Overview
The Triangle Speed Test measures your internet connection's download speed, upload speed, latency (ping), jitter, and packet loss โ giving you a complete picture of your connection quality in under a minute.
This article explains how to run an accurate test, how to read each metric, what speeds are right for your activities, and how to troubleshoot if your results are lower than expected.
Running the Speed Test
For the most accurate results, follow these steps before and during the test:
- 1Connect your device to your router using an Ethernet cable if possible. Wi-Fi introduces extra variables.
- 2Close all other browser tabs, streaming apps, and file download/upload applications.
- 3Pause any cloud sync services (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox) temporarily.
- 4Visit the Triangle Speed Test page and click Start Speed Test.
- 5Wait for all three phases to complete: Ping โ Download โ Upload.
- 6Run the test 2โ3 times and compare results for consistency.
Understanding Your Results
โฌ Download Speed (Mbps)
Download speed measures how fast data moves from the internet to your device. This affects everything you consume โ streaming, browsing, gaming, software updates, and video calls.
โฌ Upload Speed (Mbps)
Upload speed measures how fast data moves from your device to the internet. This affects video calls, cloud backups, live streaming, and file sharing. On fiber plans, upload is often symmetric (equal to download). Shared plans use a contention ratio.
๐ก Ping / Latency (ms)
Ping is the round-trip time for a small packet to travel from your device to a server and back. Lower is better. High latency makes gaming, video calls, and real-time applications feel sluggish, even if download speed is good.
ใฐ Jitter (ms)
Jitter is the variation in ping over consecutive measurements. A consistent 30ms ping is far better than a ping that swings between 5ms and 200ms. High jitter (above 20ms) causes choppy audio, frozen video frames, and rubber-banding in games.
๐ฆ Packet Loss (%)
Packet loss is the percentage of data packets that never arrive. Even 1% loss causes retransmissions that slow everything down. Above 5% causes visible call quality problems and is considered a fault condition.
| Metric | Excellent | Acceptable | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Download | โฅ 100 Mbps | 25โ99 Mbps | < 10 Mbps |
| Upload | โฅ 50 Mbps | 10โ49 Mbps | < 5 Mbps |
| Ping | < 20 ms | 20โ80 ms | > 100 ms |
| Jitter | < 5 ms | 5โ20 ms | > 20 ms |
| Packet Loss | 0% | < 1% | > 2% |
Speed Requirements by Activity
Troubleshooting Slow Speeds
Wi-Fi vs Ethernet
Wi-Fi is almost always slower than your plan speed. Walls, distance, interference from neighboring networks, and router hardware all reduce Wi-Fi throughput. If Ethernet gives full speed but Wi-Fi is slow, the issue is not with Triangle's network.
- Move closer to your router or use the 5 GHz band for faster speeds over shorter distances.
- Check how many devices are connected โ each one shares your bandwidth.
- For permanent workstations, use a powerline adapter or run a short Ethernet cable.
- Consider a mesh Wi-Fi system if you have dead zones in your home.
Router Age and Firmware
Routers older than 4 years often become the bottleneck on plans above 75 Mbps. Older 802.11n routers typically max out at 50โ70 Mbps in practice. Make sure your router firmware is up to date, and if it's running hot, ensure there is airflow around it.
Peak Hour Congestion
If your speed is fine in the morning but slow at 9โ11 PM, this is peak-hour congestion. If this persists across multiple days, contact our NOC โ we continuously monitor traffic and can investigate capacity issues on your segment.
Restarting Your Router (Correct Sequence)
Most connection issues resolve with a proper restart. The sequence matters โ do not just flip the power switch.
- 1Unplug the power cable from your router.
- 2Unplug the power cable from your ONT (Optical Network Terminal โ the white/grey box installed by Triangle).
- 3Wait 30 seconds with both devices powered off.
- 4Plug in the ONT first. Wait until its indicator lights stabilize (about 60 seconds).
- 5Plug in your router. Wait 60 seconds for it to fully boot.
- 6Reconnect your devices and run the speed test again.
When to Contact Support
Contact Triangle's 24/7 support team if:
- Your speed is consistently below 50% of your plan speed after Ethernet testing.
- Packet loss is above 2% and persists after a router restart.
- ONT indicator lights are red, orange, or off (not the usual green).
- Your connection drops completely at predictable times.
- Speed was fine yesterday and is now significantly degraded with no changes on your end.
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