How to Calculate Internet Connection Speed

People now pay for Internet based on the speed purchased.

If you've ever wondered whether your Internet Service Provider is giving you the Internet you've paid for, you can calculate it with simple-to-use online analytical tools. In the old days, people paid for Internet by the minute, but now they pay for Internet based on the speed. A 20MB download speed connection can cost a lot more than a 5MB connection, but it can be difficult to tell the speed just by browsing and downloading emails.

Instructions

1. Open your web browser and browse to a speed test website such as SpeedTest, Speakeasy or Bandwidth Place (see Resources).

2. Click on "Begin Test," "Start Test" or similar option. Some websites ask you to choose a city before beginning the test. Choose your nearest city.

3. Monitor the dials. Dials can calculate the Ping (or latency), the download speed and the upload speed. The speed tester will perform the tests, then calculate and display the final results.

4. Look at the comparison text box if there is one and you can compare your results to the ISP average.

5. Run the calculation a few times at different times of the day and night. Run the test on multiple speed testers. Call your ISP and complain if your results aren't near what you are paying for.

Tips & Warnings

• The Internet connection speed calculation results are split into three areas: download speed is the speed at which data is sent from the Internet to your computer; upload speed is the speed at which your computer sends data to the Internet; and Ping is the latency calculation. Ping is the time it takes in milliseconds for a piece of data to be sent to the Internet from your computer and back.

References

• SpeedTest: The Global Broadband Speed Test
• Speakeasy: Speed Test
• Bandwidth Place: Internet Speed Test