What this test checks
- Camera — the resolution your webcam actually delivers and its real frame rate, measured over two seconds.
- Microphone — a live level meter so you can see the meeting will hear you.
- Network — latency, jitter, loss, download and upload, then a readiness check for each meeting type.
Video and audio stay in your browser. Nothing is recorded or uploaded.
Published bandwidth needs
| Meeting type | Zoom (published) | Microsoft Teams (recommended) |
|---|---|---|
| Audio only | 60–80 kbps | 58 kbps (76 best) |
| 1:1 video, high quality | 600 kbps up/down | 1.5 Mbps up/down |
| 1:1 video, 720p HD | 1.2 Mbps up/down | Included in 1.5 Mbps |
| 1:1 video, 1080p | 1.8 Mbps up/down | 4.0 Mbps (best performance) |
| Group meeting, HD / gallery | 1.5 Mbps up/down | 2.5 Mbps up / 4.0 Mbps down |
| Group meeting, 1080p | 3.0 Mbps up / 2.5 Mbps down | 4.0 Mbps up/down (best) |
| Screen sharing | 50–150 kbps | 1.5 Mbps (1:1), 2.5 Mbps (meetings) |
Figures are per person, per device. Google does not publish an equivalent table I could verify, so Google Meet isn't listed; plan on similar numbers. Five people in meetings on one office connection need five times these figures.
Fix the usual video problems
| Problem | Most likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Your video freezes for others | Upload too small or saturated | Stop uploads/backups, use Ethernet, check bufferbloat |
| Everyone else freezes | Download, Wi-Fi or jitter | Move closer to the access point or plug in; compare Wi-Fi vs wired |
| Robotic or choppy voices | Jitter and packet loss | Jitter test, QoS on the router |
| Dark or grainy picture | Low light makes webcams slow down and add noise | Light in front of you, not behind; an external webcam |
| Camera won't start | Another app is using it, or browser permission is blocked | Close Zoom/Teams/other tabs, allow the camera in browser settings |
Frequently asked questions
How do I test my camera and microphone before a Zoom or Teams meeting?
Run the video call test above: it starts your webcam and microphone, shows the real resolution and frame rate, and checks your network. Zoom also offers a test meeting at zoom.us/test, and Teams has a Make a test call option in its device settings.
How much internet speed do I need for Zoom?
Zoom publishes about 1.2 Mbps up and down for a 720p HD one-on-one call, 1.5 Mbps for HD group meetings or gallery view, and 3.0 Mbps up / 2.5 Mbps down for 1080p group video. Audio-only calls use 60–80 kbps.
How much bandwidth does Microsoft Teams need?
Microsoft recommends 1.5 Mbps up and down for one-to-one video and 2.5 Mbps up / 4.0 Mbps down for video meetings, per endpoint. Best performance is listed as 4.0 Mbps. Audio uses about 58–76 kbps.
Why does my video keep freezing on calls?
Most often your upload is too small or full — someone is uploading files or a cloud backup is running — or Wi-Fi is dropping packets. Run the test above, then the Bufferbloat test. Wired Ethernet and QoS on the router fix most freezing.
Why does my webcam look blurry or dark?
Webcams lower their frame rate and add noise in dim light. Put a light source in front of you rather than behind you, clean the lens, and check that the meeting app hasn't selected a low-resolution built-in camera instead of your external one.
Is my internet good enough for video calls?
If the test shows at least 1.5 Mbps up and down per person, latency under 100 ms, jitter under 30 ms and no packet loss, it's good for HD one-on-one calls. Group HD meetings need about 2.5 Mbps up and 4.0 Mbps down per person on Teams.
Does a video call use more data than a phone call?
Much more. A business VoIP phone call uses under 0.1 Mbps each way; an HD video call uses roughly 15 to 40 times that. That's why offices that add video meetings often see phone call quality drop at the same time.
Sources & references
- Zoom bandwidth requirements (summary of Zoom's published figures)
- Microsoft Learn — Network requirements for Microsoft Teams
- MDN — getUserMedia()
- ITU-T G.114 — One-way transmission time
Written by Eric · Reviewed November 2026