Question 1

How can I test my internet speed?

Accepted Answer

You should check your device speed and your Wi-Fi gateway speed. If you’re already an AT&T Internet customer, you'll need to sign into your account and make sure you’re connected to your Wi-Fi network to test the speed between your AT&T Wi-Fi gateway and the AT&T network. You don’t need to be an AT&T customer to check your device speed. When you check your device speed, you're checking the speed between your Wi-Fi® enabled device and your internet connection.
All devices connected to your home network share bandwidth, which is the maximum rate at which you can download and upload data from the internet to your devices. Your internet speed may increase if you disconnect the devices that aren’t in use.
Wired and Wi-Fi speeds may be different. An ethernet connection may be faster than a Wi-Fi connection. This is because Wi-Fi uses a common transmission medium whereas ethernet is dedicated.
The AT&T internet speed test will show your baseline speeds. The results will include two key measurements: download speed and upload speed. Download speed measures how quickly you can receive data online, while upload speed measures how quickly you can send data from your device to the internet.

Question 2

What are internet download speeds?

Accepted Answer

Download speeds show how quickly data travels from the internet to your device. A higher download speed means you can stream, download files, or access websites faster.

Question 3

What are internet upload speeds?

Accepted Answer

Upload speeds reflect how fast data travels from your device to the internet. A higher upload speed result makes posting files or images to social media or other sites faster.

Question 4

What factors affect my download and upload speeds?

Accepted Answer

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

Device or connection type
Number of connected devices
Network congestion

Learn more about what affects your internet speed

Question 5

What is a good internet speed test?

Accepted Answer

Internet speed tests are available from several different sources, including Ookla, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), and various internet service providers. AT&T offers a free internet speed test that gives you the option to check your device speed and your Wi-Fi^® gateway speed.

You don’t need to be an AT&T customer to check your device speed. When you test your device speed, you check the speed between your Wi-Fi-enabled device and your internet connection. If you’re already an AT&T Internet customer, you’ll need to sign in to your account to test the speed between your AT&T Wi-Fi Gateway and the AT&T network.

Question 6

Can I increase the speed of my internet?

Accepted Answer

If you’re trying to speed up your home internet service, the first step is to test your internet speed. If your internet speed is too slow, you might want to upgrade your home internet plan.

Next, you’ll want to test your Wi-Fi signal strength. You should make sure your router is centrally located and remove any obstacles between your router and your devices. You can download the AT&T Smart Home Manager app to manage your home Wi-Fi network and all your devices.² The app enables you to test signal strength with augmented reality,³which can help you identify dead zones and choose the ideal place to put your Wi-Fi gateway.

Sometimes, for a variety of reasons, the signal from your router or Wi-Fi gateway won’t be strong enough to provide a solid Wi-Fi connection across your entire home. Internet equipment, like a Wi-Fi extender, may help in this case. If you’re an AT&T Internet customer, you may be eligible to get AT&T Extended Wi-Fi^® Coverage Service for an additional fee, which includes a new smart Wi-Fi extender (or more than one if you qualify),⁴a free extender replacement if it’s defective (as long as you have the service) and tools via the AT&T Smart Home Manager app to help you get the most out of your extended Wi-Fi coverage. Learn more about how to get AT&T Extended Wi-Fi Coverage service

¹Internet speed claims represent maximum network service capability speeds and based on wired connection to gateway. 1 GIG speeds availability. to new customers with our latest router (BGW320) and recommended setup. Actual customer speeds may vary based on a number of factors and are not guaranteed. Speeds vary/4.7Gbps single device limit. For more information, go to www.att.com/speed101.

²AT&T Smart Home Manager is available to AT&T Internet service customers with a compatible AT&T Wi-Fi Gateway. Limited to home Wi-Fi network.

³Wi-Fi Coverage Test feature must use AR capable mobile device and be connected to the network.

⁴AT&T Extended Wi-Fi Coverage Service covers up to three extenders on your first order. To find out if you qualify, sign into the Smart Home Manager app. You will only see the Extended Wi-Fi Service card in Smart Home Manager if we have detected Wi-Fi issues in your home.

Question 7

What is ping?

Accepted Answer

Ping, or latency, is the term used to describe the amount of time it takes for a connected device to send a message and get a response back. A shorter ping means a faster response from one connected device to another. Ping is important for things like online gaming, where quick reaction times are important.

Question 8

What is jitter?

Accepted Answer

Jitter is a measure of the variation in time delay between when a signal is transmitted and when it&rsquo;s received over a network connection. Jitter measures the variability in ping, or latency.

Question 9

What do symmetrical speeds mean?

Accepted Answer

An internet plan with symmetrical speeds means the upload speeds match download speeds. Faster download speeds help for things like streaming videos and downloading large files, while faster upload speeds are important for things like video chatting and online gaming.

All AT&T Fiber plans include equal upload and download speeds.¹

Learn more about AT&T Fiber plans and check availability at your address

¹Internet speed claims represent maximum network service capability speeds and based on wired connection to gateway. 1 GIG speeds availability. to new customers with our latest router (BGW320) and recommended setup. Actual customer speeds may vary based on a number of factors and are not guaranteed. Speeds vary/4.7Gbps single device limit. For more information, go to www.att.com/speed101.

Question 10

How fast should my AT&T internet be?

Accepted Answer

When shopping for AT&T internet service, you should first check availability at your address. 

Depending on availability, you might choose an AT&T Internet or AT&T Fiber plan. If you’re already an AT&T Internet customer, you can check to see if you are eligible to upgrade to a faster AT&T Fiber plan.

If you have a large household or use a lot of bandwidth, you might consider one of AT&T’s fastest gigabit internet plans. There are 1,000 megabits (MB) in 1 gigabit (GB), so these plans offer some serious speed.

Question 11

Why is my internet slow but my device speed test results show a fast connection?

Accepted Answer

There are many reasons why you might experience slow internet even though speed test results indicate a faster connection. Since there are multiple components that deliver broadband to your devices, issues or congestion can appear in each component, including:

Poor Wi-Fi coverage for the device in question (which would require extenders or moving the device). Read more about how to speed up your home internet.
LAN (Wi-Fi / Ethernet) congestion. This can vary by the time of day and by how many devices are connected to your internet.
Gateway defect. Contact us for help fixing this type of issue.
Misconfigured LAN causing a network loop or something similar.
Misconfigured software.

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