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Internet Speed

The speed test measures the overall network speed from your computer to a reference server on the Internet. It checks the data transmission performance of your Swisscom Internet connection. This analysis provides insights into the speed and quality of your Internet connection.

warning

Swisscom does not guarantee a minimum bandwidth. The stated transmission speeds are best-case values and cannot be achieved under all circumstances. The actual bandwidth depends in particular on the line length between the telephone connection and the local exchange, as well as on the quality of the cabling. If additional services are used over the same fixed-line connection, this can also affect the available bandwidth. Detailed information can be found in the Special Internet Terms

CNLAB Application​

The free program provided by the independent company cnlab Information Technology AG (www.cnlab.ch) tests upload and download speeds as well as latency — the time a data packet needs to travel from your device to the server and back. On the user interface, you will find your UserID, which allows you to retrieve additional technical details for each measurement. These include information about the network interface used (WLAN or Ethernet) and potential packet loss that may indicate issues in the network.

The applications from "CNLAB" can be downloaded at https://www.cnlab.ch/speedtest/. The application is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.


Requirements​

Cabling & Network Hardware​

Ethernet Cable​

  • 1 Gbit/s → at least Cat5e

  • 2.5–5 Gbit/s → at least Cat6

  • 10 Gbit/s → Cat6a or Cat7 recommended (Cat7a / Cat8 optional)


Network Interface Card (NIC) of the Device​
  • The built-in NIC must support the required speed:
    1 Gbit/s, 2.5 Gbit/s, 5 Gbit/s or 10 Gbit/s.

Switches / Routers / Access Points​

All active components along the path must support the same speed. Mixed environments (e.g. 10G → 1G) automatically throttle to the slowest component.


PC / Laptop Performance​

A speed test is highly dependent on CPU and RAM performance.

Important:

  • Modern CPU (min. Intel i5 / Ryzen 5 or better)

  • Sufficient RAM (8–16 GB)

  • SSD instead of HDD

  • No background processes that overload the network stack

For 10 Gbit/s tests:

  • CPU with high single-core performance

  • PCIe-based 10G NIC (not USB adapters due to limitations)

  • Jumbo Frames optional, but not mandatory


Local Network Conditions​

  • LAN connection (no WLAN tests)

  • Other devices in the LAN should not simultaneously transfer large amounts of data ➜ remove if possible

  • Switch port correctly set to Auto-Negotiation or fixed speed

  • No VLAN configurations that limit or filter traffic

info

Is something missing? Send us your feedback! pilot@swisscom.com
Please describe in which area you expected something different or what we could improve.

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