It may happen, sometimes, that from your PC or your smartphone (if connected to the wi-fi at home), you can not surf. Or that the connection is very slow, and you do not know what the problem is. The solution? Perform a speed test, the most effective way to understand the real speed of your Internet connection and thus intervene on the problem found.
There are many online services that allow you to perform the speed test and thus assess the speed of your ADSL Internet line: more or less they all offer the same tools and the differences are minimal. To use them you don’t need great computer skills: just log in to the site, run the speed test and – after about forty seconds – you will get the results.
In addition to the upload and download speed, the user will also have available the data of the ping test. If the test shows that the speed of your Internet connection is much lower than what is guaranteed by the telephone operator, it is necessary to take action to solve the problem.
Why is it important to check the speed of the Internet
Checking the actual speed of the ADSL or fiber optic connection at home or the mobile network accessible by smartphone allows users to understand the actual quality of service offered by their operator. The speed tests represent, therefore, the main tool available to the users to analyze the Internet network.
To have a real indication on the quality of the own fixed network connection it is necessary to carry out more tests, possibly in different hours during the day in order to verify if in some moments there is a saturation of the network. The tests, preferably, should be performed with a cable connection, connecting a PC or a notebook to the home router. In this way it will be possible to exclude the presence of problems with the Wi-Fi. If the speed test gives you very low values when using the wireless connection and normal values with the wired connection, it will be easy to find the problem behind the slow network.
For a mobile connection, however, you need to perform several speed tests throughout the day and in various locations. If you want to test the speed of your connection in the neighborhood where you live or in a large area, in fact, you will need to perform several speed tests by choosing different locations and testing at different times.
Speed tests are a great way to test the quality of your landline connection and your mobile operator’s network. Using this analysis tool, it will be easy to understand if the subscription or the activated offer is really worth the money spent or if the provider offers, in a certain area, a poor service and changing operator can be a real alternative.
Speed tests represent, therefore, an important tool for users who have the possibility to analyze, in detail, the performance of the Internet network in order to have a precise idea on the quality/price ratio of the activated rates. To periodically execute a speed test is useful also to verify eventual malfunctions, to signal to the own provider, and to make sure that the net that is being used works at best.
On which browser to carry out the speed test
The speed test can be carried out on any program of navigation: Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Microsoft Edge (and the relative variants for smartphone) are ideal browsers to carry out the speed test. In some cases it is necessary to have Flash Player support (browse the photo gallery to discover the best services for checking Internet speed).
Speed test, which service to choose
Tens and tens of sites allow you to measure the speed of your connection. One of the best Italian services is the one offered by SosTariffe, which allows the user to select the municipality and the telephone operator, and thus carry out an Internet speed check in a matter of seconds. Another very good service is the one offered by Ookla, a speed test that is easy to perform (browse the photo gallery and discover all the best sites to perform the ADSL speed test).
Sos Tariffe
Sos Tariffe is a site that allows users to compare the different offers for a long list of services from home Internet subscriptions to mobile phone rates through electricity and gas offers, insurance, the best loans and mortgages. Among the many services available on the portal of SosTariffe.it there is also a practical speed test that allows the user to measure, with precision, the speed and, more generally, the performance of their Internet connection, both fixed and mobile. The test can be performed in a few seconds. Just enter the few data required (the place where the connection takes place and the email address) and start the test. The speed test of SosTariffe.it offers precise information about download and upload speeds as well as ping and jitter, allowing the user to have access to a complete overview of all the characteristics of their network and its real information. It should also be noted that the test allows you to compare the results with the average obtained from the speed tests of other users in the same municipality and, for landline connections, offers precise information about the best rates on the market, to be activated to improve the speed of the Internet while saving on monthly costs.
Ookla Speed test
Ookla, aka www.speedtest.net, is certainly among the most famous services and used by users to verify the speed of the Internet connection. Compared to the Sos Tariffe speed test, the one offered by Ookla is much simpler and immediate. After entering the website, all you have to do is press the Go button to start checking your ADSL speed. At the end the user will receive a report with the download and upload speed and the ping test.
Speed of Me
Speed of Me is one of the few speed test services that does not require Flash Player support: the site is developed in HTML 5 and can also be used by smartphones and tablets. To check your ADSL connection you just need to enter the site and run the speed test.
Testmy
Testmy is a very complete speed test that offers several services. In addition to measuring the speed of the ADSL, the user can also decide to evaluate only the download or upload of his Internet connection (the choice can be made directly from the home page of the service). Once you have completed the speed test, your results will be compared with those of other users, so you’ll have a broader overview of your Internet connection.
Bandwidth Place
Bandwidth Place is an American online comparator of offers, which also allows you to perform a very simple ADSL speed test. After logging in to the site, you must press the Start button on the banner at the top and it will start checking the speed of your Internet connection. At the end you will have the data on download, upload and ping test.
Speed.io
Speed.io is another service widely used by users to perform the ADSL speed test. Pressing the Start Speedtest button will automatically start the test and at the end the user will get both download and upload results. In addition, you will also receive an evaluation of your Internet connection.
Fast.com
Speed test developed by Netflix, Fast.com makes simplicity of use its strong point. As soon as you log in to the site, it will immediately start checking your Internet connection speed and you will receive the result on the download. Simple, easy and fast.
Google Internet Speed Test
Since September 2017, Google has been offering the Internet speed test to Italian users as well. Made in collaboration with Measurement Lab, the Google speed test is characterized by simplicity and immediacy of use.
All the user will have to do is to search for “Speed test” in the search engine and click on the “Run speed test” button that will appear as the first search result. A new window will appear with a speedometer in which you will see the download speed, the upload speed and the latency of the home line. At the end, moreover, the user will be able to read a synthetic judgment on the quality of his own connection, with information also on the possibility to see streaming movies.