Testing Your Speed

Testing Your Speed
Essential Information
How do you know your broadband service is as quick as
you think it is? Whether you’ve just installed the service
or had it for years it’s important to check your speed
occasionally to ensure you’re getting what you’re paying
for.
Action 1
First of all run a speed test. You can find these online.
A good speed test can be found on the ZDNet website
at zdnet.co.uk/misc/band-test. Click on Test my
bandwidth. The website will test your connection and
 display the results (Fig. 2). The speed is measured as an
approximate figure in kilobits per second (or Kbps for
short). A megabit or ‘Mb’ is 1,000 kilobits. If the speed test
gives you a result of 2023 Kbps, this is equivalent to 2.023
megabits or approximately 2 Mb. If you’ve purchased a 2
Mb broadband service, this result would confirm you’re
getting the correct speed.
Action 2
If you’re running slower than you expected, run the test
again at different times of the day. You may find it runs
slower at peak times. You should also check the website
of your Internet provider. If there’s a problem with their
service it will be displayed in their support or help pages,
which are easily accessible from their home page.
Other Speed Test Websites:
ADSL Guide
adslguide.org.uk/tools/speedtest.asp
Intel
intel.com/personal/resources/broadband
Test my Speed
testmyspeed.com
DSL Reports
dslreports.com/stest
EXPERT TIP
If your broadband connection goes down due to problems
with your service provider make sure you have a backup
dial-up Internet service, just in case.