What about Internet speed? Accurate Internet speed test. Free programs to check Internet speed on PC and mobile devices

Learn how to correctly measure the speed of your Internet connection. What resources can you use to correctly check the Internet, what parameters should you look at, and how to determine whether the result in front of you is good.

I’ll definitely tell you about Megabit and Megabyte, they are often confused, and I’ll also tell you what ping is and why people often get kicked out of online games because of it. In general, I will show in detail how to find out the Internet speed on a computer.

Introduction

Hello everyone, today I decided to write an article that will allow me to qualitatively analyze the speed of my Internet connection. You can find a lot of materials from different sources, where one way or another it is shown where to go and what numbers to look at. But now you have repeated all this on your computer, you have seen numbers, large or small, with different units of measurement.

You sit, look at them, sometimes even rejoice, but what do these data mean? It was displayed to you, for example: Input - 10 Mbit/s, Output - 5 Mbit/s, Ping - 14 and what next, is this good for you, or if you honestly look at it, then you will say that these numbers have nothing to do with you do not speak? And in most cases, everything is exactly like this, we see the result, but we cannot analyze it, because we do not know what each direction means.

Funny conversation with a friend

In general, I decided to write an article on this topic just yesterday. I was talking with an acquaintance, and it so happened that we started talking about the Internet. He asks me - Vanek, what is your Internet speed? Well, I said, I pay 300 rubles for 8 MB/s. Without hesitation, the acquaintance replied, well, what bullshit is your Internet, I have 30 Mbit/s for only 250 rubles. This whole thing was said with such a smart look, I couldn’t restrain myself, I laughed, when I walked away, I immediately thought - this is the topic for a new article.

Users who understand have already figured out what the catch is, and for those who didn’t catch it, read the article carefully and absorb useful knowledge. For probably another 15 minutes I had to explain to my friend that he had made a little mistake in choosing the Internet and the money he paid could be spent more wisely if armed with good Internet. I won’t mutter too much, let’s move on.

How is Internet speed measured?

In order to understand and correctly analyze the speed of Internet connections, you need to have a good understanding of the units of measurement that you will actually use to measure your Internet in the future.

This is very important, it’s a must, well, it’s absolutely necessary, it’s necessary, there’s simply no other way. After all, when you come to the store, you tell the seller how many kilograms of apples to sell you, or you yourself calculate how many kilograms of potatoes you need to buy so that there is enough for at least a week for the whole family, you even tritely calculate how many grams of candy to buy so that you have enough money to pay. Now let's get down to business.

When you start wondering about the Internet, you come across two units of measurement - Megabits and Megabytes. Let's go in order.

The MEGA prefix is a million-dollar prefix, you don’t need to pay special attention to them, it’s just an abbreviation, a replacement of the number 10 to the 6th power. Once again, we don’t look at the console, we follow everything that is written next, namely, we look at the BITS and BYTES. (megaBIT, mega BYTE)

A bit is the smallest unit of measurement used in calculations in the “computer world”, think of a bit as one unit - 1

A byte is naturally also a unit of measurement, but it contains 8 bits, which means a byte is eight times larger than a bit.

Once again, a BYTE is 8 bits.

Examples. When testing Internet speed, you may be shown:

30 Mbit/s or 3.75 MB/s, where you should understand that these are two identical numbers. That is, when you took measurements and were shown the result in megabits, you can safely divide it by 8 and get the real result. In our example, 30 Mbit/8= 3.75 MB

You haven’t forgotten about my conversation with a friend, now you can go back and see why I didn’t agree with my friend, what was his mistake? Look, count, it will be useful for consolidation.

In addition to units of measurement, for proper analysis of an Internet connection, you need to know that there are two types of connections. Incoming and outgoing.

It’s not at all difficult, but you have to read it once just to know. Incoming information is everything that you download to your computer, watch online, listen to music, in general, everything that you view on the Internet will be called incoming traffic.

But when your computer transmits information, let’s say you are playing an online game and small packets of information that control actions in the game are necessarily sent from your computer, or for example you upload a photo to a social network, all this will be considered outgoing traffic.

Remember:

All we take on the Internet is incoming traffic.

Everything we send to the Internet is outgoing traffic.

Now a little advice: when analyzing, you can not pay attention to outgoing traffic. Why? Because if the incoming Internet connection is good, the outgoing one will automatically be good. They come in a complex, but you need to remember that the speed of incoming information is always higher, sometimes even twice as high, but this is not scary.

When measuring your Internet speed, you will see pictures like this and this is normal:

I think the numbers are more or less understood and now you can easily analyze the speed of your Internet connection as accurately as possible. Although it’s probably worth making a small digression to suggest what speed will be enough and for what purpose.

What kind of internet do I need for stable operation?

Here is a table that will serve as a hint to this question, and if you don’t understand, then write in the comments to this article, as soon as I see it, I’ll immediately write the answer.

Task	Internet connection speed	Classification
Viewing text and graphic information	10 Mbit/s or 1 MB/s	Slow Internet
Watch online movies, listen to music, play, chat on Skype	From 20 Mbit/s to 40 Mbit/s	Good, multitasking.
Working on the Internet, downloading large amounts of information, high-quality videos and other high loads	From 80 Mbit/s and above	Universal for all occasions

I often hear the question, but with the Internet like this, how long will it take me to download a movie? To be honest, such questions irritate me a little, if you know how to count, then why not do it, this is forgivable for adults and elderly people of the previous generation, but now young people should be educated and instantly give out the information of interest, so in the article I won’t even write about this, but just in case, I will show the principle of calculation in the video, so after finishing reading the text, do not be lazy to spend a couple of minutes watching the video.

And besides this, you should always remember that a virus can get onto your computer and the speed will be reduced several times,

Where can you test your Internet speed?

