How do I check my internet connection?
eSpeedCheck has made the overall process easier than ever before. All that users need do is click the “Begin Test” button to start testing their internet connection quality, speed, function. The service is designed to locate your server and check it for you making checking far easier than any other service. We will check 3 different parts of your server to insure that you report is accurate with nothing more than a click of a button. This easy to perform test can quickly and easily tell you how fast your internet connection is working so that you can troubleshoot issues.
What questions will the test answer?
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How fast does the internet connection you are using allow you to upload content to the internet?
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How fast does your connection allow you to download content and to view different websites?
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How fast does the connection respond to the commands you give? A good example is how often do you need to pause the videos you are watching mid way to allow time to load?
Interesting fact, your download speed will almost always be faster than your upload speed. The internet is just built that way, less people are uploading content than those that are downloading or simply viewing content so it makes more sense to make downloading faster overall. Though the internet is used by all types that do all sorts of different things on it, it is better suited to people browsing and downloading content so it is made to be easier for them than for those that may be uploading content or information.
How do I know my results are accurate?
There are three steps you should follow to make sure your test comes out with the most accurate results.
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Restart the computer before checking speed
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Do not test the internet while using WiFi because other factors will come into play sending you information that is not accurate.
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Make sure that all other programs, content, and windows are shut down so that the program is only testing the speed of your internet and does not get bogged down by the other programs that may be running in the background.
How fast does my computer need to be functioning in order for me to get the most out of apps and internet sites?
There is no real one note answer for this because each site requires different things from your processor and from your internet connection. One site that does not need a super fast connection may perform perfectly well while another performs poorly. It depends on the overall demands of the site you are using as well as what you have going on in the background of your computer while you work. If you are running the internet and several different programs at the same time, you internet connection is likely to seem as if it is poorer. Here are a few basic requirements that will allow the following programs to work well on your system.
Skype- voice calls require at least 0.1 mbps download and 0.1 mbps upload to function properly. Video calls need a bit more, for uploads you need at least 0.5 mbps download and 0.5 mbps upload. For HD video calls you need quite a bit more with at least 1.5 mbps download and upload speeds.
Netflix- this video streaming service has similar demands that are specific to the quality you are using. For basic quality you need at least 1.5 mbps download. For high quality video play back you need at least 3.0 mbps speeds.
YouTube- for this program you need 0.5 mbps download for a great view.
Hulu- for this video service you need at least 1.0 mbps for any function.
Why isn’t the test checking my upload speed, the download test is working perfectly?
This is a very common issue and is generally the result of an antivirus program that may be running on your computer. This is something that protects your privacy which may block the test. This is easy to fix, just turn off your antivirus for the duration of the test for accurate results of both upload and download speeds.
How does the speed test work, and how are the results calculated and given to me?
The eSpeedCheck test works to test the browser that you are using that uses HTTP which is the most common traffic type. The program is based on flash so it is able to work with your internet to gather and send information rather easily.
How do you check the time it takes for a server to respond?
This is a fairly simple process, first we send out an action in HTTP format and check how long it takes for the server to respond to the request that was sent.
How do you check how fast I can download?
This is again a simple process, the program sets a ten second limit to ensure the test is not overly long. During the ten seconds, our program sends out commands and files to be downloaded then determines how long it took to complete the function.
How do you check how fast I can upload content?
Again, the program creates some commands and a bit of data that is going to be sent to the internet for publication, the data is completely technical and has nothing to do with you and is gone after the test is over. The time it takes for the upload is measured and returned to you.
What does MBPS and KBPS mean?
The first means mega bits per second. The internet works in both mega bits per second and kilobits per second. A mega bit is a unit of measure that contains 1000 kilobits and helps the processors measure internet speed overall. This is abbreviated Mbps.
A kilobit is a unit of measure that also helps us determine speed of the internet. There are 1000 bits in each kilobit. This is abbreviated Kbps.
A Kilobyte is another measure and is often used to measure files and other larger pieces of content. This is abbreviated KBps.
The last is a mega byte. This contains a large amount of content and is abbreviated MBps.
