To check out the information regarding your Internet Connection, a test is performed on your Internet Connection called Speed Test, which tells you all about your Internet Connection, including the Download Speed, Upload Speed, Ping, IP Address, and your ISP. A Speed Test generally takes less than a minute, and once it is completed, the results are displayed on the screen, from where you can analyze your internet connection.
One of the advantages of performing a speed test is to find out whether you’re getting the bandwidth that you signed up for. Sometimes users are not getting the speed that they are paying for, and sometimes the ISP intentionally throttles the internet connection, which results in users getting lower speeds. So, a Speed Test is a great and convenient method to find out the speeds of your internet connection.
What Does an Internet Speed Test Measure?
An internet speed test usually measures the following parameters of your internet connection:
Download Speed
Download speed measures how quickly data can be transferred from an internet server to your device. It is normally measured in megabits per second (Mbps).
High download speeds are useful for activities such as streaming HD video, downloading files, and browsing content-heavy websites.
Upload Speed
Upload speed measures how quickly your device can send data to an internet server. It is also measured in megabits per second (Mbps).
Upload speed generally matters for uploading files, video calls, cloud backups, and livestreaming.
Ping or Latency
Latency measures how long it takes for data to travel between your device and the destination server. It is expressed in milliseconds (ms).
Lower latency means that data packets travel very quickly and is particularly important for online gaming, video calls, and remote desktop applications.
Jitter
Jitter measures variation in packet latency. In simple terms, it indicates how consistently packets are arriving.
High jitter can lead to an unstable gaming experience and cause interruptions in voice and video calls.
Packet Loss
Packet loss occurs when packets of data fail to reach their destination.
How to Get an Accurate Internet Speed Test
To get an accurate internet speed test result, you should:
Use an Ethernet Connection
Ethernet is usually the best option to evaluate the actual internet connection, as it eliminates many WiFi variables, including interference, signal strength, wireless congestion, and distance from the router.
Disconnect Unnecessary Devices
Disconnecting devices can help you get accurate results. When multiple devices are connected to the internet and consuming the available bandwidth, the result might not be accurate.
Run Multiple Tests
Do not treat one test result as definitive. Instead, run several tests under the same conditions to find a consistent range.
Test Close to the Router (in case you are using a WiFi connection)
If Ethernet is unavailable and you are using a WiFi connection, perform the test as close to the router as possible.
How to Perform an Internet Speed Test?
Here is how you can perform a speed test on different speed test websites, including Speedtest by Ookla, Fast.com, and Cloudflare.
Speedtest.net
Speedtest by Ookla is one of the most popular and widely used internet testing services to find out internet speeds. To perform a speed test on Speedtest.net, follow these steps:
- Head over to the Speedtest.net website or open the mobile application and allow it to identify an appropriate testing server.
- Click on the Go button to start the test and let it complete. Speedtest.net generally measures latency, download speed, and upload speed.
- While the test is running, avoid using bandwidth-intensive applications, as they can affect the result.
- After the test finishes, you will get your internet speed test results on your screen.
The results provided by a Speedtest.net speed test are particularly useful for comparing your actual internet connection speeds against the speed advertised by your ISP.
Fast.com
Fast.com provides a particularly simple testing experience and is useful for quick real-world download testing and for comparing performance with another testing service. It uses Netflix-related infrastructure and can help you investigate the streaming performance of your connection. To perform a speed test on Fast.com, follow these steps:
- Open Fast.com in your web browser. As soon as the website loads, the test begins automatically.
- After the service performs a speed test, it will display the main result in the form of download speed.
- You can get more information regarding your internet connection by clicking on the “Show More Info” button.
- It will show further measurements of your internet connection, including upload performance and latency measurements.
Cloudflare
Cloudflare provides more detailed information regarding your internet connection. To perform a speed test on Cloudflare, follow these steps:
- Open Cloudflare’s internet speed-test page (https://speed.cloudflare.com) in your web browser.
- Click on the Start button to start the test. The speed test will start and will take some time to test all the parameters.
- After the result is completed, you will get a detailed speed test result of your internet connection.
The Cloudflare speed test differs from other speed test services and provides information about several aspects of network performance, including: download throughput, upload throughput, latency, loaded latency, jitter, packet loss, and overall connection quality. It also rates the connection in terms of streaming, online gaming, and video calls.
| Feature | Speedtest | Fast.com | Cloudflare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Download Speed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Upload Speed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Latency | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Jitter | Available depending on test | Limited | Detailed |
| Packet Loss | Available | Limited | Detailed |
| Server Selection | Yes | No | Different Infrastructure |
| Ease of Use | Easy | Easy | Detailed |
| Best Use | General benchmarking | Quick download and streaming performance testing | Connection-quality analysis |