As I said at the beginning, there are a lot of different resources that provide the opportunity, so to speak, to weigh and measure your Internet. But as practice shows, only a few of them work stably and can provide correct information and not fantasize...

yandex.ru/internet- for me this is the best resource for measuring the Internet.

speedtest.net/ru/ is a mega popular site for determining speed, but it works fine for me only after the second scan. After the first time it shows unreal numbers, so I immediately run it a second time and get a normal, real result.

2ip.ru/speed/— the site can do a lot of useful things, I like it, but unfortunately it often cheats with Internet measurements, but it gives some useful information, who serves it, what provider it is and where the service site is located.

By the way, I took examples of pictures from these sites, in the video I will show each site separately, and you yourself will choose which one you like best. When you analyze the results, you may notice another interesting parameter - Ping.

What is ping on the Internet?

This parameter can often be heard, especially among those who like to play online games. These types of people, to be honest, are a little obsessed with pings during the game.

Even 7-8 years ago I had a case when I entered the game myself, as I remember now - it was Counter-Strike. Well, I came in, I’m playing, I hear a lot of fuss, shouting and discontent, and in every sentence they shout, he has a high ping, let’s kick him out. And in fact, they kicked me out of the room by general vote; of course, I was not very happy, but there was nothing to do.

That day I spent several hours studying the cursed word ping at that time.

But in fact, the essence of its work is very simple, I will not load your heads, but will only say that this is also a unit of measurement that shows the speed of data transfer from your computer to the server.

Now, quite simply, you entered the game, at the moment when you perform some action for you, the character simply makes a movement. And from the technical side, in order to even simply move your character from place, the computer must send a command (packet of files) to the server, and the time during which these files will fly to the server, be processed there and return back will be called ping.

In fact, Ping is the speed of data exchange between the computer and the server.

What does ping depend on, and how can it be lowered?

Everything here is quite simple, the first and main reason is the physical distance between your computer and the game server. For example, you play in Moscow, and the server is in China, the distance is very long and therefore it takes more time to transmit data packets. And at this moment we are swearing that the game is lagging.

Naturally, the ping will be affected by the speed of your Internet; the faster the connection, the lower the ping will be. Next, you need to understand that ping can increase if the transmission line is overloaded, that is, your provider serves not just your apartment, but an entire house or street, and if everyone decides to surf the Internet at the same time, then there will be a little chaos.

Rational use of traffic is when you are sitting at home on the Internet via Wi-Fi, playing, and at the same time your parents are watching TV series through the same Wi-Fi, your little sister is sitting on a tablet in the next room and playing her games. The more people use the access point at the same time, the lower the Internet speed becomes and the ping increases accordingly.

There are three ways to lower your ping:

Change provider or tariff plan to a more powerful one
Make some changes to the operating system registry (the improvement is not significant)
Loading specialized software. (we immediately throw this method out of our heads and use the first two)

Have you figured out what's what? I think you all understood a long time ago, so I’ll wrap it up. Below you can find a video to reinforce the material you have read, don’t be lazy, you have to watch it.

Watch video: How to find out the Internet speed on your computer?

Well, have you finished reading? Then we go below and write our comment on this article, otherwise how will I know whether you have read it at all or not? See you soon, bye friends.

Internet providers boast about their fastest data transfer speeds, but what is the reality? The speed depends on many factors: time and day of the week, communication channel congestion, technical condition of servers, condition of communication lines and even the weather. When purchasing a certain package of services, you want to be sure that the money is not being paid in vain, and that the Internet speed corresponds to the advertised speed.

We will check using special services on the network, because this is the most convenient, accessible and accurate way to determine Internet speed. Speed is measured from the computer to the server on which the service runs. Accordingly, indicators from different services will differ.

Measured:

incoming speed, i.e. the one from which we download from the Internet
outgoing – speed of information transfer, i.e. when data is transferred from our computer, for example when you send an email or file, or a torrent is opened.

As a rule, these two indicators differ, for me - up to three times, depending on what you test. The outgoing speed is usually lower because it is used less often.

Data transfer speed is measured in kilobits or megabits. One byte contains 8 bits plus a couple of service bits. This means that with a result of 80 Mbps, the actual speed is 8 MB per second. Each speed test consumes about 10-30 megabytes of traffic!

Ookla SpeedTest

Today's best service, designed for testing Internet connection throughput. Accurately determines the maximum possible speed for your computer at the moment.

To start the test, click the big “START” button. The service will determine the optimal server and begin transmitting data. As testing progresses, the current speed is displayed. It usually grows as the process progresses.

Please note what indicators are determined:

Very approximate good values for wired Internet:

“download” - incoming speed: 30-70 Mbit/s
“download” - outgoing speed: 10-30 Mbit/s
"PING" : 3-30 ms

For mobile 3G/4G Internet:

incoming: 5-10 Mbit/s
outgoing: 1-2 Mbit/s
PING: 15-50 ms

PING is an important indicator; it is the time it takes to establish a connection. The closer the server, the lower the value and the better.

SpeedTest has servers all over the globe, so first your location and the closest server are determined, then the test data is transmitted. The measured speed is the maximum possible for your computer at a given time. This is achieved due to the fact that the server for data exchange is located in your city or region, and the closer the server is to the computer, the higher the speed. But you can choose any server!

Thus, it turns out that we will get a speed that is not achievable for most sites on the Internet, well, because their servers are located further away. Thanks to this “trick” I got the best results. The obtained figures can be compared with those declared by the provider, but the actual speed on the Internet is still lower.

Speedtest has applications for smartphones:

After testing, a permanent link to the results and to a picture is provided, which you can show off on social networks :)

If you check the speed several times in a row, you will notice that it is different each time. It depends on the load of the provider and server. Therefore, I recommend running the test several times and calculating the average speed, this will be more correct.

