Last updated on November 21, 2021, 3:07 PM
macOS Monterey brings a new feature that allows you to natively test internet speed on Mac. This is done using a hidden network bandwidth test tool available in the Terminal application. It’s called networkQuality!
networkQuality Tool for Mac
This new tool allows you to measure the quality of your computer’s Internet connectivity. When in use, it provides real-time testing of MacBook data transport layer metrics.
To open the available options Terminal (Launchpad -> Terminal), in macOS Monterey, and type the following command. hurry to recover key:
networkQuality -h
You should get the following response:
USE: networkQuality [-C ] [-c] [-h] [-I ] [-s] [-v]
-C: override the configuration URL
-c: Produce computer readable output
-h: Show help (this message)
-I: Bind the test to the interface (for example, en0, pdp_ip0, …)
-s: run tests sequentially instead of parallel upload / download
-v: verbose output
How to Test Mac Internet Speed in Terminal
To perform a live test of your network bandwidth, run the following command in Terminal:
networkQuality -v
You should get an execution that looks like this:
==== SUMMARY ====
Download capacity: 87.967 Mbps
Download capacity: 49.617 Mbps
Download stream: 20
Download stream: 12
Responsiveness: medium (669 rpm)
Basic RTT: 31
Start: 20.11.2021, 12:56:39 PM
End: 20.11.2021, 12:56:53 PM
OS version: version 12.0.1 (Build 21A559)
Or:
- <emUpload and To download capacity displays the Tx / Rx bandwidth of your network.
- <emUpload and To download flows represents the number of test packets that were used during the test to determine network responsiveness.
- Reactivity is measured in RPM (Roundtrips Per Minute). It represents the number of transactions the network can complete in one minute under normal working conditions.
Made: Depending on your network’s score, responsiveness may be labeled as low, medium, or high. A higher number of RPM, means a better result.
Sequential Mac Internet Speed in Terminal
The above test reproduces normal working conditions when your MacBook performs both downloads and uploads.
If you want to test the network bandwidth in an ideal scenario, you can use the sequential command:
networkQuality -s
My results look like this:
==== SUMMARY ====
Download capacity: 87.722 Mbit / s
Download capacity: 82.323 Mbps
Download Stream: 16
Download Stream: 16
Responsiveness of downloading: average (960 rpm)
Responsiveness to download: high (1635 rpm)
Made: As expected, the values are better in this scenario.
MacBook Internet Speed Test by Ookla
For comparison, I used the speed test tool available at Speedtest.net!
To download: 88.52 Mbps
To download: 89.54 Mbps
Ping: 8 milliseconds
This is also done sequentially, in turn, which means that the download speed is tested first, followed by the download bandwidth. The results were similar with the sequential network bandwidth test run in Terminal!
Does private relay influence the Internet speed of the MacBook?
Let’s run another round of tests, this time after disabling Private Relay in System Preferences -> Apple ID -> iCloud -> Private Relay (Options -> Disable)
1. Network bandwidth test in the terminal (sequential)
To download capacity: 87.712 Mbit / s
To download capacity: 84.628 Mbit / s
Download Stream: 16
Download stream: 20
Responsiveness of downloading: average (877 rpm)
Responsiveness to download: high (1735 rpm)
2. Internet speed test with Ookla (sequential)
To download: 91.50 Mbps
To download: 93.57 Mbps
Ping: 7 ms
Conclusion: Yes, Private Relay appears to be slowing the internet on Mac, iPhone, and iPad, but the decrease is not significant.
What do you think of the new macOS Monterey Network Bandwidth Speed Test Tool? Do you have any questions or suggestions? Use the comments section to share your comments.
Related: You might also be interested in:
– how to share Mac screen during FaceTime calls
– Low power mode shortcut for the MacBook menu bar.
Credits: This article was inspired by this Reddit topic.