Gig Speed but only getting about 50 mbps

[#1]

I've had Verizon for about 8 months paying for Gig speed internet. I noticed the last couple of days were incredibly slow so I've tested the speed on half a dozen sites. The speed is less than 50 MBPS!!! I contacted Verizon through chat and they tried to tell me the speed was in the 500s and that's all I could expect from a wireless connection for my Imac. They were less than helpful. All I know is that 50 MBPS isn't anywhere near 50% of a gig. 

[#2]

If you are on wireless, does the same thing happen on a wired connection?

If not and this is a wireless issue, see Why your Wi-Fi is slow 

[#3]

Agree ... step #1 of troubleshooting a speed issue is always a wired connection to the router with no other connections active if at all possible.

With wireless, there are so many variables that can cause issues outside of the network uplink.

[#4]

It sounds like your devices is connected to the 2.4 GHz band. If SON is enabled then disabled it and connect to the 5 GHz band. Like already said, wireless isn't guaranteed and has many variables. Also if you are getting 50 mbps that isn't slow. You can stream 4k at 25 mbps. The gigabit connection is for bandwidth sharing among multiple devices. Not really for any one device to speedtest a gig.

[#5]

If you are getting 50 Mbps on a gig wired connection call verizon and tell them to provision your internet for what you are paying for. 940/880 is what verizon is touting in their services for gigabyte speeds. Don’t settle for any **bleep** from them.

now wireless is as I have posted a gazillion times is not guaranteed. So connect your iMac via ethernet cable and test via the verizon speedtest site. If you are not using a verizon router the tech support stops at your ONT. 

if you are using their router and getting these slow speeds on direct connect call them and have them replace the router. If you are using your own router your setting may be incorrect on the router or a bad router. You then must replace it on your own.

[#6]

50 mbps is extremely slow when you're paying for gig speed.

[#7]

They installed the wireless in the basement and told me I'd get 500 mbps - which is more than fine. The cable connection in my office is not live so I can't check it wired. I got a new router - from Verizon. Now I'm getting a whopping 200 mbps - sometimes. Sometimes it's still as slow as it ever was. I've called, I've chatted and I've replaced. Not happy.

[#8 · Accepted solution]

No one can guarantee you wireless speed. Every house is different with different issues that may affect your wifi. If you want better wireless speeds you might need to reposition your router to a more centralized location. If you want gig speeds then you will need to hardwire your computer.