How to See How Fast Your Internet Is

Knowing how fast your internet connection is can be helpful for a number of reasons. First, it will help you determine what add-ons and other variables are affecting your speed. Second, it can help you identify peak periods if you are on a shared network. And lastly, running a speed test will let you know if your provider [Comcast, Time Warner, Qwest, etc.] is supplying you with as fast an internet connection as they claim to be.

Instructions

1. Before starting the speed test, close all other applications and programs you have running. This ensures that your speed tests will be easy to compare in the future. For the same reason, make sure that you only have one tab open in your internet browser.

2. Go to one of the free internet speed tools linked at the end of this article. All are quick and require no downloading or installing of anything.

3. Follow the instructions on the site to test your internet speed. Do a few different tests over the course of an hour and average them.

4. Compare the results to the speed that you are paying for. If you don't what your speed should be, look at your bill or call your internet provider. If the results are slower than you had hoped, don't be afraid to notify your provider.

Resources

• McAfee's Internet Speedometer
• Geek Squad's Speed Test
• Free Speed Test
• Net Zero - Internet Service Provider