M-Lab Knowledge Base Measurement Lab (M-Lab) is the world’s largest open internet measurement platform. Since 2009, M-Lab has collected billions of measurements from users around the globe, all published as open data under a Creative Commons license.
What M-Lab Measures
M-Lab runs a set of standardized tests from measurement points hosted in internet exchange facilities worldwide. Every test captures:
- Download and upload throughput — how fast data can move between your device and the server
- Round-trip latency — how long a packet takes to travel to the server and back
- Packet loss — what fraction of network packets are dropped
- Network path information — the route packets take through the internet (via traceroute)
The flagship test is NDT7 (Network Diagnostic Tool), which runs from any browser at speed.measurementlab.net or is embedded in thousands of third-party apps and ISP portals.
Why Open Data Matters
Unlike proprietary speed tests, every M-Lab measurement is:
- Publicly archived in Google Cloud Storage and BigQuery
- Free to access — no API keys, no paywalls for researchers
- Consistently formatted — a stable schema going back to 2009
- Independently verifiable — methodology and server code are open source
This makes M-Lab data suitable for longitudinal studies, regulatory filings, academic research, and community broadband advocacy.
Key Datasets
| Dataset | What it contains | Access |
|---|---|---|
| NDT7 | Speed + latency from user tests | BigQuery, GCS |
| Traceroute (Scamper) | Network paths between M-Lab and clients | BigQuery, GCS |
| MSAK | Multi-stream throughput measurements | BigQuery |
| Wehe | App-specific network differentiation | BigQuery |
Where to Go Next
- Run a test yourself — speed.measurementlab.net
- Explore the data — see Getting Started with M-Lab Data in BigQuery
- Understand the measurements — see How M-Lab Measures Internet Speed: NDT7 and MSAK
- Run a node — see Running Your Own M-Lab Node: The BYOS Program
- Research applications — see Analyzing M-Lab Data: A Researcher’s Guide
Community and Support
M-Lab runs monthly community calls, a research fellowship program, and annual hackathons at networking conferences. Visit measurementlab.net to learn about upcoming events and how to get involved.