Fun & Facts   Tech
By Consumer Team | 07 Sept. 2023

How to Test Your Internet Speed

Your internet speed is important. Not just because you want to get what you pay for, but also because you’re paying for a connection with the expectation that it will have the power you expect it to have. Without the right bandwidth, you could face situations where you have to limit online activities in order to power through individual tasks, and that’s no fun.

If you suspect your speed might not be all it’s cracked up to be, there are options to check your speed. If it comes out low, there are also some things you can do to try to improve your online experience. Find out if you have the fastest internet speed you paid for or if your ISP is bandwidth throtting.

Your Online Speed Test Resources

  • Speedof.Me: This site is hailed by some as the most accurate non-ISP speed test you will find out there. That’s because it uses HTML5, which is baked in to the browser and doesn’t depend on downloading extra plugins. This is good because those plugins can themselves bottleneck your speed if they are not configured correctly.
  • TestMy.net: This site also uses HTML5, and it supports multithreading. That means you will get speed test results that incorporate the responses from several different servers located in different areas of the world. The result is a broader pool of data to draw from, which many believe leads to improved accuracy.
  • Speedtest.net: One of the most well-known test sites around, Speedtest.net has been among the best internet services for seed testing for over a decade. The site originally gained popularity during the advent of broadband residential services, and its curators have worked hard to ensure it remains balanced through years of successive updates.
  • CNET Internet Speed Test: This one is very basic, with no upload test and only a single available test location. However, these factors also make it very easy to use to test different machines. If you want to see whether it is your computer or your connection that is holding you back, it’s easy to run the CNET test on several devices.

How to Speed Up Your Internet

Here are three ways you can get closer to the fastest internet speed possible from your ISP.

  • Move your router. There are a lot of things that can create interference with your home wifi signal, and most of them can be fixed by putting the router in a location where its signal encounters fewer barriers.
  • Secure your WiFi. If you aren’t using password protection, then you might be losing bandwidth to neighbors or passers-by who have access.
  • Consider changing your broadband plan. If you are not getting the performance you want out of your internet, it’s worth talking to your ISP about the best internet services they offer and considering making an upgrade.

Remember, testing with multiple speed tests is the best way to confirm your results.