Verizon Speed Test

This diagnostic utility validates the throughput of your Verizon connection. It is critical to distinguish between the two primary infrastructures: Verizon Fios (100% Fiber-to-the-Home) and Verizon 5G Home Internet (Fixed Wireless Access using the Ultra Wideband cellular network). Fios is widely considered the gold standard for latency and consistency, whereas 5G Home performance is strictly governed by your distance from the nearest cell tower.

Understanding Your Speed Metrics

When analyzing your connection integrity, focus on these three performance vectors:

Download Throughput: On Fios Gigabit connection, wired speeds reliably hit ~940 Mbps (the physical limit of a 1G port). On the 2 Gig Plan, you will not see full speeds unless you use the 10GbE LAN port on the CR1000A router. On 5G Home, speeds are variable, typically ranging from 85 Mbps to 300 Mbps depending on network load.

Upload Throughput: Fios is famous for Symmetrical Speeds. If you have the 1 Gig plan, you should get ~880-940 Mbps upload. If your upload is significantly lower (e.g., 20 Mbps), it indicates a failure in the ONT (Optical Network Terminal) or a bad Ethernet cable. 5G Home upload is generally capped around 10-20 Mbps.

Latency (Ping): Fios offers exceptionally low latency, often 10ms to major hubs (NY/Ashburn). If you see ping spikes on Fios, it is almost never the network; it is usually a device saturating the bandwidth or a faulty router.

What Results Should You Expect?

The "ONT" vs. "Router" Distinction

Your Fios connection terminates at a box on your wall (ONT), not the white router. Benchmarks include:

Fios Gigabit (Wired): ~940 Mbps Down / ~880 Mbps Up.

Fios 300/300: Often over-provisioned to ~310 Mbps.

5G Home (C-Band/mmWave): Highly variable. Check the signal bars on the "Cube" gateway. You need line-of-sight to a window for best results.

If you pay for Gigabit but test exactly 100 Mbps, check the Ethernet cable connecting your White Router to the Black ONT box. A bad Cat5 cable will downgrade the link to "Fast Ethernet" speeds.

Why Is Your Verizon Connection Slow?

Before using the My Fios App, verify these common configuration faults:

Disable SON: If your Wi-Fi is slow, log into the router and Disable Self-Organizing Network (SON). This allows you to create separate names for "MyWiFi-2.4" and "MyWiFi-5G." Forcing your phone onto the 5GHz network usually fixes speed issues instantly.

Intel NIC Issues: Some older Intel network cards have a driver bug with Verizon's IPv6 implementation (TCP/UDP Checksum Offload), causing massive throttling. Updating drivers or disabling IPv6 often solves this.

ONT Power: The ONT has a battery backup, but only for phone service. If the "Fail" light is red, the unit is not receiving an optical signal.

Verizon Technical Configuration Data

How to Get an Accurate Test

Wireless testing is unreliable for verifying Gigabit speeds.

To confirm the actual speed delivered to your home, connect a Cat6 Ethernet cable directly from the ONT Ethernet Port (bypassing the router entirely) to a laptop. You may need to release the DHCP lease or wait 10 minutes for the connection to activate. If this direct ONT test works, your Fios line is perfect, and the issue is your router.

When to Call Support

Escalate the issue to Verizon support if you observe these specific failures:

Red "Fail" Light (ONT): On the black ONT box, a red Fail light means the fiber optic cable is cut.

Solid Red (Router): The router cannot get an IP address from the ONT.

Packet Loss: Frequent dropouts despite high speed test numbers (often a dirty fiber connector).

You can run a "Speed to Router" test and reset your ONT remotely via the My Fios App or by calling 1-800-837-4966.