Best Way to Test Download Speed UPDATED

Best Way to Test Download Speed

Testing your cyberspace connection's performance is even more of import with millions of extra workers working from domicile. Y'all don't need any actress software—a spider web browser volition exercise. But there are also a few things you tin do to make sure you are getting the most accurate reading of your net connection. Here's what to do!

Go set up

Substantially, what we're trying to do is compare the amount of bandwidth that's coming into your home with what your Internet service provider is promising you lot. Commencement brand sure that y'all know what your Net plan is, and what your Isp promises is the minimum connection speed. Consult your bill or your ISP's Spider web site for that.

Let's turn to the PC. For best results, you'll want to use a wired connection if at all possible; that way, you don't accept to worry about interference and performance fluctuations that can occur while y'all're on Wi-Fi. If you have any other wired devices on your home network, plug your test calculator straight into the modem so those don't interfere. Once more, we're trying to learn how much bandwidth is coming direct into your dwelling house, earlier information technology begins getting divvied up among connected devices.

Microsoft

Click the Network column in Windows Task Manager to run into which apps, if any, are sending/receiving data on your network.

If you're stuck using Wi-Fi—say, you take a MacBook Air or a tablet or some other device that doesn't have an ethernet port—do what you can to minimize interference. Brand sure your Wi-Fi router is away from other electronic devices similar cordless phones, and temporarily disconnect any other devices from your Wi-Fi network—later on all, yous don't want another computer on your network to download a gigabyte worth of software updates while yous run your tests.

While yous're at it, double-cheque to brand sure your computer isn't downloading something in the groundwork. Check the Task Manager on Windows (summoned by pressing control-alt-delete) or Activeness Monitor on MacOS, and wait for network statistics (it'southward labelled "Network"on MacOS, "Networking" on Windows).

Close or quit all apps on your computer to proceed apps from downloading software updates while y'all test your connection. Your bandwidth usage may not drib to zero and stay there, just y'all want it as close to zero equally it'll get. If your operating system is downloading updates, in that location isn't much you tin do bated from look and test your connection later.

If you're having any problems with your connection, now is a good idea to reset your modem and router. Switch them off and unplug them for a few moments, then plug them back in and switch them on.

Exam your connection

Several sites will help exam your connection. Honestly, though, at that place's little demand to set up a bookmark. If yous're using Bing as your search engine, but typing "speed test" into the search bar will bring upwardly a uncomplicated, obvious in-browser speed examination in the list of results. Typing the same query into Google's search engine will produce like results, though Google is more than proactive nigh telling you what information technology's doing and what information information technology collects. Each test takes just a few seconds to run.

Here'due south what Bing shows you lot:

Marking Hachman / IDG

If you use Microsoft's Bing search engine, you can become your results dorsum from your speed test back in a wink.

And here'south Google'due south speed test, alongside its results:

Mark Hachman / IDG

You're perfectly welcome to become elsewhere, too.  Ookla'southward Speedtest.net is the nigh common site to test your internet connection; all you need is a web browser with JavaScript turned on (it usually is unless you switched it off) and Adobe Flash installed. At that place are a couple of alternatives if y'all don't have Flash installed (and don't want it installed). At that place's an HTML 5 version of Ookla'south Speedtest.net, or you lot tin use Speedof.me, which besides uses HTML v.

Speed of Me

Speedof.me is an HTML five-based bandwidth graph that doesn't rely on Adobe Flash.

All you lot have to exercise at this point is click the green "Brainstorm Exam" button, and Speedtest.net will check both your download and upload speed. This may accept anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, depending on your network speed.

Those aren't your but options for testing your broadband connection; MegaPath also offers a speed examination, every bit well every bit what information technology calls Speed Exam Plus, which evaluates the quality of your connection in addition to its raw speed. Your Internet service provider might also offer a speed test tool, though you may demand to practice a trivial poking effectually for it. And router manufacturers are increasingly including speed tests in their products' firmware and/or the mobile apps they distribute with their products (although in that latter example, yous'll be using a wireless connectedness).

Don't be surprised if testing on more than one service yields slightly unlike results. The amount of information each test uses, the latency to and from each server, and the always changing network conditions on the Internet will introduce some unavoidable variability. Time of solar day will as well; it's no surprise that you lot'll probably notation higher speeds at midnight, say, when fewer people will be streaming. That variability is the reason that we run criterion software multiple times when we examination a laptop or CPU, to compute an boilerplate. Since the tests take a second or two to run, you tin do the aforementioned.

Isolate the problem

Linksys

Many router manufacturers include broadband speed-test utilities in the router's firmware and/or in the mobile apps that transport alongside them.

Don't be surprised if yous're not getting the acme speed your Internet service provider says it tin can deliver—almost no one does. But if your connection is significantly slower than what was promised, many unlike factors could be coming into play. At that place might be a problem with your equipment, or it could be an issue on your ISP'south terminate. Most ISPs maintain a tech-support page where you lot tin can go to see if they're aware of whatsoever bug with their service. This link will take you to the location of AT&T'south DSL troubleshooter.

If your ISP isn't reporting a trouble, y'all can start your ain troubleshooting by eliminating your equipment every bit a factor. First try using a unlike computer. If y'all get acceptable performance on the second machine, you tin't blame the Internet service provider. If the 2nd computer also has a slow net connection, run another bandwidth test after each of these suggestions: Try using a different ethernet cable to connect your PC to your router. Try swapping out the cable that connects your router to your internet gateway (your DSL, fiber, or cable modem). Troubleshoot your router: Turn it off or unplug it for a minute or 2 and then turn it back on. Yous should always exist running the latest firmware on your router, and so this is a good time to update it if you haven't lately. If you're nonetheless non seeing an comeback, endeavor power-cycling your DSL, cable, or fiber modem.

If you've jumped through all of those hoops, and you're still have performance issues, it's time to telephone call your Internet service provider'southward tech-support line.

Updated on March 27 with additional details. Additional reporting by Mark Hachman.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Posted by: rodriguezlian1940.blogspot.com

Share this post