How to Check the Internet Speed on Vista

Internet connection speeds, or data transfer rates, determine how quickly a computer can access data from the Internet. A fast connection speed will allow music and videos to be watched in real time, while slow speeds can result in slow-loading Web pages and decreased productivity. Checking Internet speed in Windows Vista can be done in several ways.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Check Network Utilization in the Task Manager

1. Click "Control," "Alt" and "Delete" at the same time.

2. Click "Start the Task Manager."

3. Click on the "Networking" tab.

4. Monitor your network utilization versus your link speed as you use the Internet. Your Internet speed will be your link speed multiplied by your maximum network utilization percentage.

Download a Large File

5. Go to a freeware downloading site and start downloading a large file (see Resources).

6. Check the download speed in the download box of your browser. You might have to allow a minute or two for the download to reach its maximum download speed.

7. Cancel the download after you find out your Internet speed.

Use a Net Speedometer

8. Go to a website that hosts an Internet speedometer (see Resources).

9. Follow the site's directions and begin the speed test.

10. Wait a few moments to a few minutes for a file to be transferred.

11. Read the visual speedometer display to find out your Internet speed.

Tips & Warnings

• Leave the task manager network use monitor open as you use the Internet to create a graph of network use over time. If you are using a wireless network or LAN, your Internet speed may be compromised if other computers on the network are also using the Internet.

References

• Using the Task Manager

Resources

• An Internet Speedometer
• Download a Large File Here