How to Test Internet Speed on Your Router

Method 1: the router's built-in test

Most modern routers from major vendors expose a speed test in their admin interface or companion app, often labelled 'Internet speed', 'Broadband test' or found under diagnostics. Because it runs on the router, it removes WiFi and the client device from the equation.

• Open the router admin page at its gateway address, or use the vendor app.
• Look under Diagnostics, Tools, Internet or Network status.
• Run the test with the household idle to get a clean baseline.
• Note that low-powered routers can be CPU-limited and under-report on very fast lines.

Method 2: a wired client

If the router has no built-in test, connect a computer directly to a LAN port with a known-good Cat 5e or Cat 6 cable and test in the browser. This includes the router's switching and NAT performance but excludes WiFi.

• Confirm the port negotiated at 1 Gbps or higher — a 100 Mbps link silently caps the result.
• Disable VPNs, ad blockers and background sync before testing.
• Close other devices' heavy traffic, or accept that you are measuring shared capacity.

Method 3: straight into the modem

Connecting a computer directly to the modem, with the router removed, tests the access line alone. On many connections you will need to release and renew the address, or configure PPPoE credentials, so treat this as a deliberate diagnostic rather than a casual check.

Reading the results

Compare the three measurement points to localise the bottleneck precisely.

• Modem fast, router fast, WiFi slow: the wireless segment is the problem.
• Modem fast, router slow: the router is CPU-limited or misconfigured.
• Modem slow: the line or the provider is the problem — collect timestamped results before contacting support.
• Everything fast but the experience is poor: measure latency under load rather than throughput.