3 simple steps to test your internet speed

There is nothing more annoying than streaming a video or something on TV and it freezing, or trying to download some music and having to wait what seems like forever.

A fast internet speed is really vital in these days where our lives are played out online, and some will take some serious time to search for things like “internet providers for my address” in order to make sure that they get the very best internet in their home possible.

There are many ways to test the speed of your Internet connection. The guidance in this article describe some great tools for testing your Internet connection speed before you make that decision on who to go with.

Download and upload speeds (network throughput) are measured in Mbps. Ping times (network latency) are measured in ms.

In most cases Internet connections are optimized for download speeds, let’s face it, that’s the priority for most users. It’s often the case to have faster download speeds than upload speeds on your connection.

If you are wondering if your connection is fast enough to handle day-to-day activities on the Web. The answer to this question depends on what you plan to do on the Internet.

Here are a few suggestions on speed for connections.

  • Online Gaming – Between 15 and 20 Mbps.
  • Streaming standard definition video – Between 2 and 3 Mbps.
  • Streaming 720p high definition video – Between 3 and 5 Mbps.
  • Streaming 1080p high definition video – Between 4 and 8 Mbps.
  • Streaming 4K Ultra high definition video – Between 11 and 15 Mbps.
  • Streaming music – Between 1 and 2 Mbps.

If, after running a speed test your Internet connection speed is not performing at the level it should be, see: Why is my Internet connection so slow? In many instances, other than checking your modem or network interface, an ISP can’t do much more than test their end to make sure nothing is wrong.

  1. Navigate to the Google Speed Test page. Open a Google search page by going to https://www.google.com in a web browser or open the Google app on your device and type internet speed test into the search field. This will bring up an “Internet speed test” window at the top of the Google search results. You can then use this method on a computer, phone, or tablet. This will use Google’s built-in internet speed testing tool. There are other alternatives you could use, such as www.speedcheck.org.

2. Click RUN SPEED TEST. This isa blue button in the bottom-right corner of the “Internet speed test” panel.

3. Wait for the speed test to complete. Google will measure your Internet connection’s upload speed, download speed, and latency.