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How to Test a Computer for High Speed Internet
How to Test a Computer for High Speed Internet
With today’s world and its evolution into high speed Internet, knowing how fast it can run or is currently running has become a popular desire among computer users. Sometimes the Internet may be slow or buggy for whatever reason and a user may be interested in how fast it is actually running when calling their Internet Service Provider for assistance. The number would provide accuracy in determining a problem with the Internet. Otherwise a user who is experiencing normal speed may be interested in testing their speed to see if their highest possible speed matches the kind they are paying for.
What Internet Speed Test Websites Offer
Several different websites exist to determine one’s Internet speed. While they all follow the same basic idea, some are better than others in both profiency and convenience. In general, a speed test aims to perform the following two tasks:
- Inform a user of their current maximum potential for download and upload speeds
- Provide a user with precise numbers, up to a certain point for some websites, for their records
What an Internet speed test website does behind the scenes is simple enough; it sends a test or a sample data packet from the computer in question to a server out in the world, sometimes user specified. The test data packet is then measured once complete. To be accurate, the rate at which it was sent to the server is evaluated, offering the numerical value back to the user.
Argued by many to be the most popular of Internet speed test websites, SpeedTest is a good place to consider starting. This particular website has a wide variety of different servers available all around the world, some hosted by average users as well. These servers are indicated by blue pyramids located on the interactive map. A yellow pyramid represents the closest server. SpeedTest recommends a user tests with the closest server.
By clicking the server of choice, the website then gets to work. It sends its data packet and the user can see the transfer in real time. First, the data packet is sent to the server and calculated. Then, it is sent back and calculated. These test download and upload speeds, respectively.
The website also offers global results from users all around the world for the purposes of comparison. As an added bonus, once the speed results are calculated, a permanent image based on those results is created for the user to save or whose URL can be used. This may be useful when posting on forums to put into the signature, to boast about the speed of one’s Internet.
CNET Bandwidth Meter Online Speed Test
Another increasingly popular website, CNET offers a speed test of its own. Unlike SpeedTest, CNET’s speed test is a little less demanding when completing the exam. SpeedTest’s website includes a variety of flash occurances while CNET is, for the most part, just text-based.
For this test, a file is downloaded from the CNET servers and calculates how fast it downloaded. This website aims to serve United States users, however, as downloads could be slowed down due to being out of the country.
Before performing the test, some information is required to be filled out. A small survey is listed on the left hand side prior to clicking “Go” to perform the speed test. First, an area code is requested. This is not entirely required, at least for those based internationally. Then the user must choose their Internet type from the following list:
- Cable Modem
- Dial-up
- DSL
- LAN
- Wireless
- Satellite
Another optional survey question is listing the Internet Service Provider in question. If it is not listed, the option “Not on List” is provided with a box for the user to type in the name. Clicking “Go” performs the speed test.
At the conclusion of the speed test, a list of average Internet speeds is provided in the form of a chart. First comes the list of rounded speeds that are slower than the test result, followed by the actual speed of the user. After this comes the list of rounded speeds faster than the test result, if any. If any faster speeds exist, a list of such is not only provided, but a link to find an Internet Service Provider that provides each speed is also given.
For example, if a user has a speed of 2418.5 Kbps, the list will then read that faster rounded speeds include 3000 Kbps, 6000 Kbps, 15000 Kbps and 30 Kbps. Links to locate the appropriate Internet Service Provider is offered beside each faster result.
To conclude, these are but a few of the many available Internet speed test providers on the web. Keep in mind that these results could be affected by certain factors, such as performing the test while Internet is slow, choosing a server that is hundreds or thousands of miles away, as well as either downloading or uploading something while performing the test.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 at 10:21 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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