If the data transfer to and from the network is slow, to get an idea of the internet connection speed different tools can be used. The speed test help verify the performance of any type of connection. For example, Internet access from a fixed location in xDSL technology, on FTTH fiber optics, FWA (Fixed Wireless Access), via satellite connection but also the bandwidth available on the WiFi network or on the data network of the mobile telephone operator, in 4G and 5G technology.
There are so many speed tests: below we present the best, the most useful ever to monitor in real time the connection performance Internet for both download and upload.
Before starting, it is good to keep in mind that a speed test should be considered as a useful tool for photographing the behavior of the connection at the exact moment in which it is used: it does not provide a judgment on the line quality.
Before making the connection test it is also essential to remember some crucial aspects. Without using some cautions the real speed of the Internet connection will not be ascertained and the judgment shown by the speed tests will be more or less distorted.
What the speed test measures
A speed test allows first of all to measure the banda available downstream and upstream ie, respectively, the amount of data that can be transferred in a given period of time when downloading and uploading packets through the Internet.
Major speed tests generally also measure the latency that is, the time required by the data packets to correctly reach the destination system and go back: we talked about it in the article dedicated to the meaning of ping.
Some speed tests also provide the jitter that is, the variation that affects the data relating to latency. This information photographs how much the valore ping it is more or less stable.
Speed test: the rules to keep in mind before using it
To check your internet connection speed and get a reliable result, we suggest you follow a few simple steps. Below we present the precautions to be used to obtain a reliable response with the various speed tests. Not only with the ones we have selected, but with any other speed test.
Make sure there are no data transfers in progress
First of all, before using a speed test it is good to make sure you don’t have data transfers in progress, both uploading and downloading. A good idea might be to disconnect all client systems connected to the local network leaving only one connected to the router via Ethernet cable: this will be used to launch the speed test.
To do this, you can disconnect the Ethernet cables connected to the router and leave only one connected, i.e. the one that connects the test system.
From the router configuration panel, the module can therefore be temporarily deactivated WiFi in order to disconnect any connected wireless clients and make sure they are not performing data transfers.
Alternatively, without changing anything, you can access the router administration panel, go to the section Statistics, Status or similar and check that the number of bits per second transmitted downstream and upstream does not increase rapidly (this would be an obvious symptom of data transfers in progress…).
Most routers allow you to check in real time data traffic inside the local network and ascertain if, how many and which devices are occupying bandwidth. For example, we talk about it in the article on how to monitor network traffic and use QoS.
First run the speed test on 4G and 5G mobile connections
If you are using a mobile device connected to the network via 4G LTE/5GInstead, it’s important to refrain from downloading data and check that there’s no sync activity from apps running in the background. It should also be borne in mind that the speed test consumes a few megabytes of data traffic: if you had one mobile data plan very limited in terms of monthly threshold it may not be a good idea to speed test. Today, however, this limitation is no longer due to mobile data plans that integrate more and more gigabytes.
If you were speed testing a Wi-Fi of others obviously you will not be able to disconnect the other clients. In this case, the result returned by the speed test allows you to get an idea of the bandwidth instantly available for your activities. It is obvious that the result will appear influenced by physical location of your device with respect to the WiFi router or access point and from the data transfers that the other connected users are carrying out at the same time.
Pay attention to the geographic location of the server used for the speed test and its connectivity
The geographic location of the remote server used for the speed test and the connection used by it, can significantly influence the results, both in terms of bandwidth and latency.
Usually the best speed tests select a server which is geographically close to the user. In many cases it can be useful to try repeating the speed test by choosing several Europen servers.
Any temporary problems routing or situations of congestion can negatively influence the result of some speed tests: in case of values in terms of downstream, upstream bandwidth and latency lower than expected, you can try to repeat the test with another server.
Run the speed test without taking its conclusions as “gold standard”
At the end of each speed test you can analyze the results returned, which must in any case always be taken with due caution.
As mentioned, it is good to keep in mind that any data transfers in progress on the local network can negatively affect the test result. If in doubt it can therefore be reasonable repeat the speed test at different times and, above all, try another vendor’s speed test making sure you select a server geographically close to your location and with sufficient capacity in terms of incoming and outgoing bandwidth.
Temporary network congestion may invalidate the speed test results
The temporary network congestionregardless of the download and upload traffic generated by locally connected devices, can literally bury the speed test results.
If you reside or carry out your business in an area where the network resources of the provider you rely on are undersized (band saturation) compared to the users’ request, it is highly probable that in some hours of the day the speed test will return mediocre results compared to those expected.
In another article we have seen in the event of a slow connection how to understand what the problem is and therefore ascertain whether the poor performance depends on the traffic generated by the devices connected to the local network, whether they are attributable to the provider or, for example, to routing problems outside the telecom operator’s network.
The physical parameters of the network significantly affect download and upload speeds
It is important to underline that each speed test photographs the banda in upload e in download actually available at a given moment (at the time the test is performed).
If you had an old one ADSL which commercially can deliver 20 Mbps, the distance from the exchange or in any case from the DSLAM equipment of the telecommunications operator and the disturbances present on the twisted pair can induce the modem router to hook up to more modest carriers.
Same thing with one FTTC extension (Fiber-to-the-Cabinet) particularly sensitive to diaphonia or to the interference of the other nearby copper pairs, present on the same street cabinet as well as to the structure of the telephone system.
The derivations of the line in the home or in the office reduce the…