Internet Measurement Tests

M-Lab Tests#

M-Lab hosts a number of measurement tests, allowing you to check for everything from network speed and latency to blocking and throttling. Explore them below, and run a test to learn more about your connection.

M-Lab provides a set of tools that let you explore how your Internet connection is performing in real time. By running a test, you can measure key aspects of your connection, including speed, latency (delay), network blocking, and potential throttling by Internet providers. These tests offer a simple way to better understand the quality and reliability of your connection.

How M-Lab tests work#

All M-Lab tests use what’s known as active measurement. This means tests only run when you choose to start them. M-Lab does not passively monitor your connection or track your activity in the background. When you run a test, the tool sends and receives synthetic data created specifically for measurement. This data is used solely to observe how your network responds under controlled conditions.

M-Lab tests do not access or analyze your everyday Internet use, such as emails, browsing, messages, or downloads. The tests also do not collect personally identifiable information about your online activity.

Data and Transparency#

M-Lab is built on principles of openness and transparency.

To support research and public understanding of Internet performance, all test results are made publicly available. This includes the IP address used during the test, which helps researchers interpret network conditions and patterns. Test data is stored and published indefinitely. Once collected, individual test records cannot be removed. All M-Lab tools are open source and are developed and maintained by researchers studying Internet performance and connectivity.

M-Lab’s Privacy Policy#

Before running a test, we recommend reviewing M-Lab’s Privacy Policy to understand how data is handled.

Have questions? Reach out If you have questions about privacy or how your data is used, you can contact the team at privacy@measurementlab.net.

Help and troubleshooting#

If you need help running a test or troubleshooting an issue, you can search the support site for answers to common questions. You can also contact the team directly.