After registration, the history of all checks becomes available and the ability to compare them, which is also important. You can run a test from time to time and then look at the history for the year, and in a graphical representation. It will immediately become clear where your provider is developing (or, on the contrary, it will turn out that it’s time to change it).

SpeedTest app for Windows 10

Using the application, you can find out what the quality of your Internet connection is.

Communication quality differs from speed. For example, a file may be downloading at breakneck speed and suddenly the download is interrupted and you have to start over. After finishing the test in the application, you need to click on the results:

To determine the quality of communication, the following indicators are used:

Ripple (jitter) - phase pulsation, the smaller the better. Up to 5 ms.
Packet loss - what percentage of data was lost and had to be resent. Should be 0%

Internet meter from Yandex

Unlike Speedtest, the service from Yandex measures the data transfer speed between your laptop and its servers, only its own. It turns out that the speed here should be lower than in the speed test, but it is closer to reality for working on the RUNet.

Click the “Measure” button and wait a while while Yandex tests. The time will depend on the speed itself, and if it is too low, or there are communication interruptions, the test may freeze or fail.

Yandex tests as follows: downloads and uploads a test file several times, and then calculates the average value. For better accuracy, strong dips are cut off. However, after each re-check I received different results with an error of 10-20%, which in principle is quite normal, because... Speed is not a constant indicator and fluctuates all the time. This was during the day, and then I tested early in the morning and the result jumped with a difference of up to 50%.

Yandex Internet Meter also shows the IP address and detailed technical information about the browser.

Service 2ip.ru

I have been using this wonderful service for a long time. The 2ip.ru service will also show you, give complete information at this address, check any of your files for viruses, tell you a lot of interesting things about any site on the Internet (IP, site engine, presence of viruses, distance to the site, its accessibility, etc.).

2ip determines your provider, the optimal server and checks the speed between you and this server, just like SpeedTest.Net, but 2ip has fewer servers, so the ping will be higher. But there are statistics on the average speed in your city and your provider. With each repeated test, my speed changed slightly - within 10%.

Another service that runs on HTML5, without Flash or Java, just like the previous services.

OpenSpeedTest will help you measure bandwidth between Western servers. You will notice that the pings have become even higher.

Works stably, averages the obtained values, fairly predictable and repeatable results.

The service is not of particular interest for testing high-speed Internet, but it may be of interest to those who use a modem or other not the fastest Internet. The results show average results for various network interfaces (modem, coaxial cable, Ethernet, Wi-Fi) and yours for comparison.

Here the measurement accuracy is expressed as a percentage. It is calculated based on whether the speed during data transfer was stable or fluctuated greatly. The more stable, the higher the accuracy.

I will separately note the testing method using . To do this, take a torrent with a large number of seeds and look at the real data reception speed.

For everyone, before testing it is advisable to:

Close all programs except the browser (especially those that can download something) and leave only one tab of the speed testing service active
Wait until the end or stop all downloads in your browser!
Check if any program is using the network. To do this, open the “Task Manager” using the “Ctrl+Shift+Esc” buttons, go to the “Performance” tab and click on the network adapter. If there are several of them, then there will be only one with data:

See how much data was sent and transmitted in the last minute. If no program uses the network, then there should be a few to tens, a maximum of a hundred kbit/s. Otherwise, reboot and check again.

Let's sum it up

Finally, I want to say that not a single service was able to determine the maximum possible indicators for my Internet connection. I say this because when downloading from torrents, my speed reaches 10 MB/s. This happens by downloading from different sources scattered around the world at the same time (this is how torrents work). And the services work with only one server, albeit a powerful one. Therefore, I can recommend the uTorrent program as a tester, but it works on active distributions where there are dozens of seeders.

Do not forget that low speed may be due to, or due to a weak Wi-Fi adapter. Please write your results in the comments and don’t forget to post the article on social networks.

Video review:

Hello, dear readers of the blog site. There are a lot of online services that allow you to do this, and they will be discussed below. But often all this is not needed - all that is required is quickly test your internet channel and understand how well it corresponds to the tariff plan for which you pay money to the provider.

Not long ago, the bourgeois service “nPerf Speed Test” offered me to install their script on the site. It works very clearly and does an excellent job of checking the quality of your connection to the global network. Just click on the “Start testing” button just below (this is not a screenshot, but a completely working speedometer).

At first data download speed is measured from the network (usually this test is the most important for most users), then goes recoil speed measurement, and in the end it is calculated ping, i.e. delays in response when accessing any server on the Internet.

Yes, actually, what can I say. Try it yourself. Just above is the window of this online meter and you just need to click on the button.

Measure your internet speed on your computer right here

Despite the fact that the above speedometer is extremely easy to use and, importantly, is completely translated into Russian, it is worth mentioning several nuances associated with its use. The test usually takes one or two minutes (depending on the speed of your connection), after which you can see the test results in the same window:

You will see the main indicators in the right column:

Download speed- the most important characteristic for those who often download something “heavy” from the Internet.
Unloading— testing the back channel through which you will upload files to the network. It is important for those who post a lot of something on the Internet, for example, upload videos to YouTube, (on,) or something else heavy, or in large quantities. This is also important when actively working with cloud services. Although in the latter case both speed values are important.
Delay- this is essentially the good old one, which is very important for those who play online. It will determine the response speed, i.e. reaction time to your actions (the quality of the Internet channel is tested). If the delay is long, it will be difficult or even impossible to play.

I have an Internet provider MGTS (Gpon) and a tariff with a declared channel width of 100 Mbit. As can be seen from the speed measurement graphs, such a figure did not work out in either direction. In principle, this is normal, because my signal transmission from the router to the computer goes through the electrical network, which apparently has interference. In addition, there are several other Internet users working in the apartment besides me, and it’s beyond my power to force them to stop.

