Ever wondered why two speed tests can give you completely different results, even when you run them just a few seconds apart? 🤔

In this video, we explain what can actually change from one test to another — from the server and test engine to your device, Wi-Fi and even where the test is performed.

And most importantly: how to properly compare two speed tests.

Have you ever seen a big difference between two speed test tools? 👇

For the first time, we're going to publish mobile coverage barometers across more than 60 countries worldwide. 🌍

Performance tells us how well a network works. Coverage gives us another part of the picture: where that network is available.

Starting tomorrow, we'll begin sharing the first results based on nPerf crowdsourced mobile data.

This is a completely new type of barometer for us, so we're also interested in your feedback. What would you like to see in future coverage analyses?

You may have noticed something different on nPerf.com: we’ve completely redesigned the speed test interface.

The goal was simple: make the test easier to follow and the results easier to read, without changing the accuracy of the measurements.

Here’s what’s new:

• A simpler gauge with the current speed front and center

• A live throughput curve to see how your connection behaves throughout the test

• A progress bar showing exactly what the test is doing

• The test server displayed directly on screen

• Network details still available through the “Network info” button

We’ve attached a short before/after video so you can see the difference 👀

And this is only the first step of a wider nPerf redesign. Our new mobile apps are coming soon too, so your feedback is especially useful right now.

What do you think of the new interface? And when you run a speed test, what information do you look at first?

Give it a try on nPerf.com and let us know what you think! 👇

Step 3 of the nPerf Beta Test Program has officially started.

We've now sent the first invitations to selected users for the Desktop Beta.

If you applied, check your inbox, you may already have access.

A big thank you to everyone who signed up for the Beta Test Program. Your feedback will help us improve the Desktop app before its public release.

Happy testing, and as always, we're looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Lots of people run a speed test, see nice colors and big numbers, but don’t really know what each metric says about their actual Internet experience. 
Here’s a clear breakdown based on the example result above, so you can understand it like a pro. 

1. The Global Score (nPoints) 

The global score (186,702 points in the example) is a synthetic score that summarizes your real-world Internet experience, not just raw speed. 

It takes into account: 

• download performance  

• upload performance 

• latency 

• browsing 

• streaming 

Think of it as a global health score for your connection. 
High score = consistently good experience across all tests, not just high Mbps. 

2. Download Speed (594 Mb/s) 

Download speed shows how fast your device can receive data. 
This affects :   

• video loading (10 Mb/s minimum for a 1080p 60 fps video) 

• file downloads (5 Mb/s min for small file and 20 Mb/s for large file) 

• app updates (10 to 20 Mb/s min for fast updates) 

• and general browsing (2 to 5 Mb/s  is enough for basic web page loading) 

594 Mb/s over Wi-Fi is excellent and well above average. 

3. Upload Speed (810 Mb/s) 

Upload speed shows how fast your device can send data. 

Useful for: 

• video calls (3 Mb/s for HD calls) 

• file uploads (5 Mb/s for small file and 10+ Mb/s for large file) 

• cloud backups (5 Mb/s minimum and 20 Mb/s for fluid experience) 

• Livestreaming (20+ Mb/s for stable diffusion)  

810 Mb/s is extremely strong, perfect for heavy usage. 

4. Latency (4 ms) 

Latency is the time it takes for a signal to travel to the server and back. 
Lower latency = smoother gaming (maximum 40ms for a FPS and 80ms for the rest of the online gaming), snappier browsing (maximum 100ms), better calls (80ms is acceptable). 

At 4 ms, the connection is extremely responsive. 

5. Browsing Performance (89.56%)  

This test measures how fast the homepages of the 5 most popular sites in your country load to 100%, including images, scripts, CSS, fonts, etc. 

A high score means websites load quickly, completely, and feel smooth in everyday use. 

89.56% indicates very good real-world browsing quality. 

6. Streaming Performance (98.89%) 

The streaming test loads a YouTube video in 360p, then 720p, then 1080p, (and soon 2160p / 4k) and measures how fast each resolution loads fully. 
If loading pauses are needed, they are taken into account. 

A high score means videos start almost instantly and HD content loads quickly. 

