How to Test My Line for Broadband
Broadband is term used to describe fast access to the Internet. Broadband comes in several different speeds, so testing for the speed and whether you have broadband can be done using free tools available on the Internet. The speed of your Internet connection is determined by the service you obtain from a provider. Additionally, not all broadband bottlenecks are controllable by the user. For instance, slower speeds can be from a slow server connection or busy data line.
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Instructions
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Connect to a Web site that offers a free speed test. In this example, the application used is from speedtest.net. This Web site has a speed test application on the home page. When you connect to the Web site, it also detects the location of your home access point and the type of service you use.
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Click the "Begin Test" button at the top of the Web page to start the test. It may take several minutes for the application to run, especially if slower speeds are detected.
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Evaluate the results. There are three test results given when the speed test is finished. First, a ping test is performed. A ping tests evaluates how much time it takes for a tiny piece of data to travel over the Internet. The ping test is given in milliseconds and should be below 150 milliseconds. Secondly, a download speed is given. Broadband users can expect to see download rates of approximately 1.5Mb per second. This is indicative of a broadband connection speed. Finally, an upload speed is given. Upload speeds are normally half the speed of download results. The reason is because upload information is usually very small when browsing the Internet.
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Compare results with others. Speedtest.net also has a button to compare your results against others in the area. This is good for people who aren't sure if the results are average or sub par. Click the button under the results screen that is labeled "How do your results stack up when compared to others?" This gives you the figures for averages in the neighborhood as well as a rating given by other users for your service provider.
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