Let us return, however, to our measurement tool. On the right side of its window you will see the IP address of your computer. Under the “Start Testing” button there is a wrench, by clicking on which you can select speed units:

The default is megabits per second, but you can select megabytes, as well as kilobytes or kilobits. , can be viewed via the link. In general, the speed in megabytes will be about eight to nine times less than in megabits. In theory, it should be 8 times, but there are service packets that eat up part of the channel speed.

Let's go over the meter's capabilities and differences from competitors (we'll talk about competitors below):

Like other similar online meters, it runs on Flash, but does not require any additional plugins - it works in all browsers including mobile ones
This speed test is developed in HTML5 and can measure channels wider than Gbit/s, which is not available to many other online services.
You can check any type of connection including WiMAX, WiFi and local networks

Yes, also this speed test allows you to choose a place, where the data will be downloaded from and where it will be sent, by the transmission speed of which you will judge the quality of your Internet channel. By default, the server (?) closest to your current location is selected for testing (it’s not difficult).

But the program may make a mistake, or for some reason you yourself will need to measure the quality of the connection between your computer and a server from another country. This is easy to do by simply clicking on the corresponding line at the bottom of the window (see screenshot above).

How to check internet speed on your phone

In principle, you can do exactly the same. Open this page on your mobile phone, then click on the “Start testing and wait for the result” button at the beginning of it. The meter script works quite correctly on mobile devices and displays the characteristics of the forward and reverse Internet channels, as well as the response speed (ping).

If this method seems somewhat inconvenient to you, you can try install the application on your mobile phone"Speed Test" by nPerf. It's quite popular (half a million installations) and largely repeats what you've already seen:

But after testing the speed of the forward and reverse channels, as well as measuring ping, the Speed Test application also measures the loading time of popular social networks (web surfing) and determines how Internet connection is suitable for watching streaming video(streaming) of various quality (from low to HD). Based on the test results, a summary table is generated and an overall score (in parrots) is given.

Where else can you measure your Internet speed?

Below I want to give examples of free online services that allow you to measure the speed of your Internet connection, find out my or your IP address from which you access the network, determine your location, check a site or file for a virus, find out if the required port is open for you on the computer and much more.

The most famous of them are Speedtest (speedtest.net), Ya.Internetometer (internet.yandex.ru), as well as the universal online service 2IP (2ip.ru), which, in addition to measuring connection speed and determining the IP address, can do many different things , up to anonymous (anonim) surfing the Internet. Let's look at them all in order.

Speedtest (speedtest.net)

The most popular online service for testing Internet speed bears the proud name Speedtest(from the word speed - speed).

As a result of its use, you will find out the incoming and outgoing speeds of your Internet connection. However, you can experience the capabilities of a full-fledged tool only by visiting the developers’ website. It is located at SpeedTest.net(speedtest point no), and not.ru, because in the latter case you will end up on an indecent resource.

I got acquainted with the speed test as soon as I connected my first unlimited tariff, because I wanted to check whether my new provider was deceiving me about the speed of the channel provided. It was only later that I became interested in the more advanced capabilities of 2ip and others like it, which will be discussed in the continuation of this publication.

To activate the speed test All you have to do is click on the “Start” button. Although you can pre-select the location of the server from which the check will be carried out (the “Change server” button):

True, I liked their old design much better. Previously, measuring Internet speed in a speed test was done very clearly (the transfer of data between the selected city and your computer was displayed) and waiting for the result did not cause negative emotions:

Now it's completely boring (bring back the old SpeedTest design!):

Internet meter from Yandex

If the results of the speed test in the Speedtest do not suit you or seem unreliable (or maybe your flash just won’t start), then the Yandex online service will come to your aid - (formerly it was called Yandex Internet - internet.yandex.ru):

Immediately after entering the site, you will see the unique address of your computer from which you accessed the Internetometer, as well as other summary information about your browser, screen resolution and location (determined based on IP).

For that, to determine the speed of your Internet connection, it will be enough to click on this Yandex Internet service the button in the form of a green line "Measure" and wait a minute until the test finishes:

As a result, you will find out how well your channel corresponds to the characteristics declared by the provider, and you will also be able to receive a code for publishing test results. In general, the Internetometer service from Yandex is simple to the point of disgrace, but it performs its main task (measuring channel width or, in other words, connection speed) quite well.

Testing speed in 2ip and Ukrtelecom

I have been familiar with 2ip for quite a long time, but at the time when I was just starting to use it, I was little interested in all its capabilities that could be useful to webmasters. Or maybe these opportunities weren’t there before.

When you go to the 2 ip main page, you will immediately have the opportunity to find out and use a number of other mini-services:

Well, and among other things, you can measure speed of your Internet in 2IP. Before starting testing, turn off all downloads, close the tabs in the online video, after which you can fill out the fields with the channel width declared by the Internet provider for downloading and uploading, or you can just forget about it and click on the “Test” button:

It will take some time to check the incoming and outgoing speed of your Internet connection, after which you will be able to evaluate the test results, and at the same time receive a code for inserting a widget with the measurement results, for example, into a post on a forum or somewhere else:

You can check the speed of your Internet connection not only in the services described above, but also in a number of others. For example, Speedtest Ukrtelecom— a very laconic, I must say, online service. Nothing superfluous - just speed and ping numbers:

Good luck to you! See you soon on the pages of the blog site

Performing a speed test

When your internet seems slow, testing your internet connection speed is one of the tools you will need to identify the reasons for the slowness. An Internet connection speed test is actually an Internet connection speed meter that gives you specific numbers for the speed of downloading and uploading data to the Internet.

It's important to have these specific metrics because slow download and upload speeds can indicate problems with your Internet service provider, or a potential problem with your router. On the other hand, if your Internet connection check shows that your Internet connection speed is normal, then this may indicate possible problems with the site you are trying to access, or perhaps your Internet speed is not sufficient for the browsing you are doing. you use it.

Testing your Internet connection speed is easy to do. It only takes a few seconds and it's free with Speedcheck.

