Test home network performance
Check the transfer speeds between your devices
GETTING A STABLE signal is one thing, but are your devices performing to their best? Network speeds vary for all kinds of reasons, so how do you test each device in your home to confirm things are working as well as they can be? Devices connected to your router’s Gigabit Ethernet ports shouldn’t have any issues — the 1Gbps speed is as good as it gets and more than capable of utilizing the full bandwidth of your internet connection.
Wi–Fi is a different matter entirely, though. The quoted maximum speeds (300Mbps for 2.4GHz connections, more for 5GHz networks) fall off rapidly the moment you move even a relatively small distance from your router. So how do you determine what speeds you’re getting? The answer is to benchmark transfer rates between different devices on your network. One solution that works across Mac, iOS, and tvOS is Lakehorn’s Network Speed Tester — one Mac acts as a server, and then all other devices perform tests against it. The Mac version costs $3.99 through the Mac App Store, but the mobile versions are completely free. The guide below shows how to use this tool to benchmark network performance anywhere in your home.
If possible, make the server one of your Macs connected to your router via Ethernet cable (or, failing that, the one that has the strongest Wi–Fi signal). Then install the free app on your Apple TV to verify its streaming performance isn’t being hamstrung by its location in relation to your router. Then install the app on your MacBook, iPhone and/or iPad, and run tests from different parts of your home.
Perform your first test next to the router to see what your device’s maximum speed should be. Once that’s done, sketch a rough floorplan for each level in your home on paper, then record your benchmark results in different rooms to determine where the Wi–Fi signal is at its weakest. Armed with your findings, you will be able to focus on making your improvements in the areas that need it.