If you want to be sure you’re getting your money’s worth after spending a lot of money on a fibre connection, learning how to monitor your internet speed can be useful. Knowing your actual download and upload speeds might also be helpful if your preferred streaming service is experiencing slowness and you need to explain the situation to an internet service provider (ISP) representative.
Fortunately, checking your internet speed is easy. Numerous websites and apps are available for free, and some even allow you to schedule network speed tests so you can see trends and determine whether you are actually getting what you paid for.
Why does internet speed fluctuate?
There are several variables that might affect your WiFi speed, so you should be aware of them before performing an internet speed test.
Time of day
Between the hours of 7 p.m. and 11 p.m., when many people are likely returning home from work and likely gaming, streaming their favourite shows, and browsing the internet, the internet experiences the most traffic. During these peak times, ISPs struggle to meet client demand due to a lack of bandwidth, which results in a backlog and slower speeds. This means that you should verify your internet speed during off-peak hours to get a realistic picture of your max bandwidth.
VPNs
Virtual private networks are great for ensuring your online anonymity, but the cost is a slower connection. Don’t forget to turn off your VPN before running an internet speed test in order to receive an accurate reading.
network usage
An internet speed test won’t give you realistic results if a lot of people are using your WiFi at once and many of them are streaming movies, making video calls or playing online games. Before checking your network, wait until it is barely being used.
How to check your internet speed
You can check your internet speed on a number of websites. The majority track the amount of time it takes your network to upload and download test files from a specified host.
Fast.com
By automatically performing an internet speed test with no user input required, Fast.com certainly lives up to its name.
On a browser
- Visit Fast.com; an automatic internet speed test will start. There is absolutely no need to click on anything.
- Fast.com can tell you how fast your internet connection is in less than ten seconds.
On a phone
Download the easy-to-use Fast.com app, which is available for iOS and Android.
1. Decide on the object of measurement. Turn off your WiFi connection if you want to test your network speed; if you want to test your WiFi speed, turn it on.
2. As soon as you launch the Fast app, the speed test will start. The application will provide your internet download speed after a little delay. If you want to see your upload speed, click on the Show more info button.
Speed Test on Ookla
One of the most well-known methods for testing internet speed is the Ookla website, which is available on both desktop computers and mobile devices.
On a browser
1. Open a browser and go to the Ookla page. To do an internet speed test, you are not need to register, but if you do, Ookla will log your results and plot them on a graph. To compare the performance of your network over time, this data may be helpful. Click Log in in the top right corner of your screen to start the account creation process.
2. As soon as you land on the website, you’ll notice your IP address and the location of one of your ISP’s servers that the site has pre-selected. Always use the host that is geographically closest to you when checking your internet speed for the most accurate reading. You can click Change Server to choose a different server if the one Ookla suggested for you is not the right one. To get a thorough view of your internet speed, you might wish to conduct several tests with different hosts.
3. When you’re happy with the server choice you made. In the centre of the screen, select the large GO button.
4. Ookla starts measuring the time it takes for your device to save a copy of a file on the chosen server, then it measures the time it takes for your device to upload a file to the server.
A speedometer in the centre of the screen will show you your connection speed as this is happening. The test takes roughly 30 seconds, and the website then displays your download and upload speeds. You should get in touch with your ISP to determine if there’s an issue with your modem or router if there’s a significant difference between the network speeds you’re paying for and those you actually experience.
On your phone
The Ookla website also allows you to check the data connection speed of your smartphone.
- Download the iOS and Android versions of the Ookla Speedtest app.
- If you’re connected to a WiFi network, the internet speed test will automatically check its status. Turn off your device’s WiFi connection and check the data connection speed on your phone.
On an iPhone, select Settings, Wi-Fi, and then tap the toggle switch at the top of the screen to do this. Tap Settings, Network & internet, then Internet on an Android device. To disable WiFi, tap the switch next to it.
- You can’t modify the server location on the mobile app like you can in the browser version of Ookla, so all you have to do to verify your internet speed test is click the GO button in the centre of the screen.
- As the test is being completed, the app will show you the current download and upload speeds and provide you with a final report.
Google M-Lab
The Google Measurement Lab, which aims to offer “the largest collection of open Internet performance data on the planet,” collaborates with the company’s internet speed test. Although one of the simplest to use, this network speed test does not let you select other hosts or save a record of your results. This is due in large part to the fact that you don’t even need to keep its name in mind.
- Enter “Speed test” into your Google search box on a desktop browser or a mobile Google app.
- As a result, Google will display its internet speed test and describe it to you. Take note of the privacy disclosure in the window before beginning the test, which states that M-Lab will obtain your IP address and publish it along with all of the test results they do on their website. There is no additional information about you in this.
- Select the blue Run speed test button if you agree with Google’s policies. The speed test will start when a tiny window appears. Your results, including upload and download speeds, arrive in about 30 seconds.
TestMy.Net
TestMy.Net is an ideal option if you want to explain your internet speed test results. This website not only provides you with your download and upload speeds, but also the average speed for the selected host and for particular geographic areas, such as your city, your country, and the rest of the globe. This enables you to examine how your connection ranks to various user groups, enabling you to decide whether your internet speed is keeping up with, surpassing, or lagging behind the Joneses.
You can schedule automatic speed tests on TestMy.Net to run at set times so you can monitor how your Internet connection speeds change over time.
- Navigate to testmy.net on a mobile or desktop browser and select one of the three network speed test options—Download speed test, Upload speed test, or Automatic speed test. Depending on the one you select, you can adjust various settings.
You can select between performing a standard internet speed test (click Test my download Speed or Test my upload Speed) and a manual test size when you click either of these options. With the latter, you can decide exactly how much data you want to upload or download during the test, which is helpful if you’re attempting to determine whether moving bigger amounts of data would slow down your download speed as a whole.
Automatic speed test: Computerized tests will allow you to check your internet speed after some time or even in better places inside your home. Pick this choice and you’ll have the option to involve the drop-down menus in the screen to set the complete number of tests you need to direct and how frequently you need to run them — you can get them in a position to be essentially as continuous as like clockwork or up to once like clockwork. The drop-down menus on the right let you to choose least and most extreme download and transfer sizes, accommodating assuming that you’re attempting to decide whether your web speed changes relying upon the size of the record you’re attempting to send or get. In the mean time, the menu on the left allows you to name the area of your gadget during the test, which is valuable to perceive how your organization speed changes relying upon where you are in your home.
2. To start the exam after making your options, click the blue button in the screen’s centre.