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Streaming speed test

Built for live video rather than headline numbers: this measures throughput and stability together, then tells you which quality tiers your connection can actually hold.

Download throughput

0.0Mbps

What the numbers mean

Average is your sustained download throughput — the figure to compare against the quality tiers.

Latency is how long the server took to start responding. Under 50 ms is good; over 100 ms makes channel changes feel sluggish even when speed is fine.

Variability is how much throughput swung between samples. This is the number most tests never show you, and the one that best predicts buffering. Under 25% is stable. Above 40% means a connection that stalls, and stalls are what empty a player’s buffer.

Requirements by quality

QualityMinimumComfortableData per hour
SD (480p)5 Mbps8 Mbps~1.5 GB
HD (720p)10 Mbps15 Mbps~3 GB
Full HD (1080p)15 Mbps20 Mbps~4.5 GB
4K UHD25 Mbps35 Mbps~7 GB

These are per stream. Two HD streams need about 30 Mbps, not 15. Full detail in what internet speed you need for IPTV.

If your result is disappointing

  1. Retest on ethernet. If the wired figure is far higher, Wi-Fi is your bottleneck — a £10 adapter solves it.
  2. Retest at a quiet time. A big gap between 2pm and 9pm points at local network congestion or ISP contention.
  3. Restart the router. Genuinely effective, and free.
  4. Lower the streaming quality. 720p on a 43-inch screen is hard to distinguish from 1080p and halves the bandwidth.

When speed isn’t the problem

If this test looks healthy, Netflix plays perfectly, and one IPTV service still freezes every evening — that is server capacity at the provider, and nothing you change at home will fix it. See why IPTV buffers for how to confirm it.

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Speed test FAQ

What speed do I need for IPTV?

Allow 8 Mbps for SD, 15 Mbps for HD, 20 Mbps for Full HD and 25 Mbps or more for 4K — per simultaneous stream. A household running two HD streams at once needs roughly 35 Mbps including headroom for other devices.

Why does my stream buffer when my speed test looks fine?

Because average speed is only half the story. Streaming needs data to arrive continuously; a connection that averages 100 Mbps but stalls briefly every minute will buffer, while a rock-solid 20 Mbps line won't. This test reports variability alongside throughput for exactly that reason. If both look healthy and one provider still freezes at peak time, the bottleneck is their server, not your line.

Should I test on Wi-Fi or ethernet?

Test on whatever you actually stream with, in its actual location. Your 200 Mbps package is delivered to the router — what reaches a Firestick behind the TV through two walls is frequently under 20 Mbps. If the wireless result is much lower than your package, an ethernet adapter will fix more buffering than any broadband upgrade.

How is this different from a normal speed test?

General speed tests report peak throughput to a nearby server. This one takes repeated samples to measure consistency as well as speed, then maps the result onto the quality tiers that matter for live video — because for streaming, stability is the better predictor of whether a picture holds.