While it may appear similar to the results you'd find on a speed test, link speed is a separate measurement useful in troubleshooting a poor network connection. Your device's link speed measures the maximum speed possible to your internet hardware and can limit your network's throughput if misconfigured. A connection with a link speed limited to half of your service's rated bandwidth, for instance, will only be able to connect to the internet at half the expected speed.
Here are the steps to find your link speed for a handful of common devices:
macOS
- While holding down the Options key, click the Wi-Fi icon on the right side of the menu bar.
- Your link speed will be listed in the drop-down under "Tx Rate."
iOS/Android
|
When determining the link speed of a mobile device (iOS and Android,) you will need a third-party app that can measure these speeds for you. There are several free options to choose from, but this article will provide instructions for using WiFiman. |
- Download and open the WiFiman app from either the iOS App Store or Google Play Store.
- Go to the Signal tab on the bottom bar to view your current connection.
- On iOS, you may need to enable the WiFiman shortcut before your link speed can be measured. Tap "Enable WiFiman Shortcut" at the bottom of the screen and allow the shortcut to be created. Make sure the Shortcuts app is installed in order for this step to take effect.
- Your link speed will be listed under "PHY Speed (Mbps)."
Windows
- Right-click the Internet icon on the right side of the taskbar and select "Open Network & Internet settings" from the drop-down.
- Click the Properties button under your network's status and data usage.
- Your link speed will be listed under "Link speed (Receive/Transmit)" at the bottom of the page.