Using Speedcheck to measure Internet speed

Checking the speed of your Internet connection is as easy as pie - you need to open the website, click on the blue “Start Speed Test” button, and run the test. Wait for the test to complete, then you will see three measurements on your screen:

The waiting period shows the time delay for data to reach its destination. The waiting period is measured in milliseconds. In general terms, any latency period less than 100 ms is good. A longer latency period, such as over 200ms, can cause lag during your activities, such as a video call, and may make your internet appear to be even slower than it is.
Download speed, measured in MB/s, shows how quickly your device downloads data from the Internet. If your download speeds are not fast enough to support your activities, such as watching videos or playing games, then your internet may seem slow or sluggish.
Download speed, also measured in MB/s, is how fast your device can upload data to the Internet. Your download speed affects how quickly large files such as photos or videos download.

It is important to regularly check your Internet connection speed for several reasons:

Your ISP contract displays set upload and download speeds, but you don't need to have those exact speeds. In reality, speeds may be much slower than those specified in the contract, which may affect your internet functionality and ability to browse the internet.
You may get these speeds at certain times during the day, but not at other times. The only way to determine the quality of your Internet connection is to test your Internet connection speed at different times throughout the day. You may notice that your internet slows down during peak usage hours, then speeds up again late at night or early in the morning when fewer people are using the internet.

In order to understand the actual speed of your connection, you will need to run several tests at different times of the day. The site logs all your previous checks so you can easily view all your results at once.

For example, let's say your ISP contract says you get 500 MB/s download speeds and 9.4 MB/s upload speeds. You run a few tests and find that you are getting a download speed of 48.9 mb/s and an upload speed of 9.4 mb/s. These are excellent speeds and quite close to the promised values. However, if you run tests and find that instead of 50 MB/s you get 4.5 MB/s, then this difference significantly affects the functionality of your Internet, and indicates that there is a problem with the system.

Unusually slow download and upload speeds indicate a problem with your Internet service provider, your connection, or may simply occur during the day when a lot of people are using the Internet. If you've done a lot of checks and found that your internet connection speed is consistently slow, then you'll have to sort out the problem if you want to surf the internet without slowing down, waiting for pages to load, or having to wait while watching videos.

Understanding your internet connection speed is one step in troubleshooting your slow internet connection. The more you know about your Internet connection speed, the sooner you can identify problems that are causing slow Internet connection speeds or low activity. With all this, you will be able to solve problems with your Internet connection and improve the activity (and reliability) of your Internet connection.

But what exactly is mb/s? And how to fix a slow Internet connection? Here's the information you need, plus a few additional tools to help you speed up your Internet connection.

Chapter 2: Internet Connection Basics

To identify the causes of a slow Internet connection, you need to understand information about the different types of Internet connections. From various ISPs you can choose how to measure your Internet connection speed. Below is detailed information explaining in detail how your internet works. We will also explain the difference between download and upload speeds. Then you can use the Internet speed test results to better understand how fast your Internet is.

Understanding the basics of Internet connections

Let's start with a quick overview of how the internet works so you can understand what we're trying to do when we try to troubleshoot your internet connection.

Devices such as computers, mobile phones, and tablets connect to the Internet in a variety of ways, including underground wires, cellular connections, or even satellites. Once connected, computers can communicate with each other, and you can view and share information with others around the world within seconds.

Your device can connect to the Internet through an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or by setting up a wired or wireless hotspot on your mobile phone. When you create a wired or wireless hotspot on your mobile phone, you are essentially turning your phone into a mobile hotspot. Only a few carriers and plans allow you to create a wired or wireless hotspot on your mobile phone. Mobile operators MTS, Rostelecom and Beeline offer tariff plans that allow you to create a wired or wireless access point on a mobile phone.

When it comes to your Internet service provider, you can choose any provider and any mobile phone. Common ISP providers are Rostelecom, MegaFon or MTS. Different ISPs offer different types of internet, such as dial-up, broadband, and DSL. We'll delve a little deeper into these concepts because the type of connection you have will determine how your computer or smartphone connects to the internet.

Once you register with an ISP and begin receiving services, your computer will be assigned an Internet Protocol or IP address. The address, which consists of a series of numbers and spaces, helps identify your computer and all your online activity.

Once your computer is connected to your ISP and you have your IP address (this is usually done automatically and you don't have to worry about it), you can access the Internet, visit pages, send emails and much more.

The problem is that if any part of the system breaks, you will not be able to access the Internet. And if your Internet connection is too slow, then even simple browsing on the Internet can become a tedious task and you may not even be able to access specific sites. You won't even know which part of the entire system caused the connection to fail. And this is where you need troubleshooting.

What you need to know about ISP

It is important to know that not all ISPs (Internet Service Providers) provide the same Internet services in terms of price, download and upload speeds. Every ISP is different, so you will need to carefully consider the aspects that are important to you. Remember that most ISPs require you to sign a contract for at least 2 years, so take this decision responsibly - you will have to stick with one ISP for a while.

As you evaluate ISP options, take the time to review reviews of those services. Reviews can reveal important information to you about factors such as reliability, technical support, and overall quality of the ISP that you might not otherwise know.

One of the most important differences among ISPs is the difference between download and upload speeds. These speeds have a direct impact on how you can use the internet and can be one of the reasons for slow internet.

In addition to the speed that the ISP offers, also think about the following factors:

Availability – Before searching for ISP information, make sure the provider provides services in your area. You can find information that ISPs only serve specific areas, and some only serve specific addresses in the city. Do not rely on the coverage map provided by your ISP, as it usually does not detail service availability at your address. Instead, call your provider to see what services are available to you.
Reliability – Look for information on how often this provider experiences internet outages. This can be quite annoying, especially if you need the Internet for work.
Data Plan Options and Pricing – Most ISPs offer many different pricing plans. Tariff plans may vary in speed and price. Browse through the available options and see if there is one that suits you. If not, look at other ISPs.
Contracts – Always read the fine print of your ISP contract. Most contracts require services to be retained for a minimum of 2 years, and may include excessive penalties for terminating services before the specified period. Also double-check the price - some prices may only be fixed for a certain period of time, and after that period ends, the price of your plan may increase.

