Internet speed test

debitcardmayhem

Colin_Maybe wrote: »

Duplicate thread:- https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5955216/internet-speed-test

Don't you just hate that

[Deleted User]

arciere wrote: »

Better than any speed test site is to check the sync speed on the router. If the sync speed on the router is X, that is the maximum you could ever get on any website. So, if the speed there shows something like 10 Mbps, there's no need to test through websites as you will never get more than that.

How do I do this?

arciere

craig1123 wrote: »

How do I do this?

It depends on the router, but generally speaking you open a browser and go to the router's interface (something like 192.168.1.1), type the router's username and password and then check the DSL stats, it should show something like Up link/Down link or Upload/Download speeds. It could be in Mbps or MBps (Mega bit or Mega Bytes).

That value tells you what maximum speed you could achieve (theoretical). So if, for example, you see 10 Mbps, you already know that your modem is in sync with the cabinet at 10 Mbps. If that is slow (depending on your contract), then it's not your fault, rather the ISP's (if we rule out internal cabling at your house).

This helps because it rules out everything else (your computer, your connection to the router, especially if you are on WiFi). If you speak to customer service guys, it's much more convincing to tell them that you checked the speed on the router, rather than on your laptop, because they could (and do) always blame your laptop, your WiFi, etc...

If what you see on the router, on the other hand, is acceptable but you are still slow, that could depend on a lot of other things, like something on your computer, your WiFi, or indeed the ISP throttling the connection.

EDIT: Just to add more details to the above, if you check on your router, there should be a sticker with the address and username/password. If there is no address, open the Command Prompt on your computer and type the following command:
ipconfig
The numbers that you see after 'Default Gateway' are the address of your router.

[Deleted User]

arciere wrote: »

It depends on the router, but generally speaking you open a browser and go to the router's interface (something like 192.168.1.1), type the router's username and password and then check the DSL stats, it should show something like Up link/Down link or Upload/Download speeds. It could be in Mbps or MBps (Mega bit or Mega Bytes).

That value tells you what maximum speed you could achieve (theoretical). So if, for example, you see 10 Mbps, you already know that your modem is in sync with the cabinet at 10 Mbps. If that is slow (depending on your contract), then it's not your fault, rather the ISP's (if we rule out internal cabling at your house).

This helps because it rules out everything else (your computer, your connection to the router, especially if you are on WiFi). If you speak to customer service guys, it's much more convincing to tell them that you checked the speed on the router, rather than on your laptop, because they could (and do) always blame your laptop, your WiFi, etc...

If what you see on the router, on the other hand, is acceptable but you are still slow, that could depend on a lot of other things, like something on your computer, your WiFi, or indeed the ISP throttling the connection.

EDIT: Just to add more details to the above, if you check on your router, there should be a sticker with the address and username/password. If there is no address, open the Command Prompt on your computer and type the following command:
ipconfig
The numbers that you see after 'Default Gateway' are the address of your router.

Thanks I will go in and have a check. I am on a fibre contract so would assume the router is over 10Mbps

System

jeradon wrote: »

Another +1 for speedtest.net .It is pretty reliable.

Sadly it isn't. My friend supplies wifi to caravan camps. The routers he uses do bandwidth management for the users. He can set up the routers so that they'll either allow the first so many MB of data transfer every time the user requests data to be done at a higher speed and/or he can include a list of websites that will run at the higher speed. The reason he does the former is so that people can retrieve the average webpage at a decent speed but people downloading large files or wanting to stream at high resolution are deterred.

So what does that mean when it comes to speed tests?

1) If you download files below the size limit he sets you'll get the higher speed. If you download files larger then the first part up to the limit will be at the higher speed, the rest at the throttled speed. Therefore if Speedtest only downloads a file below the size limit for throttling it'll not give you a real world indication for downloading things like multi-gig game patches and Windows updates.

2) If the site is on the whitelist it'll go at the higher speed so Speedtest won't give you an indication of what the rest of the internet will be received at.

If craig1123 is getting widely differing speeds from using his own preferred not widely known tester and the site Vodafone recommend then it most likely does show throttling on Vodafones end.

JJ_Egan

This one then the diagnostics test that gives IP profile for the line .
http://www.speedtest.btwholesale.com/

[Deleted User]

Tarambor wrote: »

Sadly it isn't. My friend supplies wifi to caravan camps. The routers he uses do bandwidth management for the users...

1) If you download files below the size limit he sets you'll get the higher speed. If you download files larger then the first part up to the limit will be at the higher speed, the rest at the throttled speed. Therefore if Speedtest only downloads a file below the size limit for throttling it'll not give you a real world indication for downloading things like multi-gig game patches and Windows updates.

2) If the site is on the whitelist it'll go at the higher speed so Speedtest won't give you an indication of what the rest of the internet will be received at.

If craig1123 is getting widely differing speeds from using his own preferred not widely known tester and the site Vodafone recommend then it most likely does show throttling on Vodafones end.

Sadly you're talking complete nonsense. First off you're talking about a specific set-up and that over WiFi. Secondly, large files are actually split into packets and then recombined.


https://support.speedtest.net/hc/en-us/articles/203845400-How-does-the-test-itself-work-How-is-the-result-calculated-

System

Colin_Maybe wrote: »

Sadly you're talking complete nonsense. First off you're talking about a specific set-up

One that a lot of providers use, especially the cheaper ones and especially during peak hours.

and that over WiFi. Secondly, large files are actually split into packets and then recombined.

The fact it is over wifi is completely irrelevant. The fact you think it is proves you know diddly squat about what you're talking about. In fact given you think that large files being split into packets and being recombined is something special CONFIRMS WITH ABSOLUTE 100% CERTAINTY you don't have the first clue what you're on about because that is what happens to any file that is over the size of individual data packets. You've demonstrated in just one sentence you don't know about anything to do with networking, the internet and most likely IT in general other than being able to just about install Windows because MS have made it idiot proof.

https://support.speedtest.net/hc/en-us/articles/203845400-How-does-the-test-itself-work-How-is-the-result-calculated-

It still can be whitelisted and it still only downloads a maximum amount of data.