Network diagnosis
How to Test Internet Stability (Not Just Speed)
Your internet shows hundreds of megabits on tests, but video calls freeze and audio cuts out? Understand why speed is not stability and how to assess the real consistency of your network.
Core concept
Peak speed versus continuous stability.
Understand why connections with hundreds of megabits still freeze on FaceTime, Microsoft Teams and voice calls.
| Criterion | Peak speed (myth) | Real stability (Linka) |
|---|---|---|
| Main goal | Maximum momentary bandwidth | Consistent delivery and continuous low latency |
| Measurement method | Opens 8 to 16 parallel connections to push past the limit | Measures the sequential interval between data packets |
| Sensitivity to video calls | Unable to detect micro-drops in real time | Detects jitter and drops before the call freezes |
| Real data usage | Burns gigabytes of data forcing the link | Measures the real experience using little bandwidth (~5 Mbps) |
| Practical verdict | Reports only raw numbers (e.g., 500 megabits) | Reports whether your connection supports meetings and games |
Symptom diagnosis
The 3 signs of instability at home.
When diagnosing browsing drops, each symptom points to a precise technical cause:
Packets arrive out of order because of channel saturation or fiber instability.
Inefficient route to the platform’s servers or local buffer saturation.
Physical packet drops from an overloaded router or radio noise.
Part 1 of 4
The 500-megabit illusion: peak speed vs continuity
Most tests measure only peak capacity. They open several parallel connections to push traffic up to the ceiling.
That is fine for downloading heavy files. But FaceTime and Teams calls, real-time audio and games use little bandwidth (almost always under 5 Mbps).
For these services, the key is how regular the packets are. A 600 Mbps connection with micro-drops is far worse day to day than a stable 50 Mbps network.
Warning
The speed myth
High-definition video uses 5 to 15 Mbps. If your meeting freezes on a 300 Mbps plan, the problem is route instability or latency saturation, never raw speed.
Part 2 of 4
The 3 clear symptoms of an unstable connection
How can you tell whether your connection is unstable day to day?
- Robotic audio and video freezing in meetings: Indicates high jitter (variation in the arrival time of voice packets).
- Noticeable delay between speaking and hearing: High latency on the route between your network and the communication server.
- Momentary freezes with sudden disconnection: Packet loss caused by buffer saturation on the router or signal noise.
Part 3 of 4
The right method to measure stability
Do not judge your internet from a single measurement at a quiet time. Unstable connections vary drastically throughout the day.
Measure at residential peak hours (usually between 7 and 10 pm), when the provider and the neighborhood compete for capacity.
Measure while other people at home are using the network (e.g., watching videos or gaming). A good connection holds its response time even with concurrent downloads.
Keep the local history. Linka stores each result with date and time so you can see your link’s variation curve.
Part 4 of 4
How to hold your provider accountable with objective data
Calling technical support and only saying "my internet is bad" usually gets the standard reply: "restart the modem".
When you present a test history with documented latency variations and specific times when stability collapses, support is forced to escalate the ticket to the network engineering team to check fiber attenuation or OLT port saturation.
3-stage diagnosis
Measure the real stability of your connection.
Evaluate how regular the packet flow is during load peaks to see why calls and videos freeze.
Idle measurement
Run the test with no background downloads to capture the network’s baseline response time.
Continuous on-demand measurement
Repeat the test during a FaceTime call or at peak hours (7–10 pm) to check for jitter swings.
How to read your network’s stability:
Even connection for work and voice
Latency stays stable even while data is flowing. Your FaceTime and Teams calls and online matches will not be interrupted.
Linka for iOS
More than speed. Clarity about your connection.
Browsers cannot analyze radio channels or the physical distance to your antenna. The native iPhone app was built to map network behavior in each room.
Point your iPhone camera hereRoom-by-room diagnosis
Label tests like "Living room" and "Office" to compare attenuation and signal loss between rooms.
Clear verdicts with Assist
Find out whether your connection supports video calls and games, in human language, without indecipherable jargon.
Absolute privacy on iPhone
No sign-up, no ads and no tracking of personal data. Your history stays on the device.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions.
Direct, technical answers to the most common questions about connection and Wi-Fi.
Only 3 to 5 Mbps of download and upload are enough for 1080p video, as long as latency is under 40 ms and jitter is low.