There is another important factor in choosing an ISP: the type of Internet connection you will be provided with.

How is Internet speed measured?

Internet speed can be measured in a variety of ways, but most metrics refer to MB/s.

One kilobit per second (Kbps) is the slowest rate used. It is commonly used with older types of internet, such as dial-up modems.
One megabit per second (Mb/s) is the equivalent of 1,000 Kb/s. This is the most common speed indicator you can find today.
One gigabit per second (Gb/s) is the equivalent of 1,000 Mb/s. This metric is associated with high-performance networks.

The higher the indicator, the faster the Internet.

Let's pay attention to Mb/s. What is normal? What is not normal?

Contracts offered by ISPs usually differ in download speed. In most cases around the world, contracts start at 3 MB/s and increase depending on the speed of 10 MB/s, 20 MB/s, 50 MB/s, 100 MB/s, 200 MB/s, 500 MB/s, and in some cities and up to 1000 MB/s (1 Gb/s).

In order to find out what speed your Internet has, you need to consider how you connect your device to the modem. Regular LAN cables can support speeds of up to 100 Mb/s or 1 Gb/s (1000 MB/s). Depending on how fast your ISP connection is, your Internet connection or LAN cables could be potential delaying factors. For example, if you pay your ISP for 500Mbps, but use a 100Mbps LAN cable to connect to your modem, then that cable will reduce your internet speed to 100Mbps, even if you pay for the higher speed. On the other hand, if you only pay for 50Mbps but use a local cable of 1Gbps, then that is too much since the internet speed from your ISP is much slower than the cable can handle.

You don't have to use a local cable to connect your computer to your modem or router. If your device supports WiFi, like most laptops and smartphones, you can connect to your modem wirelessly via WiFi. In this case, you will have 2 connections: your device connects to the modem via WiFi, then the modem connects to your ISP. Both of these connections can slow down your internet speed. This means that you will need to choose a WiFi router that supports the speed provided by the ISP. Remember that the distance you are from the router can also slow down your internet speed, so it's best to get a router that supports at least double the internet speed provided by your ISP.

For home networks, speeds range from 1 Mb/s to 500 Mb/s.
Local cables support 100 Mb/s or 1000 Mb/s.
Most Wi-Fi routers (802.11g) support at least 54 Mbps.

Is your internet fast enough? And what is a good internet speed?

This is a controversial issue, since there is no “good” Internet speed. The speed that's right for you depends on many factors: how you use the internet, the types of sites you visit, how much you download and upload. For example, if you access the Internet several times a day to check news sites, the weather, and use email, you don't necessarily need the same speed as a user who downloads a lot of photos, watches Netflix daily, and enjoys playing online games.

How to measure download and upload speeds

Download speeds, upload speeds, and why they matter

We've talked a little about Internet connection speeds, and you should already understand that high speed leads to faster Internet usage. But when you're trying to troubleshoot your internet connection and run an internet speed test, it's best to know a little more about internet connection speeds and how they affect your internet usage.

When we talk about “internet speeds,” we are talking about two speeds: download speed and upload speed.

Download speed shows how quickly your computer can download information from the Internet. When you watch a video, load a web page (especially one with a lot of photos), or download a document, the download speed is an indicator of how long it will take.

On the other hand, download speed shows the process of downloading content from your computer to the internet. When you download a photo, document or video or email, the download speed is an indicator of how long it will take.

When you browse the Internet, most of your activity consists of downloading rather than uploading. For this reason, most ISPs offer packages with faster download speeds and slower upload speeds.

The average internet user won't rely heavily on download speeds, but there are people who do. For example, if you work with large files, videos or photos, and often download a large number of files, then you need a service that offers faster download speeds than usual.

Chapter 3: Connections, modems and routers

Your internet connection has a significant impact on how fast your internet will function. With many options available for connection types, we've presented the most basic ones so you can make an informed decision. But an Internet connection isn't everything. You'll also need a router with the ability to handle the speeds provided by your internet connection. We've included some tips for choosing the right router for you, so you don't inadvertently slow down your internet speed.

Types of Internet connections

Remember how we explained that your computer can connect to the Internet in different ways? These types of Internet connections can also affect the speed and functionality of the Internet. Some ISPs only offer one or two connection types, so you'll need to understand the pros and cons of each connection method.

Dial-up
Dial-up Internet access was once very popular, but is no longer used. This connection method uses a phone line to connect, essentially dialing a phone number to “get through” to the Internet. You will need to use a modem and dial-up internet access is extremely slow. In addition, you will not be able to use your phone line while using the Internet.
DSL
Digital subscriber line (DSL) allows you to use the Internet and telephone at the same time. DSL is very popular in cities, but is much less available in rural areas. Today it is the most popular way to access the Internet.
Cable
With a cable connection, your computer accesses the Internet through a cable TV connection instead of a telephone line. This means that you can use the Internet and phone at the same time, which makes cable Internet very popular.
Fiber
Fiber optic connections are quickly gaining popularity because they are much faster than other types of Internet connections. This type of connection is gaining popularity in cities, but is not yet widely available in more rural areas.
WiFi
Wireless high-speed connections, also known as WiFi, use a wired connection like DSL, cable or fiber to send radio waves to devices. This creates high-speed connections that are used to create access points in libraries, restaurants and other public buildings. You can, of course, create your own home hotspot.

Some of these connection types are faster than others, and it is important to choose the fastest connection type available in your area if you want to maximize your internet speed.

