There are a number of reasons why you may wish to test your Internet speed. The primary purpose is to validate that your Internet service provider is providing the promised megabits per second, but it can also assist you if you suspect Internet issues.
The bad news is that if you have Internet issues, you can rarely fix them on your own. Sure, you can try to reset the router or check for interference, but if there are issues with your network that you can’t fix, it’s up to your provider, and there isn’t always a simple solution.
In either case, an Internet speed test can confirm that your connection is not operating at 100 percent.
SpeedTest: Always trustworthy
SpeedTest is the most recommended website for checking Internet speed, as it displays your download speed, upload speed, and other vital metrics that might help you detect a problem.
You can use the tool directly on the internet, but for more accurate results, we recommend downloading the desktop version for PC or Mac. The procedure is quick and can be completed on the tool’s website (below the Go button).
To use it, simply hit the GO button, and it will begin tracking your speed automatically. Once the analysis is complete, you will be presented with a panel with the results, highlighting three crucial aspects to consider: PING, DOWNLOAD, and UPLOAD are all supported.
In Download, we can view our current download speed. Here, we can confirm whether or not our service provider is providing the advertised speed. Conversely, if you believe you are experiencing issues and the speed is slower than expected, it may be time to call your Internet service provider. Similarly, you can conduct the test multiple times to assess the speed; if it yields different results, there are likely communication issues.
Likewise, upload speed is essential. We will not observe large downloads in this instance (at least in a normal network). In this day and age, it is usual for this to range between 5 to 10Mbps; if you observe speeds below 1.0, you may be experiencing issues and should contact your service provider.
Below these two results, the connection latencies are displayed. The rule is that the lower the value, the better. If ping does not appear or is too high, you may be experiencing issues, especially with online gaming. It is suggested for gaming and broadcasting to have low pings and avoid latency difficulties.
Alternate options
If you want a “second opinion,” you can utilize trustworthy alternatives to SpeedTest, some of which offer additional data analysis capabilities; nonetheless, you should avoid subscribing to one of these services. You do not require it.
Once you reach one of these sites, avoid clicking on the advertisements because they may not be associated with the site. Similarly, if an application has a desktop version, use it for more accurate results.
- TestMy.net
- Google Speed Test
- fast.com
- SpeedOf.Me
- SpeedCheck
- nPerf
Possible solutions
We can guarantee that when you contact your service provider, they will instruct you to restart your router to see if the connection improves. This must be accomplished by disconnecting the signal and light cables and waiting 10 minutes before reconnecting them.
You can also attempt to access your router using the IP address https://192.168.0.1/, which requires an access code and password that are typically located on the router itself (the user is usually “Admin”). There, you can either restart the device or reset the connection. Similarly, you may view the number of connections and determine if someone is using your Internet.
