What Are Internet Speed Tests

I n the digitized world, having a stable and fast internet connection is nothing short of the Holy Grail. The most people do when their connection seems fishy is restart their router, or switch off their modems. However, that doesn’t seem to do much. You won’t find out the reason why your internet seems to be lagging, or what areas you should target to fix them.

Along with that, these internet speed tests are a great way to gauge how much internet your Internet Service Provider is getting you.

What Does An Internet Speed Test Actually Do?

To put it simply, an internet speed test measures your internet connection’s speed at its fastest rate in terms of sending and receiving data or uploading and downloading content. Along with that, a ping is also tested, in which your connection sends in a request to your closest server and the time between sending a request and receiving a response is calculated.

How Do I Know If My Internet Speed Is Sufficient For Me?

It all depends on how frequently you use the Internet, and what you use it for. The average internet speed is around 99.3 MBps, so if your speed is lower than that, you have a slow internet connection.

However, the connection also depends on how much internet speed you require. If most of your internet use is to send in emails, or research things on search engines, all the speed you need would be around 5MBps. People who spend a larger part of their lives connected to the internet and require it for almost any task they have- which would need at least 500MBps- need a much faster connection.

Are There Other People Using My Internet Connection?

If you live alone, you likely use smaller amounts of bandwidth. One reason why your internet could be slow is that the people using your internet are far more than the bandwidth you have available. More users take up more space, hence your quality lags.

Additionally, if your connection seems to be slow even if there aren’t a lot of people using your internet, there is a possibility that background applications and devices are crowding up. For example, if you own a virtual assistant such as Alexa or Google Home, your internet will constantly be in use by these applications no matter if you use them or not.

Are Internet Speed Tests All Effective?

Internet speed tests do not provide a detailed result of your connection, but an approximate one instead. To make sure you get the most accurate answer, make sure that the test is measuring your speed from the server closest to you- the farther away the server is, the longer and more difficult it will be for you to get a response.

Make sure that you are connected to the closest server. Along with that, rebooting your router before taking a test isn’t a bad idea either!

How Do I Get A Faster Internet Connection?

Talk to your Internet Service Provider

By discussing the results of your speed you can make sure that you’re getting what you paid for, and if that does not work, perhaps look into a better ISP service or add in a Wi-Fi booster.

Change The Location Of Your Router

Since a router sends internet signals all around itself, you won’t get the optimum coverage if your router is placed in a corner of some room. Yes, having wires all around does not look pretty, but placing your router and modem high up in an accessible region of your home or office makes a huge difference.

Make Sure You Are Aware Of Who Is Using Your Internet

If you purchased your internet connection and speed based on the amount of usage, you shouldn’t be having any issues with speed. If you are, there is a chance that others may be using your internet. To tackle this you can simply change your internet password to a more difficult one so it gets more secure.

Check Your Internet Speed Now

The only way to find out you’re getting your money’s worth is by checking and doing regular assessments and making adjustments for a better Wi-Fi speed In the future, so conduct an Internet Speed Test right now!