Using wireless routers

Your computer connects to the ISP and gains access to the Internet. Pretty simple, right? If you decide to use a wireless router to create a WiFi signal in your home or business, you are adding another layer of complexity and another point where things can go wrong and slow down your internet speed. Regardless, there are many reasons why you should use a wireless router at home.

A wireless router gives you flexibility in using the Internet at home. Without such a router, you will need to connect your computer directly to the modem using a local cable. You are literally connected to a modem, and if you have a laptop, you will not be able to move around with it while using the Internet. With a router, you can connect many devices to the Internet at the same time, such as a laptop, phone and tablet. (Most ISPs offer modems that are also routers, so you won't need to buy a router in this case.)

Wireless routers are great for a lot of reasons, but there are many factors that can affect their functionality that you should keep in mind:

Distance – The further you are from the router, the weaker the connection. If you have a large house, you can install several routers to solve this issue.
Interference – If there are walls or other objects blocking the signal from the router to the device, then your WiFi range may be reduced. If you're two or three rooms away from your router, multiple walls can reduce your WiFi range to the point where you won't be able to connect to the internet.
Radio Frequency Interference – If you are using the internet at a good speed and it suddenly slows down when someone turns on the microwave, then you are experiencing radio frequency waves because your router uses radio waves to send and receive data. Anything else in the external environment that also uses radio waves - such as a microwave - can affect your router and internet speed.

If you need to buy a router, then you need to choose the options that suit you. Not all routers are created equal, and your router can actually affect your download and upload speeds, potentially slowing down your computer.

Router speeds are measured in megabits per second (Mbps); the higher the indicator, the faster the router. You can find routers with speeds ranging from 54Mbps to high-end routers with speeds over 1Gbps (1,000Mbps).

How important is router speed? Differently. Buying a router with significantly slow speeds can slow down your Internet connection. However, buying a router that offers faster speeds than your ISP provides will not actually speed up your Internet connection. In short, it's better to buy a high-speed router, but don't think that buying a high-speed router will make your internet faster if your ISP doesn't provide that speed.

There is one more factor that you should consider when evaluating a router: the technological standards of the router. Wireless networking devices such as routers are measured by technology standards. These standards are identified by the numbers 802.11, which are accompanied by a letter. The combination of numbers and numbers is used to identify the specific technology used by the router and can indicate the range of speeds that the router can handle.

802.11g is the main technology that you may see in routers. This is a 2.4 GHz technology only. Since this technology is something basic, such routers can only reach speeds of up to 54 Mbps.
802.11n is a step forward in technology. This 2.4/5.8 GHz technology allows the router to achieve faster speeds, up to 600 Mbps. 802.11ac is a more advanced technology. 5.8 GHz technology makes routers much faster so that they can reach speeds of over 500 Mbps.

If you want to evaluate whether this router is right for you, then one of the best options is to look at online reviews. These reviews can provide information about activity and speed. Generally speaking, it is best to avoid the cheapest option, low activity routers, as they may have problems with low reliability and activity. Next, we will take a closer look at identifying problems with your router.

Chapter 4: Why is my internet slow?

Slow Internet is not only very annoying. The problem can get so bad that the Internet practically stops working. If you're dealing with an unusually slow Internet connection, you may be experiencing the following problems: sites won't load properly or videos take forever to download before watching. Factors such as ISP, time of day you use the internet, the device you use - all these factors affect your internet speed. Here is a list of some potential causes of slow internet.

Factors slowing down your internet

While you may think your Internet speed is fine, there are some factors that can slow down your Internet, causing performance issues, slow loading sites, videos taking a few minutes to load at the end, and other potential problems.

The type of your Internet connection. Internet speeds over a dial-up line are very different from the speeds you would expect from a DSL, fiber, or broadband connection. Some connection types only provide limited speeds, so you should be careful about speed requirements when choosing a connection type.
Your ISP. Each ISP offers different plans with different upload and download speeds. Faster plans cost more, but they can also be more reliable. If you're constantly experiencing slow speeds that are hampering your internet usage, a faster data plan may alleviate the problem.
Time of day. Internet speeds tend to slow down during hours when many people are using the Internet at the same time. This is a common problem during the workday. You may notice that speeds return to normal when internet usage is less, such as late at night or early in the morning.
Sites with heavy traffic. The amount of traffic a site receives may affect your internet speed when browsing that site. Sites with heavy traffic can become slow, and can also crash randomly when the page is almost loaded. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do in this case. You just have to be patient and visit the site later.
Your device. You may have a fast internet connection, but your device such as a computer, smartphone or tablet may be outdated, infected with a virus, or a simpler model with slow processing speed, then this can also lead to slow internet usage. If you try to improve your computer or use a different computer, this may help determine whether this is the cause of your slow Internet connection.

Problems You'll Face When Internet Speeds Are Too Slow

Slow Internet speeds can cause problems while browsing. These problems can range from problems that will simply get worse, but if your internet speed is really very slow, then the internet may stop functioning completely.

You may experience some of these problems due to slow internet speeds:

Sites are timing out and sites are not loading properly
Inability to stream video or use Skype or Netflix. Videos can also take a long time to load and appear in poor quality
Large sites (which often have a lot of images) load slowly
Delayed response of the site when entering text or mouse movements

If you notice these problems, then you can be almost sure that your internet speed is too slow to support your internet needs.

Chapter 5: Troubleshooting your Internet connection

When your internet goes out, you can't connect to a particular site, or the internet just won't load normally, you'll need to troubleshoot to get to the root of the problem. Because there are many working parts that make up an Internet connection, and because there are many other factors like Internet speed and site functionality that also play a role, you really need to go through many steps to identify potential problems.

Here's a step-by-step guide to troubleshooting a slow or non-functional internet connection.

Signs of Internet connection problems

You'll probably first notice an internet problem when you can't connect to a website or access your email. The site may take longer to load than usual, or you may receive a message that the site is unavailable.

