Ever wondered how fast (or slow) your internet connection is? With all the claims about who has the faster internet here is a quick and "non technical" way to learn what you have now. I use a website called SpeedTest.net and the site is FREE.
Go to SpeedTest.net
and click "Begin Test" and watch. There is absolutely no charge but
there are ads on the page so watch what you click.
How This Is Useful
If you ever think your
internet is going slow, use SpeedTest to see if it's the internet speed between
your computer and the internet. It's possible the culprit is the wifi
connection or the computer itself. Using SpeedTest will narrow it down.
At little about the 2 measurements performed. First is download speed and the second is upload speed. Download is the speed at which data or information flows downward from the internet to your PC. Upload is the opposite or what goes from your PC to the internet.
I will avoid getting
"techy" here and not go into detail why download speeds are faster
than uploads or even why. Just know that download is faster and that's it for
now.
I know what you're
thinking…"can you do something to increase the speeds?". The answer
is yes but it means spending more money from your internet provider or getting
them to give you a plan that allows for faster speeds.
Being connected to
your modem will get you the fastest speed while connecting via wifi will be
slower. How much slower depends on the wifi technology of the router (Wireless
B, G, N or AC with AC being the newest and fastest). Also, the farther away
your device or laptop is from the wifi router or the more walls the signal has
to travel through, the slower the speed.
So, test your PC or
laptop while connected to your modem and run speed test. Then try your laptop
without the wire and on wifi. Even try from different places within your home.
Then try your tablet or smart phone via wifi and then just the phone connection.
Fortunately, there is a SpeedTest app for iOS and Android that works very well.
The app is FREE too.
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| Screens from Android |
According to BradleyMitchell, a wireless network expert
typically don't approach their theoretical maximum. Network Speed Test for Windows 8 shows that streaming low quality
video would be about 1 1/2 megabits per second (mbps) while high quality video
would be a minimum of 3 mbps.
Here is what I get
when connected to my Comcast modem with their "Blast" service which
is very, very fast but does cost more than their regular internet service.
Here is what I get
when connected via wifi with the router in the next room, one wall away.
My personal opinion is
if you can get 15-20 megabits per second
(mbps) down then that is quite good and should be perfectly satisfactory
for watching movies, streaming music or YouTube videos.
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