How to Use the Netflix Speed Test

Find out if you can stream 4K content smoothly

By
Tim Fisher
Photo of Tim Fisher, Lifewire GM and Writer
Tim Fisher
Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability
  • Emporia State University
Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the SVP and General Manager of Lifewire.
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Updated on March 6, 2023

What to Know

  • Open Fast.com or download the FAST Speed Test app. The test will start immediately.
  • On the results screen, select Show more info to see the upload speed, latency measurements, and settings.
  • Netflix's recommended speeds: 3 Mbps for HD, 5 Mbps for FHD, and 15 Mbps for UHD/4K.

This article explains how to test your connection to see if it's fast enough to stream Netflix.

How to Use the Netflix Internet Speed Test

You can run the stream test from Netflix with the FAST Speed Test app or through the Fast.com website. They both work exactly same way.

  1. Open Fast.com or download the FAST Speed Test App. The Netflix speed test app works on Android, iPhone, and iPad:

  2. The test will start immediately. Just wait several seconds for it to finish.

    Netflix speed test website results

  3. At this point, you can record the speed and assume it's accurate, but it's always best to run it a few times to get an average. There might have been a hiccup with the first test, or something else on the network might have affected the first number.

  4. On the results screen, you can select Show more info to see latency measurements and to access the settings. The settings let you adjust options like the minimum and maximum parallel connections and the test duration. You can leave those settings alone if you're not sure what they're for.

What Is Fast.com?

Planning on streaming 4K Netflix videos to your 4K Ultra HD TV? Fast.com is the official Netflix speed test website that you can use to test your internet speed to see if your connection is fast enough to stream Netflix.

The Netflix speed test is different from other speed test sites because instead of testing your connection against a random server somewhere around the world that you might never actually connect to, it uses Netflix's content delivery system.

That said, you can still use it as a general speed test solution even if you're not a Netflix subscriber. Fast.com is also useful if you're planning on subscribing to one of the lower-quality Netflix streaming plans. You'll know if your network is fast enough to handle Netflix videos or if you'll need to upgrade your internet plan.

The Fast.com Netflix speed test works from anywhere in the world and from various devices, like phones, tablets, and smart TVs.

Internet Speed for Streaming Netflix

Now that you've determined the speed you can achieve between your device and the Netflix servers, knowing whether it's fast enough to stream Netflix is important, especially if you plan to watch Ultra HD/4K videos.

Netflix has a list of recommended internet speeds for various video qualities. Compare your speed with their list to see if your network is suitable for streaming those kinds of videos:

  • 3 Mbps is recommended for HD quality
  • 5 Mbps is recommended for FHD quality
  • 15 Mbps is recommended for Ultra HD/4K quality

While those are the recommended speeds, you might be able to get by with even lower speeds. See Internet Speed Requirements for Video Streaming to see how slow your internet can be to still stream videos, but know that it's likely Netflix will buffer if you can't reach at least 3 Mbps.

Can You Make Your Internet Faster?

If the Netflix speed test shows you a number that isn't as fast as what Netflix recommends, it could mean that your internet is too slow for Netflix. But don't be too quick to downgrade your Netflix plan or avoid subscribing; there are two ways to understand the internet speed.

The first thing you should consider is that you might be paying for a speed that's fully capable of streaming 4K or other quality videos, but other factors are at play that are limiting your speed to Netflix's servers. See what you can do to speed up your internet for some ideas, such as limiting bandwidth-demanding applications on the network.

If you're still getting too slow of speeds after reviewing those solutions, you might be in a situation where the speed you're paying for is just too slow to stream Netflix. Your only option in this case is to upgrade your internet plan by contacting your ISP.

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