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.
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Instructions
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Check Network Utilization in the Task Manager
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Click "Control," "Alt" and "Delete" at the same time.
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Click "Start the Task Manager."
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Click on the "Networking" tab.
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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
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Go to a freeware downloading site and start downloading a large file (see Resources).
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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.
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Cancel the download after you find out your Internet speed.
Use a Net Speedometer
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Go to a website that hosts an Internet speedometer (see Resources).
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Follow the site's directions and begin the speed test.
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Wait a few moments to a few minutes for a file to be transferred.
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Read the visual speedometer display to find out your Internet speed.
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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.