Before you start troubleshooting your Internet connection, first make sure that the site is truly unavailable. Sites sometimes crash, so check that site again, then try a few other sites to make sure the problem is present on all sites.

You can also visit downforeveryoneorjustme.com. This site allows you to check whether the site is really faulty, or whether you are the only one having problems visiting this site.

If other sites do not load, you receive a message that you have no internet connection or that the site is unavailable, then you most likely have problems with your internet connection.

Here's how to solve them.

Check the connection between your computer and router.
First, you will need to make sure that the internet is properly connected to your computer. How are you trying to connect - via local network or WiFi? If you are using a LAN cable, then make sure that the cable is properly connected to the computer and modem. If you are using WiFi, then open the device settings and check the connection. Then look for an indicator that your computer is connected to the network and that the network is available. You may receive a “No connections available” message, which means there is a problem with the network itself, or the way your computer is trying to connect to the network. Unplugging and reconnecting sometimes helps resolve the problem. If you still cannot connect to the network, you will need to check the IP address of your computer or device. In fact, you have two IP addresses: one identifies your device with the modem or router, and the second identifies the modem with the Internet. When we talk about identifying your IP address, we are talking about the local IP that identifies your device to your modem or router. You think “What is my IP?” Don't worry - it's quite easy to view. To check the local IP address of your device, open Settings. Then select “Networks or WiFi”, then “More”, where you will see the IP address assigned by the modem or router. Check and make sure your IP address is valid. The address looks like a series of numbers separated by spaces, such as 192.168.1.104 or 10.0.1.8. If your address looks like 0.0.0.0, it means it is invalid. You will need to update or reconfigure your IP address in order to connect to the Internet. How you do this depends on the type of connection.
Make sure your router is connected to the Internet
If your router is not connected to the modem or the Internet, then your computer will also not be able to connect. First, check all of your router's wires to make sure they are properly inserted into the router and modem (if your router and modem are separate from each other). Then check the lights on the router and modem. A red or yellow light, or a light that doesn't light up, may indicate a problem. Now unplug the wire from the modem, then plug it back in. This will help reset the system and can sometimes solve connection problems. If you still can't connect, unplug the cable from the router, then plug it in again. If you have another router on hand, try replacing it to determine if the router is the source of the problem. Still can't connect? Try connecting your laptop directly to the modem via cable. You can also wirelessly connect other devices, such as a tablet or phone. If you can connect other devices but cannot connect your computer, there may be a problem with your computer's wireless card or your computer's settings. However, if you can only connect your computer using a cable, then this may mean that there is a problem with the WiFi signal generated by the router. If you are still unable to connect your computer or any other device using the above methods, then there may be an outage problem with your ISP. Call the ISP and explain the problem. They can give you information about current outages in your area.
A note about satellite internet
If you receive internet via a satellite connection, then troubleshooting your internet connection may be a little more difficult. Satellites are affected by rain, snow and even thick clouds. If the internet goes out during bad weather, you most likely have to blame the weather conditions. You should also check your satellite dish for dirt and clear any snow. As annoying as it may seem, you will need to wait for weather conditions to improve before troubleshooting your satellite internet. It's possible that the internet will simply return when weather conditions improve. Your ISP can also provide you with information if you call them.

How to speed up a slow Internet connection

If you're dealing with a slow Internet connection, these tips can help you diagnose what's causing it and determine how to speed up your Internet connection.

Do multiple internet speed checks throughout the day. Speedcheck automatically records the results of each test so you can easily review your results in the future. These checks can also help you consider and understand the actual speeds you are dealing with. If speeds are too slow, then upgrading your data plan or buying a new router may help.
Evaluate your router. Sometimes a slow or damaged router can lead to slow internet speeds and connection problems. Make sure your router is not old or outdated and that it provides the speed you need. Try replacing it with another router if you have one to see if it speeds up your connection
Reduce the number of people connected to the network. If you have a lot of people with a lot of devices connecting to your home network, this can also slow down your internet speed. When used simultaneously, phones, tablets, and computers require faster speeds than you would need using a single computer. Try reducing the number of devices you use simultaneously and see the difference. If there is a difference, then you may need to upgrade your data plan to better support all devices.
Try using the Internet at different times. Remember, during busy periods of Internet use, Internet speed may decrease. Try using the internet at different times when fewer people are using the internet, such as late at night or early in the morning.
Create a strategic download schedule. If you need to download a heavy program, schedule downloads to be distributed early in the morning, when fewer people use the Internet. This will save you time and also give you the opportunity to use the Internet during off-peak hours when it is the fastest.

If you suspect that the ISP is the source of the problem, you will need to contact the company directly. In general, it is faster and better to go to the nearest office in person (and sometimes better) than to call customer service or technical service. Of course, this is only an option if there is a service office nearby and if you have time to visit it.

Whether you call customer service or visit the office in person, you should always keep your case number with you. You will need this information if you are going to pursue this matter, and it can save a lot of time during future calls.

If you don't have internet for a few days, many companies can give you a refund, but you'll need to request it. Determine how many days you are without services, then request a refund for that number of days.

Incorrect settings on your computer
Incorrectly configured network
Faulty wireless cards
Faulty router or modem
And others

If you are upset and don't know what to do, you can hire an IT company or specialist who can help you. An IT expert can come to your home and solve your connection problems. They can also evaluate your equipment, make modifications, make the right settings, and suggest the best ways for you to get reliable home network performance. (The same is true for companies if you're trying to identify problems with your company's internet.)

If you need an IT specialist, first visit your local computer repair store. The store may even suggest these services to you, but even if they don't provide these services, they will likely know local suppliers. Need more ideas? Then check with your local business directory or Google for help. Small companies usually provide more affordable services than large IT companies.

We hope these troubleshooting tips help you speed up your slow Internet connection.