26/08/2026
Your Wi-Fi speed VS Your Internet speed
One of the most common misunderstandings when it comes to home internet is this:
"My internet is 500 Mbps, so my phone should get 500 Mbps over Wi-Fi.”
Not necessarily.
Your internet connection and your Wi-Fi connection are two different things.
Your fibre connection might be capable of 500 Mbps, but the actual speed you experience on a device can be affected by:
• How far you are from the router
• Walls and floors between you and the router
• 2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz vs 6 GHz Wi-Fi
• How many devices are using the Wi-Fi at the same time
• Interference from neighbouring Wi-Fi networks
• The capabilities of your phone, laptop or TV
• The position of your router
• The quality of the Wi-Fi hardware in the router
For example, if your router receives 500 Mbps from the internet but your phone only has a weak Wi-Fi connection, your phone might only achieve 100–200 Mbps.
That doesn't necessarily mean there is something wrong with your internet connection.
A simple rule of thumb:
If you want to test your actual internet connection, connect a computer directly to the router with a good Ethernet cable and run your speed test.
If you get close to your subscribed speed over Ethernet but much less over Wi-Fi, the problem is probably Wi-Fi rather than your internet connection.
And sometimes, slower Wi-Fi isn't actually a problem. If your phone is getting 150 Mbps but your internet usage only requires 20 Mbps, you're unlikely to notice any difference.
Technology doesn't always need to run at its maximum speed to work perfectly.
