Check speed in different browsers before remote desktop

Your remote desktop session feels delayed, freezes, or takes a long time to refresh. You may wonder whether one browser is making the connection slower. A browser speed test can help you compare, but results vary for reasons beyond the browser itself.

Use the Speed Test in both browsers on the same computer and network. Compare the results carefully, then check the remote desktop connection itself if the session is still slow.

Compare the browsers fairly

1. Open the Speed Test in your first browser. Run the test and note the download speed, upload speed, ping, and jitter.
2. Open the test in your second browser on the same computer and network. Run it under similar conditions and note the same results.
3. Repeat both tests once, ideally in the reverse order. A quick change in your internet connection can make one browser look faster just because it ran at a better moment.
4. Keep the remote desktop app, video streams, downloads, and cloud backups closed while testing. If you need those open during work, run another comparison with your usual setup to see how competing traffic affects the connection.

Write down the results rather than relying on memory. A small difference between runs may be normal. The browser test exchanges test data with our server to measure your connection, so results can also depend on the route to that server.

What the results mean

One browser is faster in a single run

That does not prove the browser is the cause. Internet traffic can change from one minute to the next, and browser extensions, open tabs, security software, or a VPN can affect a test. Repeat the comparison before deciding that one browser performs better.

Download and upload speeds are similar

The connection may have enough capacity for the remote desktop session, but speed alone does not guarantee a responsive session. The session also depends on the route to the remote computer, its location, its load, and the settings used to stream the screen. For more on the connection needs of remote work, see what speed is enough for a remote desktop workstation.

Ping is high or jitter changes a lot

Ping is the time it takes a small request to travel to the test server and back. Jitter is variation in that response time. High or uneven results can make mouse movement and typing feel delayed, even if download speed looks good. The test measures the route to its own server, not necessarily the route to your remote computer.

Both browsers show low or inconsistent results

The problem is more likely to involve the network, another device using the connection, or the test conditions than a difference between browser engines. If the figures jump around over time, use Connection Stability to watch response time, jitter, lost requests, and dropouts over a longer test.

The browser results look good, but the session still lags

A good speed test does not rule out a problem with the remote desktop service, the remote computer, or the path between them. If possible, compare the same session from another network or computer. If the issue follows the remote computer or service, changing browsers may not help.

How to improve the comparison

1. Stop other network activity. Pause large downloads, cloud backups, game updates, and video streams on your computer. Ask others on the same connection to pause heavy transfers for a few minutes while you compare.
2. Test one browser change at a time. Close unnecessary tabs and temporarily turn off extensions that filter traffic or block page content. Then rerun the tests in both browsers. Turn extensions back on afterward, especially security or privacy tools you rely on.
3. Check whether a VPN or proxy is involved. A VPN can change the route your test data takes. If your work requires a VPN, keep it on for a realistic comparison. If it is optional, compare with it off and on, and follow your workplace rules before changing it.
4. Check the network connection. On Windows 11, open Settings › Network & internet and check whether you are connected through Wi-Fi or Ethernet. On macOS, open System Settings › Network and check the active connection. If you are on Wi-Fi, move closer to the router or try Ethernet, then repeat the browser comparison.
5. Try a fresh browser session. Open a private or guest window and run the test there. This can help show whether a browser profile, extension, or saved setting is affecting the result. Private browsing does not remove the effect of your internet provider, VPN, or the route to the test server.
6. Compare the remote session itself. If the test results are stable but the session is not, check whether the remote desktop app offers a connection diagnostic or quality indicator. Use its support guidance for settings such as display resolution and frame rate, since the right choice depends on the service and the remote computer.

Why browsers can give different results

Browsers do not always use the same engine or handle network work in exactly the same way. Extensions can inspect or block requests, privacy settings can change how a page connects, and a browser may be busy with another tab. A computer under heavy load can also slow down the test while it processes results.

For a useful comparison, keep the device, network, test page, and nearby conditions the same. Run each browser more than once. If one browser is consistently slower under those conditions, try updating it and testing with extensions disabled. If the difference disappears, the browser setup was likely involved, rather than your internet plan.

TooLab's speed test sends test data to our server to measure the connection. It does not test the full route to your remote desktop computer, so use the remote session's own diagnostics when available.