"My internet is slow" is the least effective sentence you can say to a support agent. It is unmeasurable, it matches thousands of other tickets, and the standard reply is to restart your router. A short, structured record changes that conversation entirely.
Rule out your own network first
Do this genuinely, because it is the first thing they will ask and having done it moves the conversation forward:
- Test on a wired connection, which removes Wi-Fi from the argument.
- Pause other devices and close background applications.
- Disable any VPN.
- Restart the router once, then retest.
- If possible, test with a second device to show the problem is not one machine.
Our guide to running an accurate speed test covers each of these in more detail.
Build the log
Record at least six to ten tests over several days, deliberately covering both quiet and busy hours. For each entry note:
- Date and time. The pattern is the evidence.
- Wired or wireless. State it explicitly.
- Download and upload speed
- Ping and jitter. These carry weight because they indicate line quality rather than capacity.
- Latency under load if your test reports it, as MyRealSpeed does.
- What was affected. "call dropped twice", "4K stream fell to SD".
A shareable result link from each test gives the agent something concrete to open. Every completed test on MyRealSpeed produces one.
State the gap plainly
Put your contracted speed next to your measured median. "My package is 200 Mbps down and 20 up. Over nine wired tests across four days, my median is 61 Mbps down, with evening results as low as 38. Ping rises from 14 ms idle to over 300 ms during downloads." That is a specific, checkable claim, and it is hard to close with a generic response.
Know what you are entitled to
Many countries require providers to give a minimum guaranteed speed rather than only an "up to" figure, and to remedy or release you from the contract if they persistently fall below it. Check your contract for that minimum before you call, and quote it.
Escalating well
Ask for a ticket number on the first contact and reference it every time afterwards. If the front line only offers a router restart, ask specifically for a line test and, where relevant, for congestion on your local segment to be checked. Keep your log updated after any engineer visit or claimed fix, because the follow-up measurements are what prove whether the fix worked.
Frequently asked questions
Are speed-test screenshots accepted as proof?
They are not formal proof, but a consistent dated series from a wired connection is persuasive and is routinely used to justify escalation. Some regulators accept test logs as supporting evidence in complaints.
Should I use my provider own speed test?
Include it. Their test usually connects to a server inside their network, which flatters results, but a poor result on their own tool is very difficult for them to dispute. Running both makes a stronger case.
What if only latency is bad?
Report it as its own fault, with the figures. High jitter or latency that collapses under load is a genuine quality problem even when the speed matches the contract, and it is what makes calls and games unusable. Our ping and jitter guide explains the terms to use.