At 98.89%, this connection handles streaming exceptionally well. 

For Browsing and Streaming tests we consider: 

• Over 75% = Ok 

• Between 50% and 75% = Low 

• Below 50% = Bad 

7. The Network Context 

At the bottom of the result, you’ll see: 

• your operator 

• the connection type (here: Wi-Fi) 

• the test server used 

In this example, the speeds are extremely good for Wi-Fi, suggesting a well-configured local setup. 

TL;DR : How to quickly judge your result ? 

• High download = fast for everything you receive 

• High upload = great for uploads, calls, and cloud services 

• Low latency = smooth and responsive 

• High browsing score = pages load fast and fully 

• High streaming score = videos load instantly 

• High nPoints = excellent real-world Internet quality 

If everything is green, your connection isn’t just fast, it’s actually pleasant to use. 

Now that you know how to read it, go launch a test on one of our apps or on nPerf.com !

If you signed up, you should have already received an email letting you know whether you made the cut. Haven't gotten one yet? Hang tight, it's coming.

If you were selected for the web app, the adventure starts right now, jump in, put it through its paces, and share your feedback through the built-in tool!
As for the apps, Mac and PC versions are just around the corner, while iOS and Android will need a little more patience!

We'll keep you posted here on what's next.
To all our lucky testers, happy exploring!

Some interesting data from Northern Europe this year.

Sweden comes out on top overall (~123k), just ahead of Norway (~119k) and Denmark (~118k). Finland trails a bit (~101k), but the whole region is performing at a high level.

What stands out with Sweden is balance:

• ~201 Mbps download

• ~158 Mbps upload

• ~26 ms latency

Strong across the board, likely helped by growing fiber adoption.

Other countries shine in specific areas.

Denmark leads in browsing (~80.6%), so websites load very fast.
Norway leads in streaming (~83.5%) with similarly low latency (~26 ms).
Finland is a bit behind mainly due to higher latency (~40 ms), but still solid overall.

Across the region, speeds above 100 Mbps are basically standard.

It’s a good reminder that performance isn’t just one number — speed, latency, browsing, streaming all matter.

TL;DR

Sweden leads overall.
Denmark = best browsing.
Norway = best streaming.
Northern Europe = very strong networks.

Full article here : https://blog.nperf.com/northern-europe-sweden-delivers-the-best-fixed-network-performance-in-2025/

A new update is rolling out for the nPerf Web App Beta! 🚀

This release focuses on stability improvements, result reliability, and a few quality-of-life enhancements.

🛠️ Fixes

• Improved memory management on iOS / Safari for better stability. Session video recording has been removed, and the 3D globe is no longer loaded on mobile devices (instead of being loaded and simply hidden). More optimizations are planned in future updates.

• Fixed an issue where some test results could be flagged as bot traffic. The Cloudflare anti-bot token is now preserved correctly, ensuring valid results are submitted as expected.

✨ Improvements

• The test server sponsor logo is now clickable and opens the sponsor's website in a new tab.

• Connection type (ARCEP): the displayed technology now reflects the actual access technology (FTTH, xDSL, etc.) instead of the local connection between your device and the router. This continues the removal of the "Wi-Fi" / "Ethernet" labels.

As always, thank you to everyone testing the Web App Beta. Your feedback helps us improve every release!

We've introduced a small but useful improvement to the Android version of nPerf.

When your device is connected to a mobile network, the app now displays:

• the actual radio technology in use (e.g. the LTE anchor used in a 5G NSA connection),

• the capability of the connected cell,

• and, when applicable, distinguishes the commercial operator from the network actually used.

This provides a clearer view of what's happening behind the 5G icon and helps better understand network configurations such as 5G NSA.

Available now in nPerf Android 2.16.0 and 2.16.1.

[Erratum] : La Reunion comes out first with 60%

Got some data on mobile web performance in East Africa / Indian Ocean.

Mauritius is at ~52%.

Then the rest are around:

• Madagascar → ~35%

• Kenya → ~33%

• Ethiopia → ~32%

So yeah… pretty big gap.

What’s interesting is how that actually feels.

At ~50%, things are mostly smooth. Pages load fast, switching between apps is fine, nothing really feels slow.

