Test your internet speed with the Xfinity app

A browser speed test shows a quick snapshot of the speed reaching the device running the test, while the Xfinity app gives you a whole home network test. Our in-app speed test checks the speed coming into your Gateway and evaluates every connected device in your home — so you can quickly pinpoint whether the issue is with your WiFi connection or something else.

Your plan speed reflects the total bandwidth arriving at your Gateway, not what's delivered to one device. Actual speeds vary and are not guaranteed. Many factors can affect speed, for example:

• Shared usage: Multiple devices online at once reduces the available bandwidth for each device.
• Device age: Older hardware has limits on how much speed it can handle.
• WiFi distance: Walls and distance from your Gateway affect signal strength.
• Background activity: Apps running in the background or outdated software can reduce performance.

A few other factors that affect speed include equipment performance, interference, congestion, and speeds of visited websites. WiFi speeds are affected by additional factors, including distance from Gateway, home configuration, personal device capabilities, and others. For factors affecting speed visit xfinity.com/networkmanagement.

Your Gateway is the hub of your home network, and its age and placement directly affect your WiFi performance. Here's what to keep in mind to get the best speed:

• Placement: WiFi signals broadcast outward in all directions. For the best experience, place your Gateway in a central, elevated, open location in your home. A Gateway hidden in a closet, placed on the floor, or tucked in a basement loses signal strength before it reaches your devices.
• Equipment age: Older Gateways can bottleneck your speeds, even if your plan supports faster performance. Upgrading your Gateway can help you get a better connection.

If your internet is slow or not working, the first step is to check if there's a service outage in your neighborhood. Local maintenance or outages in the area can temporarily slow the speeds you receive, even if you still have internet connection in your home.

Yes, your internet plan's bandwidth is shared across every device that's connected and active at the same time. Streaming, gaming, video calls, and smart home devices all share the same available bandwidth. If you've added more devices to your home, upgrading to a faster plan could make a noticeable difference in speed.

Coverage and speed are closely connected. A strong signal close to your Gateway translates to fast, reliable speeds — but as distance increases or obstacles get in the way, that signal weakens and your speeds drop with it. Brick walls, concrete floors, metal appliances, and even large mirrors or fish tanks can all block or disrupt WiFi waves. If certain rooms in your home consistently feel slower, it's likely a coverage issue rather than a problem with your internet service itself.

If moving your Gateway to a central, elevated location doesn't solve the problem, you may need a mesh WiFi network or extender to push the signal into those hard-to-reach spots.

Your internet experience depends on both your network and the device you're using. Older smartphones, tablets, and laptops may not be able to handle today's faster speeds — so even a perfectly performing Gateway has its limits if your device can't keep up. Background apps, outdated software, and full storage can have a similar effect, slowing your device down in ways that are easy to mistake for a slow internet connection.

Unlike a browser-based speed test, the Xfinity app measures two things separately: the speed arriving at your Gateway from the Xfinity network, and the WiFi connection from your Gateway to your device. When those two results are different, the app can immediately tell you whether a slowdown is a service issue or an in-home WiFi issue — which means less time troubleshooting and faster answers.