Here's How to Measure Your Internet Speed - Comments Page 1

also try: speedof.me

For UK readers, or American readers wishing to test their speed to a European site, I recommend https://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest which allows testing without creation of an account, but will store your historic tests for comparison with one.

I use Windows 10 here, and I downloaded a FREE app from the Windows Store named (of course) "Network Speed Test" (no quotes). It reports my Internet Speed in Mega-bits per second (as opposed to Mega-Bytes per second). Note that there are eight Mega-bits in one Mega-Byte. This is important because the file sizes on your computer are reported in Mega-Bytes, and many people can be confused by the differences in nomenclature. To download a 1 Mega-Byte file in one second, your download speed must average eight Mega-bits per second while downloading that file.

My2Cents,
Ernie

You mentioned DSL----did you mean ADSL? In my experience many people overlook the capabilities or otherwise of their own hardware and also how they re connected to their Routers. Big differences on speed tests may be seen using the same service. For example some phones (obviously connected by WiFi) can achieve triple the speed of others located in the same spot. Desktop PC's can also throw up wide variations in speed tests depending on the hardware in specific PC's. This is why some ISP's are now offering speeds TO THE ROUTER in an effort to stop clients calling with invalid complaints

>>>>> If you have a DSL connection, your max download speed will be somewhere between 1.5 - 30 Mb/s.

This is an outdated limit. My DSL connection reaches 100 Mb/s in the downlink.

You may be able to join a "monitoring service". These send you a small box that sits on your home LAN and periodically checks you speed and some other service parameters. The data is sent to the ISP and you can check your results online with nice graphs and averaging. Some may have multiple boxes to test wired and wireless, the latter is more use if you are using the ISP supplied router.

Your DSL speeds are out of date. 100 mb/s is not uncommon. My home internet connection right now is being monitored with a black box supplied by Sam Knows a company contracted by the CRTC (Canadian FCC equivalent)to determine what speed I and others who have the boxes installed are actually getting as opposed to what is advertised. www.samknows.com

Thanks Bob. This is great info. I suspect my ISP is slowing me down during prime streaming times whereas, I cut the cable but still receive internet from them. This will be an interesting test.

My DSL connection (Centurylink)
60.45 Mbs with speedtest
60.1 with fast.com but only
38.8 with speakeasy

As Bob notes, speeds can vary depending on time of day, etc. And what you are really trying to find out is what your ISP is providing you. Speed tests can also be affected by the speed of the computer you are using to test it and what is running, whether you are using Wi-Fi (and what type) or Ethernet to your router, how fast your router is, your cable modem, what browser you are using, etc.

I have found the best speed test for Windows 10 is to download the native Windows 10 app Speedtest (from Speedtest.net). That way you avoid all the browser issues. Also check it with a couple different sites. I get substantially different results depending on which sites I tell it to test with. Since I am trying to find out what my ISP is doing, all you really care about is the fastest measurement you get. Anything slower than that is related to other Internet issues or how busy the site you are using is.

@Ernest Wilcox >> The intermixed usage of MB/s with Mb/s did not "baud" well with me either but still an excellent topic.

There are a variety of Windows utilities which can display/log real-time network activity: My go-to "DU Meter" has adorned a little corner of all my desktops for over 20 years. There are alternative FREEware versions that work equally well but not as flexible.

Been using Testmynet for a couple years and found it very accurate when compared to the same test from my provider. It's a free site that allows you to test both upload and download from various locations. Usually the one closest to me is faster but not always. It does depend on the traffic.

NEED SERIOUS ADVICE!

I tested using my "naked" IP and again using VPN to Finland - both sit on Speakeasy under history of my tests.

Am I in trouble? Can my naked IP be connected to the proxy I used when downloading verboten items?

Best,
casey

Comcast/Xfinity just notified me that for being a long time loyal customer they were upping my speed. So, for the hell of it, I just downloaded the speedtest.net test. WOW!!! DL speed is 356.97 mbps, UL speed is 23.95 mbps, and ping is 11. I'm elated!

Client tells me speed is slow - test speed using both Speedtest and Spectrum ( he is a Spectrum customer ). Tests are about 80MB short of the 100 he is supposed to have. Call tech @ Spectrum - they state a modem test verifies the 100 to the modem - for grins I detach the cable from notebook to wireless router and cable direct to modem - I cannot make connection! Something with Spectrum does not allow direct connect of PC to modem - must connect to router! - UUGGGHHH !!!

Testmy.net has been my first choice for years now. I think my ISP is biased and I won't use their test. Also, there is a lot of information about Testmy.net on the site and well worth reading.

To Todd - you always need to restart your modem whenever you change the configuration, and the router too, if it's involved in the new configuration.

First, as a possibility for Todd above, consider that in Engineering ( & like endeavours) ANYTHING that can go wrong will go wrong, Lately, this seems to be the story of my life.

Years ago I was troubleshooting a power cord issue. After much frustration I determined that when the device was upside down for access, the power cord twisted & made contact. When it was returned to right side up, the connection was lost. I have never forgot that GOTTCHA !

Now to an unsolved issue I have with my internet speed tests:
A couple of years ago I signed up for 300Mb speee service. My Win 10 laptop repeatedly tested over 350Mb. Towards the end of my two year contract, I retested with same setup (always hard wired of course)and my speeds had sunk to less than 200Mb repeatedly. Eventually I called Tech support and after much effort it was felt that the issue was possibly my modem as all test were good. I was upgrading to 500 Mb in a couple of weeks, so I let it go.

Fast forward to after modem and service upgrade to 500Mb, my computer that once got 350 from a 300 service, still only got 250 from new 500Mb service.
I called tech support and I felt I was given the run around because I was told, after a bit of testing that my "true" speed could only be determined using two simultaneous tests with each computer using gigabit ethernet ports.

Much later I tested 500 Mb service with new desktop ( Alienware Aurora) and got over 600 on the 500Mb service. Then I did the simultaneous download test with this desktop and my old laptop that used to get over 300Mb, by itself.

The Aurora slowed a bit, to just over 500Mb, and the laptop registered almost 200Mb. Thats 700 Mb on a 500 Mb service.

While this is fantastic I still do NOT Know why the laptop that used to get over 300 Mb on a 300 swrvice, can only get about 250 Mb from the new 500Mb service ( when tested alone.
Just to be sure, I used the original ethernet cable while testing the Aurora and a new cable for the Laptop, unless it was testing alone.

I always use multiple sites and times of day. Could a Windows update hosed my laptop? Any ideas? Thanks

Also it's best to check your internet speed through a wired (to the router) connection rather than a wireless connection if you can for the most accurate result.

One of the best sites for testing connections and comparing ISPs: https://www.dslreports.com/speedtest

A bunch of useful tools: https://www.dslreports.com/tools