Testing Bandwith without downloading programs...

stebiz

mark_steps wrote:

Just tried with nothing running and got the following :
Date 10/02/07 17:12:54
Speed Down 1684.84 Kbps ( 1.6 Mbps )
Speed Up 238.02 Kbps ( 0.2 Mbps )


What exactly does it tell me then?

Tried straight after and got this :
Date 10/02/07 17:15:31
Speed Down 1093.42 Kbps ( 1.1 Mbps )
Speed Up 239.55 Kbps ( 0.2 Mbps )

Finally, with MSN on and Outlook open got :
Date 10/02/07 17:18:03
Speed Down 1050.41 Kbps ( 1 Mbps )
Speed Up 237.91 Kbps ( 0.2 Mbps )

On closing MSN and Outlook got :
Date 10/02/07 17:21:28
Speed Down 1566.04 Kbps ( 1.5 Mbps )
Speed Up 239.15 Kbps ( 0.2 Mbps )

The most accurate way is to download a file - although you say you can't do this. I mean you only need it to download for 20-30 secs to get an idea. Also if you are networked (wireless or wired) it would be a good idea to go straight in to the modem.

Stebiz

Mobeer

For the record, "bandwidth" in terms of a speed test is a measure of speed. Your bandwidth only limits how much data you can send and recieve in a period of time. Many users (including me) also have much more constraining usage limits that restrict the amount of that can be sent in a month.

See wikipedia broadband or Linux Information Project

True bandwidth is a frequency as mentioned in the Linux Information Project page above or in Wikipedia

JohalaReewi

Broadband is best defined on Wikipedia here...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandwidth

In Particular:
When used to discuss digital communication, the meaning of "bandwidth" is clouded by metaphorical use. Technicians sometimes use it as slang for baud rate, the rate at which symbols may be transmitted through the system. It is also used more colloquially to describe channel capacity, the rate at which bits may be transmitted through the system (see Shannon Limit). Hence, a digital data bus with a bit rate of 66 Mbps on each of 32 separate data lines may properly be said to have a bandwidth of 33 MHz and a capacity of 2.1 Gbit/s — but it would not be surprising to hear such a bus described as having a "bandwidth of 2.1 Gbit/s".

In website hosting, the term "bandwidth" is often incorrectly used to describe the amount of data that can be transferred to or from the website or server, measured in bytes transfered over a prescribed period of time. This can be more accurately described as "Monthly Data Transfer".

Web hosting companies often quote a monthly bandwidth limit for a website, for example 100 gigabytes per month. If visitors to the website download a total greater than 100 gigabytes in one month, the bandwidth limit will have been exceeded.