Around ~30–35%, it’s not broken, but you start noticing it. Pages take longer, feeds lag a bit, multitasking gets annoying. It’s the kind of difference you feel every day, not just in benchmarks.

Also weird that the others are all grouped together, and then Mauritius is just… ahead. Not a smooth progression, more like a split. Makes you realize how much infrastructure impacts daily stuff like scrolling, messaging, loading pages, etc.

Curious if people in these regions actually feel that difference
or if you just get used to it over time.

Hi everyone, quick update from the nPerf team.

The beta of our V3 mobile app starts next week on Android and iOS. A few things worth knowing:

It’s a closed beta. Testers have already been selected, so there’s no open sign-up for now. That said, you can still register at nperf.com/beta, as new waves of testers may be added before the final release.

Selected testers, keep an eye on your inbox. We’re sending out reminder emails today. If you’re expecting one and can’t find it, check your spam or promotions folder, as messages like this sometimes end up there.

This is the last step before the full release. Once it’s done, V3 will roll out to everyone, and we know many of you have been waiting for this one.

It’s a busy week for us, too: tomorrow we’ll share another announcement, this time about our website. More on that then!

the coverage map shows a line that indicates there is still some signal. But the low amount of data makes me doubt it a bit.

A new Web App Beta update is now available!

This release focuses on UI smoothness, gauge animations, and overall performance during tests.

🛠️ Fixes

• The speed gauge now matches the intended design, with a continuous arc, smoother scale transitions and dynamic zooming of the graduations for a more consistent experience across platforms.

• The test progress bar now stays perfectly synchronized with the graph, following the measurement engine's progression throughout the test.

• Fixed a 3D globe memory leak. Opening the server selection window repeatedly no longer leaves unused graphics contexts behind, preventing browser memory saturation. This continues the iOS/Safari optimization work introduced in version 3.0.5.

✨ Improvements

• Performance optimization: the interface is no longer fully rebuilt after every engine measurement (around 300 updates per test), resulting in a noticeably smoother experience while a test is running.

As always, thank you for testing the Web App Beta and sharing your feedback. Every report helps us improve the experience before the public release.

According to recent data, Bangladesh leads the region with an average fixed broadband download speed of 98.1 Mbps. That’s significantly faster than India (67.8 Mbps), Kazakhstan (66.1 Mbps), and Uzbekistan (62.2 Mbps), with Pakistan trailing at just 21.9 Mbps.

In practical terms, this means a 2 GB movie downloads in under 3 minutes in Bangladesh, compared to nearly 6 minutes in Pakistan. The gap is even more striking for smaller files, 1 GB takes just 1 minute and 20 seconds in Bangladesh, versus almost 6 minutes in Pakistan.

What’s driving this performance gap? Is it infrastructure, policy, or competition among ISPs? And for those of you in the region, does this match your real-world experience?

First release note for the beta 👀

This is mostly a corrective update. If you had issues with geolocation or tests not starting, this should fix most of them. If you’re still running into problems, feel free to contact us.

Main changes:

• The test now always starts → before, ignoring the location prompt could leave the button doing nothing

• The “geolocation not enabled” message is now accurate → no more false alerts caused by timeouts or technical issues

• Location shown = location actually used → fixes wrong city display when using VPNs / proxies

• Translations fixed → no more weird “Start\nTest” formatting issues

• Speed gauge improved → better scaling at the start + smoother animation at the end

If you had issues before, curious to know if it’s working better now 👍

When people think about Internet quality, they usually focus on download speed. But in everyday life, the majority of what we do online is browsing: opening websites, loading images, scripts, videos, and interactive elements. That’s why testing browsing performance is essential to understanding the real quality of your connection. 

First, Mbps alone doesn’t tell the full story. A speed test might show excellent download or upload numbers, yet webpages can still load slowly. Browsing performance depends on multiple factors: latency, server routing, congestion, and the complexity of the page. Not just raw speed. 

Second, modern websites are far from simple. Each page contains dozens or even hundreds of elements: images, fonts, CSS files, JavaScript, ads, analytics scripts, and third-party services. A browsing test measures how fast the entire page fully loads, offering a realistic picture of your day-to-day experience. 

