How to Compare Your Internet Speed
Internet speed is the primary attribute of the service an Internet service provider (ISP) offers you. You want the highest speed for the lowest money with the best quality service. Ask your neighbors about the ISP. Your neighbors may be able to tell you valuable information about the ISP such as quality of service and pitfalls. Because Internet service varies by location, their experiences will be similar to yours with that ISP. Internet connections are measured in megabits per second (Mbps) and kilobits per second (kbps) and come in several forms, including dial-up, DSL, satellite and cable.
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Instructions
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Call up a potential Internet service provider and ask them about their packages, how much they cost and the speed of those packages. Write the information down. The customer service representative will state the upload and download speed in kbps or Mbps.
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Call another Internet service provider. National companies may service your area. Local cable or phone companies often offer dial-up, DSL or cable Internet. Ask about their packages. Get the price and upload and download speed. Get details about the service such as requiring a satellite and extras like email accounts. Write the company, speed and price in a notebook or an excel spreadsheet. Repeat until you have called at least five companies.
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Compare both upload and download speeds. Mbps is higher than kbps. Upload speed is how fast your computer sends images to the Web. You will need this when uploading pictures, submitting forms and switching Web pages. The download speed is how fast your computer receives images from the Web. You will use download speed while surfing the Web, downloading videos and other media from the Web to your computer. Consider the price of the service as well as the speed before choosing and ordering your service.
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References
- Photo Credit phone image by Zbigniew Nowak from Fotolia.com
