Connection Stability Test
Sends 100 parallel requests and measures failure rate and latency spikes — the two signals that reveal packet loss, congestion, or a faulty modem. Runs fully on this site.
Requests
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Failures
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Spikes
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How this test works: Browsers use TCP, which automatically retransmits dropped packets — so true IP-level packet loss cannot be measured in a browser. This test sends 100 parallel requests and reports: Failures (requests that never completed) and Spikes (requests taking more than 3× the baseline — the fingerprint of a TCP retransmission). A connection showing 0% failures with yellow spikes may still have underlying packet loss that TCP masked.
Connection stability thresholds (failure rate)
Why can't browsers measure real packet loss?
Browsers use TCP, which automatically retransmits any dropped packets before your app even sees them. True IP-level packet loss — as measured by tools like WinMTR or the command-line ping — is invisible to a browser. This test instead detects the symptoms: request failures and latency spikes that indicate retransmissions are happening. A connection with 0 failures but frequent yellow spikes may still have underlying packet loss that TCP is masking.
Common causes of connection instability
- •Faulty or aging coaxial or ethernet cables
- •Wi-Fi interference from neighbours or nearby devices
- •Overloaded network — ISP congestion during peak hours
- •Defective modem or router — try rebooting or replacing
- •Loose or corroded cable connections at the wall or modem
