What the speed test measures
The test splits the time spent fetching the first HTML document. DNS, TCP, TLS, TTFB, download and total sit side by side. The bars do not add up to the total. TTFB already includes DNS and the handshake. Total also includes the download. The chart shows where time accumulates.
The grade runs from A to F using TTFB and total time. Compression and a cache header are flagged separately. This is not a lab score of every image and third-party script. It is one HTML request.
| Field | Meaning | Comfortable range |
|---|---|---|
| DNS | Resolving the name to an IP | Tens of milliseconds |
| TCP | Opening the connection | A short step after DNS |
| TLS | HTTPS handshake | Over 300 ms hints at distance or the certificate |
| TTFB | Time until the first byte | 200–400 ms is healthy, over 800 ms is a slow server |
| Download | From the first byte until the document ends | Grows with a large HTML file |
| Total | The whole request | Under 1.5 seconds is comfortable |