you may think that the speed of the connection assured in
your home internet package is what you are steadily getting -- but that is not generally
true. For starters, your upload and download speeds will become low with range
when you are linked wirelessly, over Wi-Fi. Speeds can slow down or fluctuate
during peak times, too, and they can come crashing down if your provider implements
data caps or accelerates connections to uphold overall network performance.
Luckily, there's an informal way to keep an eye on your
home's net speeds, and that's with an internet speed test. You have got heaps
of free options online to select from, and you may even be able to run one from
the same app that you used to set up your router. In most number of cases,
running a test is as easy as pressing "Go," and it will not take more
than a minute.
A nice speed test will make it easy to see your present
download speeds, upload speeds and latency (or ping) of any kind of device you are
running the test on -- but with so many choices promising to do exactly the
same thing, which one must you trust?
Glad you put out the question -- here are the ones we prefer
and why.
Ookla
An overall outstanding speed test
One of our favorites is the Ookla speed test, which has a great
standing for reliability and for being one of the first speed tests on the internet.
Popularity on another side, we like Ookla for having everything a basic user requires
from a speed test: accurateness, the skill to view your speed test history
(when you create an account), a extensive array of servers to connect to, and
even a convenient app for speed testing from your Android or iOS device. While
we're on the subject, Ookla's speed test is also the one we use when we are
testing Wi-Fi routers.
Ookla has done a fine job of keeping up with the times by the
addition of new features and abilities over the years. Recently, Ookla has released
a video-specific speed test that measures your network's capacity to handle 4K
video streams. It also has apps which you can run on Windows or on Mac and even
on an Apple TV you can test your internet speed.
But, Ookla display banner ads while you run basic speed
tests. That is not astounding, but it may impact your results depending on the
strength of your connection at the time of the test.
Fast.com
Fast.com is another great broadband test. Its interface is as
simple and straightforward as it gets. Its biggest advantage is that it is
owned by Netflix. This seems odd, but this actually makes it a great choice for
online streamers, because the test is planned around checking to see if your
connection is strong enough to stream Netflix in maximum resolution without
buffering.
Fast.com might be a great tool for some, but it is not
helpful for all users. The basic interface is easy to use but it lacks some of
the advanced settings and metrics which you get with other speed tests. And most
importantly, you cannot specify which server you like to connect with for your
test.
M-Lab
The M-Lab Internet Speed Test is perhaps
the easiest test to find. Measurement Lab (M-Lab) test was developed by a
collection of computer scientists and academic researchers with Google's support
and it is the test that pops up whenever we type "internet speed
test" into the Google search bar, you just have to click the blue
"RUN SPEED TEST" button to see your download speed, upload speed and
latency within seconds.
It is simple, because you do not need to bookmark it or
remember exactly what it is called. No ads run when you run the test, and the
only data shared with M-Lab is your IP address. The M-Lab test does not let you
pick which server you will use during the test, and is only designed for
internet speeds up to 700 Mbps. But to speed test a gigabit connection, you
have to turn somewhere else.
Speedof.me
Speedof.me not only tests the speed but also consistency. Like
Ookla, the test it shows fluctuations in your upload and download speeds.
Speedof.me lets you compare your results with previous tests so you can easily find
what is amiss. Its mobile-friendly website is great for running tests on your
phone it also allows you to do a quick speed test on the go without downloading
an app.
However, Speedof.me is not a perfect option. There is no
option for beginners to manually select which server to connect with. And if
home networking is not your strength, the data may seem confusing than
something like Fast.com, which just gives you a number.
Testmy.net
Testmy.net is an internet speed test which runs totally on
HTML5 and PHP. It means is that it does not require third-party software like
Java or Flash to run test, which can make more accurate results. It also makes
it a useful tool for drawing comparation in performance among different
browsers. You can also make an account to track your internet speed for comparison
in future.
But it is not the most user-friendly tool. Along with some
in-depth data, you have to go through a lot of information which might not be related
to you. its design is a little unpleasant by speed test standards, and you have
to make few clicks before you truly begin a test, which apparently is not as
streamlined as other speed tests that feature big "Go" buttons as
soon as the page is loaded.
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