With an Internet Speed Test You Can Find out If Your Provider is the Right One

After the Internet has spread to almost every household in the civilized world, it has become almost imperative to know how fast the connection is, and that is why the Internet speedtest was invented. The best thing about it is that you can perform such a test by yourself, at home, with the browser you enjoy most. This way, you can see for yourself if the Internet speed you are getting is the one you signed a contract for.

It happens quite often that the provider promises to deliver a certain speed, but in practice, that speed is seldom reached. While sometimes the causes for that are independent of the provider’s will, like bad weather that kills the signal, or damages cables, there are cases when the provider willingly tells half the truth. To find out exactly how fast you connection is, performing an Internet speed test is required.

Now, this speedtest is not something complicated, or hard to get a hold of. There are a host of websites dedicated to checking your download and upload speed. The vast majority of them work in any browser and need just a few minutes to assess your connection.

The process works by connecting you to an appropriate server, usually the one with the lowest ping, and then it makes downloads and uploads. The resulting figures are your speed values. You can be almost 100 percent certain that the results are accurate, because your connection to a server takes into account the IP address as well. So, if you are living in the UK, your Internet speed test will take place on the nearest UK-based test server. You won’t be assigned to a random server based in Europe or Asia.

But the best way to assess your connection speed is by regularly performing a broadband speed test at different times of day. It is only natural that your speed will be at its lowest when the network is full of users. But something has to be wrong if that same speed will appear when the server load is close to non-existent.

Of course, you have to check your side too for any problems. For example, when the broadband speed checker is on, make sure to stop any downloads, and essentially close any programs that need Internet access, except for the browser. If you leave on your chat software, the Internet speed test result may be affected, and you will get a lower figure than otherwise expected.
Also, there is one more catch you need to be aware of. Even if you discover that your Internet service provider is not delivering what you signed up for, chances are you will get the same results after changing the provider. This is the result of a crowded market, one that still hasn’t adapted its infrastructure to current needs.

Over the years, several online companies specializing in providing huge quantities of online data have released their results on what countries have the fastest Internet connections. Overall, the results put some of the most unlikely candidates in the top 10 positions. The results of each company’s Internet speed test indicated that Asia, along with Eastern Europe plus Scandinavia have the highest speeds on the planet.

Countries like the UK or US are nowhere near those positions. The UK manages to revolve around the 25th position, while the US is one or two places behind. Where these countries take the lead, however, is Internet coverage. Many more people have access to the Internet there than in Eastern Europe, for example. And even so, if you live in the UK and perform an Internet speed test, the results will still put a smile on your face.