I write about computer maintenance and keeping your PC “running like new” constantly, but I rarely focus on the connection that brings you the world wide web. Let’s face it, a fast PC and a fast internet connection are like peanut-butter and jelly. Each is pretty good on it’s own, but put them together and you’ve got a winning formula. Have you ever tested your internet connection? Are you getting what you pay for or are you being cheated by your internet service provider (ISP)?
Pre-Flight
Before you get started with any kind of connection speed test, it is important that you run through a pre-flight checklist. To make sure that you aren’t “clouding” the results in any way, you will want to disable and/or remove any obstacles first. To receive the most accurate results, you will want to have a direct connection to the source (cable, phone line, etc.) This means that those of you with routers will need to take it out of the equation. If you are running any anti-virus software or firewalls (and I really hope you are), go ahead and disable those as well (temporarily). Also, close any open browser windows and/or other programs that are using your internet connection. Don’t forget about that torrent program running in the background.
The Test
There are tens, if not hundreds, of sites that will test your internet connection for you, for FREE. They are all very similar, but I prefer speedtest.net. it is easy to use, easy to understand and graphically appealing. All you have to do is access the site in your browser and click on Begin Test, or whatever it is labeled on the site you visit. The program will send information back and forth from your PC to a remote location and report the results. The test usually takes less than one minute to complete.
The Results
Once the test is completed you will be presented with a bunch of numbers, including the Ping, Download Speed and Upload Speed. These results will vary between test, so run the test a few times to get an idea of what the average might be. Now that you have these wonderful numbers, what do they mean?
- Ping – (Latency) The time it takes for a small piece of information to make the round-trip to the internet and back.
- Download Speed – How quickly information gets to your computer from the internet.
- Upload Speed – How quickly information gets from you computer to the internet.
There are a couple of measurement speeds that you will see as well. The ping is measured in milliseconds and the Download/Upload speeds are presented in Mbps (megabits). SpeedTest.net does a great job of relating these numbers to things you are familiar with (see the graph on the left and shown below). For instance, an MP3 file of 5 MB (that’s megabytes) would only take 2 seconds to download via my connection.
You might also notice the blue and white bar graph in the image above. This is a comparison of your results to the national ISP average. My test (shown above) indicates that my speeds are much higher than the national average. This doesn’t really indicate value, considering that I don’t know what others are paying, but does give me some perspective.
Tricky, Tricky
If you were following closely, you saw a reference to “megabits” and “megabytes” above. These two terms, although similar in spelling, are very different in definition. They also present internet service providers with a chance to confuse end users. Be sure you understand the difference before calling up your ISP to complain about speed or value.
- megabits (Mb) -measure of amount of information used – expresses the rate data is transferred. (1 Mb = 0.125 MB)
- megabytes (MB) – measure of amount of information used – usually for computer memory or storage (1 MB = 8 Mb)
As if that were not confusing enough, there are also KB and Kb (kilobytes and kilobits). Don’t concern yourself with memorizing all of this. Just know that these different measurements are out there and are often used to trick you. If you want to compare speeds to advertisements or guarantees, simply convert everything to MB and look at the values that way. There are many conversion tools available on the web.
Real Life Test
While writing this article, I performed several tests on my connection and researched my ISP (Comcast) to see if I was being cheated or not. As it turns out, I am quite happy with Comcast at the moment (as far as connection speeds go). My speeds far exceed the advertised 15 Mbps that Comcast promises as part of it’s Performance package. Now, if I could just get them to lower my bill.
My other option is to find another ISP, which I have already done. The speeds I get from Comcast are great, but do I need that much speed for what I do (surf the internet, check email, play games on XBOX Live). The truth is I don’t. I recently began testing CLEAR 4G high-speed internet (a WiMax alternative) and I have been getting speeds of up to 13 Mbps. CLEAR only charges me $40 a month for unlimited access AND I can bundle my service to receive home internet, mobile internet (via a USB dongle) and home phone for one, low price.
If you are interested in 4G high-speed internet from CLEAR, please contact me. I happen to also be an Authorized Dealer. In most cases, CLEAR can lower your monthly bills and no other company offers the mobile 4G experience that CLEAR does. Why not take the internet with you everywhere?
Tags: 4G, bandwidth, Clear, Comcast, download, ISP, latency, MB, ping, speedtest.net, tricky, upload
