Why Do Bandwidth Speed Tests Vary in Results?
Bandwidth is never constant. While a bandwidth speed test is a good way to find out your general Internet connection speed, you're never going to get the same results twice from one test.
Other People Are Reading
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Network Congestion
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You share an Internet connection with many different people, and not just the people in your house. During the day many different people may be connecting to the Internet. If they are on the same ISP as you, using the same infrastructure and services, then it's going to slow down your connection somewhat. Testing your connection during peak or non-peak hours will usually result in faster results than during non-peak hours.
Applications
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If you have any other applications open while testing your bandwidth speed, then they may also be affecting your results. Every application, from anti-virus software to music software, accesses the Internet from time to time. If these programs are using the Internet at the same time you're testing your bandwidth speed, then its going to negatively affect your results.
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Local Network
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Your own local network can affect the speed in which you connect to the Internet. If you are on a wireless connection, your location in relation to the wireless router will probably have some affect on your connection. Also, local traffic may affect your speed test results. If anyone else in the house is using the Internet on another computer, then that is bandwidth being used that you don't have access to.
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