How to run a Speed Test

Overview

The RTC Speed Test allows you to measure your internet connection’s performance. It provides key metrics including download speed, upload speed, and latency (ping), which help determine the quality and reliability of your connection.

When to Use This Test

Run a speed test if you are experiencing:

Slow web browsing
Buffering during video streaming
Poor video or voice call quality

Before You Begin

For the most accurate results, complete the following steps:

Ask others on your network to limit usage during the test
Close any applications using the internet (streaming, downloads, cloud backups)
Pause updates on your device
If possible, connect your device directly to your router using an Ethernet cable

Steps to Run the Test

Open your web browser.
Navigate to: https://speedtest.rtc1.com/
Click the Start (or similar) button on the page.
Wait for the test to complete (approximately 30 seconds).

Understanding Your Results

After the test completes, you will see three primary metrics:

Download Speed (Mbps)
Measures how quickly data is transferred to your device. Higher values indicate better performance.
Upload Speed (Mbps)
Measures how quickly data is sent from your device. Higher values are beneficial for video calls, file uploads, and cloud services.
Latency / Ping (ms)
Measures the responsiveness of your connection. Lower values indicate a more responsive connection.

Residential connections are "best effort", but we still strive to provide our advertised speeds, within a 10% margin, to the edge of our network, when using a hardwired connection.

RTC can only guarantee speeds to the edge of our network. Once your traffic leaves RTC's devices and begins to traverse the internet at-large, your speed to a particular service or website may be bottle necked by another provider in the middle, or the service or website itself.

General Performance Guidelines

Activity	Recommended Download Speed
Web browsing, email	25 Mbps or higher
HD video streaming	50 Mbps or higher
Video conferencing, remote work	100 Mbps or higher

Troubleshooting Low Speeds

Many things can affect your overall internet speed, including the device being used to test, the browser being used, how the device connects to the network, other devices on network, etc.

If your results are lower than expected:

Restart your modem and router
Move closer to your Wi-Fi access point
Run the test using a wired (Ethernet) connection
Repeat the test at different times of day
Contact RTC Support (574-223-2191) if the issue persists

Additional Notes

Wireless connections (Wi-Fi) may produce lower speeds than wired connections.
Running multiple tests can provide a more accurate picture of your connection performance.