Test Your Internet Speed
What Affects Your Internet Speed
Most people are aware of websites which allow testing your Internet speed but did you know that they will demonstrate differing results? Some will consistently provide slower results than others, but bear in mind that the results you see will depend on several factors no matter which Internet speed testing website you use. It's also important to remember that what you do get for a result is not likely at all to match what your ISP (Internet Service Provider) has stated "your Internet speed" to be. This is also due to several factors, including the bandwidth capacity of the server to which you are connecting, the number of connections to it at that time, the same factors regarding the node (or server) your connection uses directly, etc.. More factors exist within your own home, such as the type and capacity of you router or modem, whether you use wireless or wired connections, and how new all of those things are compared to what is available. All things computer and Internet related evolve constantly and if we don't evolve with these things it is possible to be out of touch, even with your Internet speed.
Internet Speed Testing Sites
Toast .net is one of the first Internet speed testing sites I found back in the '90s and they have some interesting options you can use to test your connection. Their results depend highly on which server is chosen. Click on the image below to get a good look at the Toast testing site.
Speakeasy by Megapath has fewer servers than Toast and the results here will vary less. Click on the image below to get a good look at the Speakeasy testing site.
The Bandwidth Place - Not sure what to think of this because although the distance and ping are good, the result is far slower than most others. Still worth trying if you want multiple results. Click on the image below to get a good look at the Bandwidth Place testing site.
McAfee - This particular Internet speed testing site seems to be behind the curve, only registering numeric results up to 2 Mb. If your connection is not very good (fast) maybe it will give you an accurate result. Click on the image below to get a good look at the McAfee testing site.
Speedtest.net - This may be the most versatile Internet speed testing site on the 'net. Click on the image below to get a good look at the Speedtest.net testing site.
One interesting thing about this site is the ability to choose from any one of over 2,500 servers worldwide. Each white dot on the map shown above represents a server and you can click/drag that map position all over the globe, choosing any server shown to get your Internet Speed results over distance.
Now the question is how accurate are these tests? Speedtest.net claims their results are the most accurate but it is likely most Internet Speed testing sites would claim the same so maybe it makes sense to use a few of them and compare. Beyond that it may also make sense to run tests monthly, or on some regular basis to help ensure that your speed is not being regulated or throttled back. If you saw a drop in speed and it stayed that way or if you don't see Internet speed testing results that you expect, maybe it's worth a call to your ISP (Internet Service Provider) to ensure your equipment is functioning properly and that they are providing the service that you're paying for.
