How to Check Wi-Fi Speed on Your Computer

Quickly find the Wi-Fi speed on Mac or PC

By
Jerri Ledford
Jerri Ledford
Jerri Ledford
Senior News Editor, Fact Checker
  • Western Kentucky University
  • Gulf Coast Community College
Jerri L. Ledford has been writing, editing, and fact-checking tech stories since 1994. Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others.
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Updated on March 5, 2021
Reviewed by
Michael Barton Heine Jr
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Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr
Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries.
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What to Know

  • Windows: Right-click the Wi-Fi indicator > Open Network & Internet settings > Wi-Fi > Change adapter options. Double-click a network.
  • Windows alternative: Select Open Network & Internet settings > Wi-Fi > Network and Sharing Center. Choose your internet connection.
  • On a Mac computer, hold down the Option key and click the Wi-Fi icon. Look for Tx Rate under your preferred connection.

This article explains how to check your Wi-Fi speed on Windows and Mac computers. It includes information about using an online speed test.

How to Check Your Wi-Fi Speed on a Windows Computer

There are several ways to check your Wi-Fi speed on a Windows computer, but they all essentially lead to the same place. This is the easiest way.

  1. In the Windows taskbar at the bottom of your screen, right-click the Wi-Fi indicator and click Open Network & Internet settings.

    The Open Network & Internet settings option in Windows.

  2. In the Status dialog box that appears, click Wi-Fi.

    The Wi-Fi option in the Network Status dialog box.

  3. In the Wi-Fi dialog box, click Change adapter options on the right side of the dialog box.

    The Change Adapter options in Windows.

  4. A Network Connections dialog box appears that lists each of your network connections. Double-click the one you want to check the speed for.

    The Network Connections in Windows.

  5. In the Wi-Fi Status dialog box that appears, locate the listing for Speed in the Connection section. This is the speed of your Wi-Fi connection.

    The Speed listing in the Connection section of the Wi-Fi Status dialog box in Windows.

If you're having difficulties and you're sure it's not a speed issue, you can also measure your Wi-Fi signal strength to see if there might be something interfering with the signal and causing connection or buffering issues.

An Alternative Way to Check Your Wi-Fi Speed on a Windows Computer

An alternative method is to click Network and Sharing Center in the Wi-Fi dialog box (step 3 above), and then:

  1. In the Network and Sharing Center dialog box, click your internet connection.

    Wi-Fi options listed in the Network and Sharing Center in Windows.

  2. The same Wi-Fi Status dialog box appears with the speed of your connection listed.

    The Speed information in the Wi-Fi Status dialog box in Windows.

How to Check Your Wi-Fi Speed on a Mac

While finding your Wi-Fi speed on a Windows computer isn't too difficult, it is more difficult than finding it on a Mac. On a Mac, there are far fewer clicks to find the information you're looking for.

  1. On your Mac computer, hold down the Option key and click the Wi-Fi icon on the right side of the top toolbar.

  2. A list of options and information appears and your current internet connection is listed.

  3. Beneath your current internet connection is information about your connection. You're looking for the Tx Rate. This is your internet speed at that moment.

    The Wi-Fi and internet information on a Mac with the internet speed called out.

Additional Options for Finding the Speed of Your Wi-Fi

While getting to the Wi-Fi speed isn't difficult on either a Windows or Mac computer, it still might be more involved than you care to attempt. If so, that's okay, because there are tons of services available that will measure your Wi-Fi speed for you. For example, on that's both popular and safe is Speedtest by Ookla.

To use the service, just go to the website in your favorite browser and then click Go.It will take a couple of minutes for the test to complete, but the service tests Ping, Upload, and Download speeds.

A screenshot of the Speedtest by Ookla website.

One word of caution when using a website to test your internet speed; some sites are not as trustworthy as others. If you're going to use a website to test your Wi-Fi speed, be sure it's a site that you can trust.

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