Five Ways to Check Internet Speed from the Terminal

Whether you're a system administrator or a curious user, knowing how to test your internet speed from the command line is a powerful skill. Here are five reliable ways to do just that using the terminal.

1. speedtest-cli

speedtest-cli is a Python-based command-line tool that uses Speedtest.net to test your internet speed.

sudo apt install speedtest-cli  # Debian/Ubuntu
speedtest-cli

It will display your ping, download, and upload speeds in a clear and readable format.

2. fast-cli

fast-cli is a simple tool from Fast.com to measure your download speed.

npm install --global fast-cli
fast

This is ideal if you want a lightweight, dependency-free way to check speeds quickly.

3. Using wget

wget is traditionally used for downloading files, but you can use it to estimate download speed by fetching a large file.

wget --output-document=/dev/null http://speedtest.tele2.net/100MB.zip

The output shows the download speed near the end of the process. Cancel after a few seconds if you only want an estimate.

4. Using curl

curl can be used similarly to wget for a quick bandwidth test:

curl -o /dev/null http://speedtest.tele2.net/100MB.zip

Watch the progress bar for speed information in real-time.

5. nload

nload is a real-time bandwidth monitor that visually displays incoming and outgoing traffic.

sudo apt install nload  # Debian/Ubuntu
nload

This doesn’t perform a speed test per se, but it's excellent for monitoring bandwidth while downloading or streaming.

Conclusion

There are multiple ways to check internet speed directly from the terminal depending on your needs. From real-time download tests to graphical bandwidth monitors, the command line gives you great flexibility for network diagnostics.