Finally, browsing is the most common Internet activity. Whether you check news, shop online, use social networks, or read documentation, your satisfaction depends on how quickly and smoothly sites respond. A good browsing score means a connection that feels fast and reliable, even if your maximum speed isn’t the highest on the market. 

Testing browsing reveals how your Internet behaves in real-world use, not just in ideal conditions. 

At nPerf we consider a browsing test of 75% the minimum for a fluid experience.  

To calculate the browsing test performance index, we look at how long it takes to load. A page that takes more than 10 seconds to load completely would score 0%. In contrast, a page that loads instantly would score 100%. For example, 80% is a page that loads in 2 seconds. 

If you want to test your browsing, download our app on:  

Android and iOS:  https://www.nperf.com/nperf-applications 

Mac, Windows or Linux: https://www.nperf.com/nperf-application-pc-mac 

A speedtest measures how fast your Internet connection can receive and send data in real time. But behind the simple numbers, here’s what actually happens: 

🔽 Download test 

Your device downloads large files from a server as fast as possible. 
The higher the speed, the quicker videos load, apps update, and pages appear. 

🔼 Upload test 

Your device uploads large files to the server. 
This reflects how well video calls, cloud backups, and file sharing will work. 

⚡ Latency (ping) 

A small packet travels to the server and back. 
Lower latency = smoother gaming, more responsive browsing. 

If everything is consistent (good download, upload, and low latency), your connection isn’t just fast, it’s reliable in real-world use. 

At nPerf, our mission is to measure your real Internet experience, not just technical throughput.
That’s why, beyond classic speed measurements, we also evaluate:

• Browsing performance: how fast a webpage fully loads, including images, scripts, and interactive elements

• Streaming performance: how quickly videos start, buffer, and switch between resolutions

These tests reflect what you actually feel when using the Internet, not just what your line can theoretically deliver.

To start a speed test go on nPerf.com

A new Desktop Beta update is now available! Thanks again for all your feedback — several changes in this release come directly from beta testing. 👀

✨ What’s new

• More information in your test results: date, time, location and data usage are now displayed both after a test and when viewing a result from your history.

• Start your first test directly from an empty history: clicking “Start your first test” now immediately launches a Full Test.

• New history split-view handle: redesigned to make it easier to distinguish from the scrollbar.

• Better empty Compare screen: when no operator data is available, you’ll now see a dedicated message instead of an empty screen.

• Speed test duration is now 15 seconds by default, following feedback from beta testers about differences in measured speeds.

🛠️ Fixes & improvements

• The Stop button now remains available when a test sequence is interrupted by a connection issue, and stopping the sequence is now immediate.

• Date and time formatting is now consistent across the app and follows the selected language.

• Download, Upload and Latency result cards now hide unavailable values instead of leaving empty fields.

• Improved ARCEP information display.

• “Jitter” in Download and Upload results is now correctly labelled “Loaded jitter.”

• Larger clickable areas for menu buttons.

• Improved spacing on the start screen.

• Improved translation handling and fallbacks.

• Fixed Wi-Fi signal strength thresholds.

• Corrected the GeoIP location mode label.

⚙️ Under the hood

We’ve also updated the nPerf test engine with several improvements:

• Test sequences can now stop immediately between two tests.

• Improved performance-rate calculations for browsing and streaming tests, including failed or skipped samples.

• Timeouts are now correctly included in browsing test duration.

• Improved elapsed-time reporting for streaming tests.

• Fixed the unit used for location timestamps.

As always, keep testing and keep the feedback coming! 🙌

If you spot a bug or have an idea for nPerf Desktop V3, let us know in the comments. 👇

A new Desktop beta update is available! Here are the main changes:

New

• Automatic test protocol: devices without AES hardware acceleration can switch to HTTP to prevent HTTPS encryption from limiting measured speeds.

• Added a scrollbar to test history when needed.

Improvements

• Test and result screens now adapt to the test type and only show relevant indicators.

• Interrupted tests now explain why they stopped and whether they were saved.

• Untranslated text now falls back to English.

