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Run a useful internet speed test

Test by Ethernet to see whether slow speeds come from Wi-Fi or the line.

A good speed test shows whether the AFTEL service reaching the router is slow or whether Wi-Fi inside the home is the limiting factor. One test from a distant room cannot separate those causes.

Prepare the test

  • Check the AFTEL network status page first.
  • Use a computer with a gigabit Ethernet port where possible.
  • Connect the computer to a router LAN port using a known-good Ethernet cable.
  • Pause downloads, game updates, cloud backups, streaming and video calls.
  • Disconnect any VPN and close unnecessary browser tabs.
  • Record your AFTEL plan speed so you know what you are comparing against.
Do not connect an unconfigured computer directly to the fibre box for this test. Test through the router so your normal PPPoE connection and firewall remain in place.

Run wired and Wi-Fi tests

  1. Run three tests on Speedtest.net while connected by Ethernet. Leave a short gap between tests.
  2. Record download speed, upload speed, ping/latency, time, device and selected test server.
  3. Disconnect the Ethernet cable and repeat on Wi-Fi while standing in the same room as the router.
  4. Run one more Wi-Fi test in the room where you normally notice the problem.
  5. If the issue occurs only at busy times, repeat the wired test during that period.
TestWhat it shows
Ethernet to routerBest indication of the service and router’s wired performance.
Wi-Fi beside routerPerformance of the device and router’s wireless connection without much distance.
Wi-Fi in problem roomEffect of distance, walls, interference and router placement.

Read the result

Ethernet is good but Wi-Fi is much slower

The internet service is reaching the router. Focus on router placement, Wi-Fi bands, interference or mesh coverage using the Wi-Fi guide.

Both Ethernet and nearby Wi-Fi are slow

Restart the router once, repeat the wired test and compare with your plan. If results remain consistently low, send the recorded tests and router model to AFTEL.

Only one device is slow

Update and restart that device, forget and rejoin the Wi-Fi network, and check whether a VPN, security product or older Wi-Fi adapter is limiting it.

Results change throughout the day

Record several wired results with times and test servers. A pattern is much more useful than a single screenshot.

Plan speeds are maximum or typical measures rather than a guarantee that every Wi-Fi device will display the plan’s headline number. You can check the current plan labels on the AFTEL fibre plans page.