At between 40 Mbps to 80 Mbps, your internet won’t be blazing fast, but you’ll be able to check your email or watch videos. We’d recommend Simply Unlimited Internet only if your address gets a download speed of at least 40 Mbps. That means you might get a 100 Mbps plan, but you also might live in an area where CenturyLink can guarantee only “up to 1.5 Mbps.” (I do.) And that’s unfortunate. For example, with Simply Unlimited Internet, you’ll get only one internet option that has the fastest speed available at your address. Like with most DSL plans, your CenturyLink DSL options are going to depend on the area-availability goblin. You won’t have to worry about expensive data overage fees or a surprise price hike after your promotional rate ends. We’re also fans of Simply Unlimited Internet’s unlimited data and no-contract pricing. With maximum download speeds of 100 Mbps, Simply Unlimited Internet is 10x slower than fiber and its download/upload speeds aren’t equal.īut at $50 per month, the DSL plan still offers value if your house just needs the internet for occasional Netflix sessions, and you’re not doing things like daily video calls. To the fiber internet-deprived: DSL can still be workable. But if you’re not? Then your only CenturyLink option will be the ISP’s Simply Unlimited Internet DSL plan. If you’re in or near a major city with CenturyLink coverage, there’s a decent chance you can get fiber internet. The savings make it a slightly better deal, but we’d still consider CenturyLink’s 940 Mbps fiber plan to be a better overall value.Īlthough CenturyLink’s fiber internet plans are affordably priced, CenturyLink still has the same problem as a lot of fiber internet providers-the internet service provider’s (ISP) fiber network is still being rolled out. In certain markets, CenturyLink has upped this starting package to a 200 Mbps plan and lowered its price to $30 for the first year. Once you add the 100 Mbps plan’s $15 monthly modem fee (which is waived on the 940 Mbps plan), you won’t be saving any money and you’ll also get slower internet performance. At $65 per month, CenturyLink Fiber Internet is also cheaper than most fiber internet plans that cost around $80 per month.ĬenturyLink also offers a cheaper 100 Mbps fiber internet plan for $50 per month, but there’s little reason to downgrade. We always recommend getting fiber internet if you can (your doctor recommends fiber and so do we), because you’ll get best-in-class upload and download speeds compared to cable or DSL internet. Also, there are no contracts for as long as you’re with CenturyLink. With download and upload speeds up to 940 Mbps, this plan will let you gobble (or reverse-gobble) a gigabyte of content in eight seconds. On the other hand, a wired (Ethernet) connection from the device straight to the modem will be about the same as the network speed to your home or building.If it’s available in your area, we recommend CenturyLink’s fiber internet plan. Over a WiFi connection, speed to your device may vary greatly depending on how close your device is to your WiFi point, as well as any obstructions or distance in between. Speed to your device may vary greatly depending on whether you have a wired or WiFi connection. This speed is measured to and from the device you are using to run the test, which means the type of connection has a big impact on the result.
How quickly your internet can transfer that data from the network to your device and from your device back to the network determines your download and upload speed. Next, the speed test downloads and uploads a packet of data over that connection. The amount of time it takes for that information to make the trip is your ping. You will see the name in the lower right-hand corner of the testing window.Ī "packet" of information is sent from your device to the server and back. The internet speed test starts by identifying the network server that is closest to you.