various factors outside your Internet provider's control, including WiFi conditions and device capabilities.

Good coverage means your device is getting a strong WiFi signal. That strong signal will also deliver as much speed as your device can handle. As you move away from your modem/router, signal strength diminishes, slowing upload/download speeds and reducing coverage. The placement of your modem/router is the key to ensuring both coverage and speed for your devices.

Your speed results may vary based on many things, including but not limited to:

• Device or connection type
• Number of connected devices
• Network congestion
• WiFi signal strength

Your home WiFi connection is only as good as your modem/router since all devices connect through it. We upgrade our smartphones regularly but often neglect to upgrade the actual devices that connect us to the Internet. A modem/router that's a generation or two behind may not be able to deliver the fastest broadband speeds to the latest devices. If you have an older modem/router consider an upgrade. you move away from your modem/router, signal strength diminishes, slowing upload/download speeds and reducing coverage. The placement of your modem/router is the key to ensuring both coverage and speed for your devices.

Different devices handle speeds differently depending on make, model, and age. Consider the speed of a race car compared to a minivan. You wouldn't expect the same top speeds, and the same is true of your devices.

The Internet speed delivered to your home is shared among all your devices. If there are too many devices connected and using the Internet at once, there may not be enough speed to go around. The result will be a slow-down across all your devices.

Multiple factors will determine if you have adequate speed. You should consider how you use the internet, the size of your household, and which activities happen at the same time.

Depending on the activity, your device will need different connection speeds to operate smoothly. When downloading large files, the more speed, the better.