How to compare mobile hotspot speeds indoors and outdoors

Your phone hotspot may feel fine outside but slow down in a room, or the connection may vary from one test to the next. To find out whether location is the reason, compare results under similar conditions instead of relying on Wi-Fi bars.

The Speed Test measures download speed, upload speed, ping, and jitter. Use it from a laptop or tablet connected to your phone’s hotspot, and repeat the test in both locations.

Compare hotspot speeds fairly

1. Connect the same laptop or tablet to your phone’s hotspot, then open the Speed Test on that device. Keep the phone and the test device together throughout the comparison.
2. Choose one indoor spot and one outdoor spot where you can safely set up both devices. Keep the distance and position between the phone and laptop about the same in each place. This helps keep the hotspot’s local Wi-Fi connection from becoming a separate variable.
3. At the indoor spot, pause downloads, video streams, and cloud backups on devices using the hotspot. Run the test three times, leaving about 30 seconds between runs. Note download and upload speeds in Mbps, plus ping and jitter in milliseconds.
4. Move both devices to the outdoor spot and repeat the tests in the same way. Keep the phone’s case, hotspot settings, and laptop position consistent. Avoid testing in direct sun or in a place where the phone could overheat.
5. If the results are unclear, run the Speed Test on the hotspot phone itself at both spots, using its mobile connection. Compare those readings with the laptop results to see whether the change is in the mobile connection or in the hotspot link.

Use the middle result from each set of three as a simple comparison. One unusually high or low reading can happen when the network is busy, so a single run is not a reliable verdict. Speed tests exchange test data with the test server, so keep your mobile data allowance in mind.

What the results mean

Outdoors is consistently faster

If download and upload speeds are higher outside in most runs, the building may be weakening the phone’s cellular signal. Walls, metal structures, and low-e glass can block or weaken radio signals. Try a spot near a window or an exterior wall, then repeat the tests before deciding where to use the hotspot.

Indoor and outdoor speeds are similar

If the results are close, the building may not be the main cause. The mobile network could be busy, the plan may limit hotspot speed, or the phone may have a weak connection in both locations. Compare the three runs rather than expecting identical numbers.

The phone is fast, but the laptop is slow

If a test on the phone is consistently faster than one on the connected laptop, the cellular connection may be fine while the hotspot link or laptop is limiting the result. Check that the laptop is connected to the correct hotspot and is close to the phone. Other devices using the hotspot can also share its available capacity.

Download is good, but upload or ping is poor

Download speed measures how quickly data reaches you. Upload speed measures how quickly you send it. Ping is the response time for a small request, while jitter describes how much that response time varies. For video calls or remote work, unstable ping or low upload speed can matter even when downloads look fast.

Results vary a lot between runs

The mobile network can change with congestion, signal conditions, and other users nearby. If one result is much worse, repeat the tests at another time. A short comparison is useful for checking two locations, but it cannot promise the same speed throughout the day.

How to improve the connection

1. Place the phone near a window. Move the hotspot phone a few feet at a time and repeat the test. A small change in position can help, especially indoors. Keep the laptop near the phone so the hotspot Wi-Fi remains strong.
2. Check that the laptop is connected to the hotspot. On Windows 11, open Settings › Network & internet › Wi-Fi and confirm the connected network. On a Mac, open System Settings › Wi-Fi. Disconnect from other networks if the laptop has switched away from the phone.
3. Pause other hotspot use. Stop streaming, downloads, and backups on connected devices, then run the tests again. Several devices can share the hotspot’s mobile connection.
4. Check the phone’s hotspot settings. On an iPhone, open Settings › Personal Hotspot. On many Android phones, open Settings › Network & internet › Hotspot & tethering. Menu names vary by manufacturer. If the hotspot offers a compatibility option, try it when the laptop has trouble connecting or staying connected.
5. Check mobile data and plan limits. Confirm that mobile data is on and that your plan allows hotspot use at the expected speed. If both the phone and laptop tests stay slow in both locations, contact your carrier to ask about coverage, congestion, or hotspot limits.
6. Restart the connection. Turn the hotspot off and back on, reconnect the laptop, and repeat the tests. Restart the phone if the connection remains unusually slow or keeps dropping.

Why the two tests can disagree

A hotspot uses two wireless links: the phone connects to the mobile network, then shares that connection with the laptop over Wi-Fi. Moving the phone can change cellular reception. Moving the laptop farther from the phone can instead weaken the local hotspot link. Keeping the devices together helps separate these effects.

Bars are only a rough signal indicator. They do not show your actual download speed, upload speed, or response time. Compare repeated test results at the places you plan to use the hotspot, and check again at the times when you need it most.