How Can I Check the Speed of My LAN Ethernet Network With Windows XP?

Speedometer.

The speed of your Internet and local area network (LAN) depends on several factors. These factors are mostly hardware related. The components that play the biggest role in determining the speed of a network are the router and/or modem model, computer network adapter specifications, and the Internet service provider and plan speed. Regardless of the set speed your Internet plan is supposed to get, the Internet and network speed can fluctuate. To check the current speed of your network, visit a speed-testing website.

Instructions

View Set LAN/Internet Speed

1. Open the Windows XP Network Connections dialog box. Go to "Start" > "Control Panel" > "Network and Internet Connections," then click on "Network Connections."

2. Double-click on the local area network of your choice. All local area networks will be in the "LAN or High-Speed Internet" section of the dialog box. (Alternatively, you can right-click on the network of choice and select "Status.")

3. Open the "General" tab, if necessary, then look at the "Connection" section of the dialog box. Next to "Speed," you will see the set speed of your local area network (e.g., 100.0 Mbps).

View Actual LAN/Internet Speed

1. Visit an Internet speed checking website (see Resources section).

2. Select a test server from the map on the page, then watch as the test is conducted.

3. View your results, then click "New Server" to retry the test with a different server. Your results will vary based on the test-server locations.

References

• Vista 4 Beginners: Check Network Status (Vista and XP)

Resources

• Speed Test: The Global Broadband Speed Test
• Bandwidth Place: Internet Speed Test
• Speak Easy: Speed Test