4 Ways to Check Your Network Adapter Speed on Windows

How fast can your network adapter go? Here's how to check on Windows.

The network adapter is a critical piece of hardware that connects your Windows computer to the internet via a wired or wireless connection. In order to achieve the maximum speeds offered by your Internet Service Provider, it is important to know what network speed your card is capable of.

Whether you want to upgrade your internet plan or diagnose your network for performance issues, there are several ways to determine the network adapter speed on Windows. Let's go over all of them one by one.

The quickest way to check the connection speed for a Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter is through the Windows Settings app. Aside from network speed, the Settings app also provides important information like network band, local IP address, MAC address, and more.

To check the network adapter speed via the Settings app:

Although Microsoft is gradually moving a large number of features to the Settings app, many people still prefer to use the Control Panel to modify settings and troubleshoot issues. If you are one of them, here's how you can check the network adapter connection speed via Control Panel.

Seeing too many network adapter entries on your Windows computer? Learn how to get rid of old or inactive network adapters from Windows in a few easy steps.

Not a fan of GUI? No problem. You can also use a command-line utility like Command Prompt to check the network adapter connection speed on Windows. Here are the steps for the same.

Like using Command Prompt? Check our guide on how to master Command Prompt on Windows.

PowerShell is yet another command-line tool you can use to interact with Windows. Although PowerShell is primarily used to automate tasks and troubleshoot errors, you can also use it to find system information such as the network adapter speed.

To check network adapter connection speed via PowerShell:

Once you run the above command, PowerShell will display a list of all the Ethernet and Wi-Fi adapters on your Windows computer, along with their link speeds.

As we just learned, determining the network adapter connection speed on Windows is relatively simple. Do you know what else is easy? Speeding up the internet connection speed on your Windows computer.

Pankil is a freelance tech writer from India who has been writing about Windows since 2021. As a long-time Windows user, he has extensive knowledge of the ins and outs of the operating system and specializes in creating how-tos and troubleshooting guides. With a focus on practical advice and real-world solutions, Pankil aims to make technology accessible and user-friendly for everyone.