[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":28},["ShallowReactive",2],{"page-content:en:guides\u002Fdownload-speed-vs-upload-speed":3},{"home":4,"toolExplainer":4,"guide":5,"guideTitles":27,"legal":4},null,{"title":6,"description":7,"h1":8,"answer":9,"sections":10,"faqs":20},"Download Speed vs Upload Speed — SpeedTestLab","Download is inbound throughput. Upload is outbound. Many plans are asymmetric, which changes calls and backups.","Download Speed vs Upload Speed","Download speed is how fast this device receives test bytes. Upload speed is how fast it sends them. Streaming mostly needs download; meetings and cameras need upload too.",[11,14,17],{"h":12,"p":13},"Asymmetry","A 500\u002F20 plan is not “500 Mbps internet” for a live stream. Read both numbers.",{"h":15,"p":16},"How we measure","Download times an HTTP GET of a known size. Upload times a generated POST and checks the server byte count.",{"h":18,"p":19},"Units","Both are decimal megabits per second here (Mbps), not megabytes per second (MB\u002Fs).",[21,24],{"q":22,"a":23},"Which one should be higher?","Consumer plans usually have higher download. That is a product choice, not a law of physics.",{"q":25,"a":26},"Why is upload lower on Wi‑Fi?","Some client radios and APs are weaker on uplink. Compare Ethernet.",[],1793775154429]