This is an article excerpt from our Summer 2021 newsletter. The full Summer 2021 Newsletter contains other relevant articles, Huxley happenings, contact information and more! Click here to download a PDF of the newsletter
What You Need to Know About Internet Speed Tests?
It’s a good idea to check your internet speed from time to time to help determine if your current speed is adequate or if an upgrade may be needed. The process is easy — you push one button — on speed test sites such as Ookla’s speedtest.net.
How do speed tests work?
Speed tests measure the speed between your device and a test server, using your device’s internet connection. The test mimics your online activity in a controlled setting by downloading sample files and recording speeds.
What data does a speed test give you?
You’ll typically learn three things:
• Download speed – A measure in Mbps of how quickly data can be transferred to your
device over the network.
• Upload speed – A measure in Mbps of how quickly your device can upload data over
the network.
• Ping – Measured in milliseconds, this is the time it takes for data to travel from a device
on one network to a device on another network.
What can be done to get the most accurate results?
If you’re serious about getting the full picture of your internet speed, run multiple speed tests under different conditions:
• Over multiple connections – Running a speed test over Wi-Fi will yield different
results than running a test over an Ethernet cord.
• With only one or multiple devices – The number of devices connected to your network can affect your speeds. Run a test with just one device connected and run another test with multiple devices connected.
• In different rooms – The strength of your wireless signal will weaken as you get further away from your router. Try running a speed test in the same room as your router and then in other rooms farther away to see if, and by how much, results vary.
• While doing different activities – Running a speed test while doing different activities (such as listening to music vs. streaming a TV show vs. playing an online game) can help you pinpoint if the slower speeds are content related.
• Subscribe to Expert Wi-Fi – Huxley Communications now offers Expert Managed Wi-Fi service for only $5 per month. You can run a speed test directly from the Expert Wi-Fi app on your smartphone!
Call Huxley Communications at 515-597-2281 for answers to your other speedtest questions or for more information on our Expert Wi-Fi service.
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