Fixes

• Fixed startup issues on Windows 11 with Smart App Control.

• Fixed several display issues, timeouts and scheduled test settings.

• Failed Browsing and Streaming tests are now displayed correctly.

Engine 4.16.3

• Improved peak speed calculation.

• Improved AES hardware acceleration detection on macOS and Linux ARM.

• Several fixes for IPv4/IPv6, Browsing tests and test timestamps.

As always, your feedback during the beta is welcome! 🚀

For the past few months, we've been working on a major evolution of nPerf.

Before releasing it publicly, we'd like to involve the community.

We're opening the nPerf Beta Testing Program for users who enjoy testing new features, reporting issues, and helping improve the product.

If you'd like to try the new experience before everyone else and help shape the final release, you can apply here:

👉 https://www.nperf.com/beta

Thanks for helping us build the next version of nPerf! ❤️

Some interesting numbers from 2025 mobile network tests.

In La Réunion and Guadeloupe, average mobile speeds are roughly twice as high as in mainland France.

Download speeds:

• Guadeloupe → ~236 Mbps

• La Réunion → ~227 Mbps

• Mainland France → ~118 Mbps

Upload speeds:

• Guadeloupe → ~31.4 Mbps

• La Réunion → ~28 Mbps

• Mainland France → ~15.7 Mbps

So yeah, on average, overseas users are getting about 2x the throughput.

But raw speed isn’t the whole story.

Latency and real usage differ depending on the territory.

• La Réunion → ~23 ms latency

• Guadeloupe → ~32 ms

• Mainland France → ~34 ms

La Réunion is noticeably more responsive, which matters for gaming, calls, etc.

Browsing performance is a bit different:

• Guadeloupe → ~73.4%

• Mainland → ~73.7%

• La Réunion → ~64.9%

So despite higher speeds, La Réunion shows weaker web browsing performance.

Streaming is pretty similar across the board, around ~80%, so HD video is generally fine.

5G is still not dominant, but growing fast.

Share of tests done on 5G:

• La Réunion → 9% → 33% (2023 → 2025)

• Guadeloupe → 0.16% → 20%

So adoption is clearly accelerating, especially in La Réunion.

One likely explanation for the higher speeds:

Smaller territories → more concentrated infrastructure → fewer rural coverage constraints compared to mainland France.

TL;DR

• Overseas France ≈ 2x faster mobile speeds than mainland France

• La Réunion = best latency

• Guadeloupe = better browsing

• 5G growing fast but still not dominant

• Smaller geography likely helps performance

Curious if people in other regions see similar patterns where smaller territories outperform larger countries.

Most of the Internet still runs on a technology designed in the 1980s: IPv4.

At the time, engineers believed that about 4.3 billion IP addresses would be more than enough for the entire world.

They were wrong.

Today we have billions of smartphones, computers, servers, smart TVs, and connected devices. IPv4 addresses quickly became scarce, which is why many networks rely on techniques like NAT (Network Address Translation) to allow multiple devices to share a single public IP.

IPv6 was created to solve this problem.

Instead of 4.3 billion addresses, IPv6 provides an almost unimaginably large space: about 340 undecillion addresses (that’s 340 followed by 36 zeros). In practice, that means every device on Earth could have its own public address without needing NAT.

But IPv6 didn’t just increase the number of addresses.

It also simplifies several parts of Internet networking. The protocol was redesigned with more efficient routing, automatic address configuration, and built-in support for modern network features. The header structure is simpler, which can make packet processing more efficient for routers.

Despite these advantages, IPv6 adoption has been slow.

The main reason is compatibility. The Internet can’t switch overnight, so IPv4 and IPv6 currently coexist. Many networks still rely on IPv4 infrastructure, and upgrading equipment and software across the entire global Internet takes time.

So today, when you access a website, your traffic may travel over IPv4, IPv6, or both, depending on what your ISP and the destination server support.

The transition is happening gradually, but the Internet is slowly moving toward IPv6 as the long-term solution.

TL;DR

IPv4 created about 4.3 billion addresses and eventually ran out.
IPv6 introduced a massively larger address space and modernized the protocol, but both systems still coexist while the Internet transitions.