Speed Test for Mac

$ networkQuality -v

What it’s for

Speed Test measures how fast your connection moves data each way. It also grades bufferbloat: how much the delay grows while the line is full. That second result often explains why calls lag on a fast plan.

Use it when

• You want to check that you get the speed you pay for.
• Calls or games stutter whenever someone downloads or uploads.
• You want a record over time. With Netutilus Pro, History runs tests on a schedule and builds a report for your provider.

Reading the result

Responsiveness says the same in round trips per minute (RPM): higher is better. A grade of C or worse comes with a suggestion. The usual fix is Smart Queue Management (SQM) on the router.

What you might see

• Less than your plan. Test over a cable before you blame the provider: Wi-Fi is often the limit, and other devices on the line take their share.
• “The reading had not settled”. The speed kept changing until a time or data limit ended that half of the test, so the figure is approximate. Run it again.
• “Not enough samples under load to grade”. Too few delay measurements finished while the line was full to grade it fairly.

Options worth knowing

• A test uses up to about 1 GB, usually much less: each half stops as soon as the reading settles.
• Tests run against Cloudflare. A second server is used only if the first one refuses.
• Wi-Fi Networks pauses its scanning during a test, so it can’t disturb the result.

Related

• Bufferbloat and Latency.
• iperf3, to measure the speed between two of your own machines.
• Video calls lag or freeze.