Broadband slower than advertised: what to check

Compare the right figures

An advertising headline, a typical speed and an address-specific minimum are different figures. Read the contract summary, order confirmation and any personalised estimate. Note download and upload separately and check the conditions attached to a minimum guarantee.

The tool’s plan percentage divides the measured result by the figure you enter. It does not verify that figure, interpret your contract or decide whether the provider has breached it. A Wi-Fi test reflects the wireless path too; a wired test reduces that variable but still includes the client, router, route and endpoint.

Build a useful private evidence log

1. Record the contract estimate or relevant minimum and the exact symptom.
2. Test with a capable wired device where practical. Check the negotiated Ethernet rate and pause nonessential traffic for baseline trials.
3. Keep repeated readings across relevant times and days, with date, local time, device, endpoint, duration and connection type.
4. Record download, upload and latency, and keep Wi-Fi comparisons separately. Note outages and application-specific failures.
5. Follow the provider’s requested diagnostics and record the case reference, dates, advice and promised next steps.

Avoid repeatedly restarting equipment unless the provider or supplier recommends it for the fault. Do not post account identifiers, addresses, IP details or unredacted screenshots publicly. A provider may require its own test method; this browser benchmark is supporting evidence rather than an official determination.

UK: check the applicable commitment and complaint route

Ofcom’s broadband speed-code arrangements apply through participating providers and relevant conditions. Where a covered provider-side speed issue cannot be fixed within the applicable 30-day process, a penalty-free exit may be available. Confirm coverage and the guarantee in your own contract rather than assuming every low Wi-Fi reading qualifies. See Ofcom’s broadband help.

For unresolved complaints, Ofcom’s guidance updated on 8 April 2026 says consumers can take a complaint to the provider’s alternative dispute resolution scheme after six weeks. Check the current eligibility guidance and any earlier deadlock route with the scheme. The six-week complaint escalation point and a speed-code repair process are different matters. See Ofcom’s complaint guidance.

Outside the UK: use your local rules

Do not apply the UK process to another country. Start with your provider’s published complaints procedure and your national communications regulator or consumer authority. Contract disclosures, mandatory measurement methods, notice requirements and available remedies differ.

For US fixed broadband offers, the provider’s Broadband Facts label can help identify typical download, upload and latency figures. The FCC’s consumer-label fact sheet explains the label. A typical figure is not automatically a guaranteed minimum or a refund rule. For any jurisdiction, obtain current local guidance before cancelling or withholding payment.

A concise fault report you can adapt

Example: “My service reference is [provide privately]. My order gives [quote the relevant estimate and conditions]. On [dates and local times], wired tests using [device, link rate and endpoint] produced [all readings]. Other nonessential transfers were paused. The symptom is [describe it]. I have completed [requested diagnostics]. Please investigate, confirm the applicable minimum or commitment, and provide a case reference and next steps.”

Keep the report factual and attach a compact log rather than only the single worst screenshot. Ask what evidence is still needed and how to escalate if unresolved. A discount, repair or exit is not guaranteed by this guide; the relevant rules and findings determine the outcome.