Why You Can Trust CNET Airbnb's new speed test feature lets you check the Wi-Fi before you book
It lets rental owners share Wi-Fi speed test results in their listings, and might help you avoid booking a stay in a dead zone.
Airbnb introduced a new speed testing feature on Thursday, allowing anyone who lists their home with the short-term rental service to share their Wi-Fi speeds. Owners can do so by following instructions in the Airbnb app to run a few quick speed tests at their properties -- from there, customers can compare the results as they're browsing for a place to book.
"As the growing flexibility to work and live from anywhere continues, being able to determine a listing's Wi-Fi speed before booking is a must-have for digital nomads, remote workers, roadschoolers, traveling families, gamers, and creatives alike," the company's announcement reads. "Guests want peace of mind that where they're staying can support their connected needs."
The owners of Airbnb rentals will be able to run Wi-Fi speed tests and share those speeds in their listings directly from the Airbnb app.
Airbnb listings already allow owners to cite their property's Wi-Fi speed, but the new, built-in speed test -- powered by M-Lab, the group behind one of CNET's top speed testing picks -- will add an extra layer of certification for those claims. In addition to offering speed-needy renters some reassurance, those speed test results will also be shared with M-Lab's publicly available, open-source database of internet performance metrics.
Locating local internet providers
Airbnb is rolling out its new speed testing feature across the US, and expects to expand globally in the coming weeks.