I have a straightforward view on the speeds offered by internet connections. If you never experience buffering, frozen video meetings or laggy online games, you’re probably getting plenty of speed. But if you're struggling to stay online, should you blame the slow and weak connection on your Wi-Fi router or internet provider? The answers to all of these questions can be found by running a simple internet speed test. A speed test can help you determine if you’re paying for more speed than you need or barely scraping by on your current plan.
According to a CNET survey, 63% of US adults saw their internet bill increase an average of $195 in the past year, leading many to downgrade their plans to lower speeds. So, if the cost of your internet connection is weighing on your mind, a speed test will help you understand the quality of your internet service and whether you need to take any action.
With that said, there are several websites you can use to check your speed for free, and they'll all give you the same key metrics about your home internet connection. But how does a speed test site work?
Locating local internet providers
“It is flooded with the equivalent of a large file. That will test the full capability of the network,” says Luke Kehoe, an industry analyst at Ookla, CNET’s pick for the best speed test overall. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
But speed isn’t entirely straightforward in an internet context. Several other factors can impact your overall experience online -- all of which a good speed test will tell you. A recent Reddit thread, also highlights trying different connection types and hardware to make sure you're getting the most accurate result possible.
Locating local internet providers
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Key metrics explained: Download, upload, latency and jitter
No matter which speed test you use, the key numbers are always the same: download speed, upload speed and latency. Jitter is also listed on many speed test results, although you may have to do a little digging to find it.
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