How to Use an Internet Connection Speed Test
An internet speed test is an online tool or app you can use to test your connection. It measures your download speed, upload speed, and latency. It is often used to ensure a connection is running correctly and that someone is getting the bandwidth and internet speed they paid for. It can also be used for many other things, but more on that later.
We cannot overstress the importance of fast internet speed in today’s world. It affects how we work and communicate online. It affects the entertainment we can enjoy online, whether streaming content or online games. Video conferences require decent upload speed and download speed. Requirements will only increase as more activities move online and better technologies emerge. People will need to know they can handle such requirements.
This is why testing your speed is essential. It allows you to solve problems and prepare for the future when you want to add more devices to your home. It can let you know when to move to a faster plan or that the setup you hoped for isn’t possible right now, potentially saving hundreds or thousands of dollars. And all it takes is a few minutes and the right strategy.
Why You Should Test Your Internet Speed
Yet why go through the trouble of learning all this and testing your speed? On top of being able to make better decisions, testing your internet speed can allow you to:
• Ensure you get what you pay for from your internet service provider. There can be a difference between the advertised speed on your plan and the actual speed. While there will nearly always be some difference, your actual speed should at least be 80 percent of your advertised speed. If you’re constantly getting less than that, you should contact your ISP. A speed test can inform you if you need to do this.
•You can better understand the number and types of applications you can run on your devices and networks. This can help you plan for the future, adjust your expectations, and better understand how long downloads might take.
• It can help you tell what might be broken in your network. You don’t want to scrap your entire system because one small thing might be wrong with your network. If a receiver on a device is down, you don’t want to throw away your router. Speed tests can help you pinpoint problems.
• It can give you a complete set of information on internet usage in your area and if there are any times of the day when the network or infrastructure might be overloaded.
There may be other reasons if you can think of them, and you shouldn’t rule them out. You have nothing to lose from using a speed test, so see if it works in various situations!
What Do You Need to Perform a Speed Test
You should get the following prepared for your speed test. The good news is that everything will likely be set up, and you won’t need to do much all.
• If you’re testing on a computer or laptop, it needs to be connected to the internet. It can be connected by an ethernet cable, or it can be connected to WiFi (though be sure it is connected via the method you want to test). Your computer will also need to have a browser installed. Nothing needed is terribly out of the ordinary.
• If you’re testing on a mobile device, it needs to be connected to the internet through a WiFi network or Data (3G, 4G, or 5G). Remember that what you connect to is what you will be testing, so take note if you want to test the WiFi or wireless data (or both).
• A couple of minutes, and perhaps a way to record your results if the test doesn’t have a method built in (a screenshot is sufficient).
• If you want to test for something particular, you might need to set up for that. However, even those cases will likely not cause too much extra effort or preparation.
