Internet Speed Test Explained & Effective Methods to Improve It

We’re in 2023 and almost all modern devices need the Internet to operate.

Thus, having a good and stable internet speed is essential.

The fast way to check network connection is an internet speed test.

However, many people still feel confused about this amazing tool. 

Today, we will break down the terms of the internet and disclose other useful information about it.

If you want to know What is a fast internet speed? How to check internet speed? or the best internet speed test tools, this article is for you. 

Let’s jump right in!

What's my internet speed right now?

1- What is my internet speed?

When you are asking yourself, “what is my internet speed Verizon? What is my internet speed frontier? What is my cox internet speed? What is my internet speed att? What is my internet connection speed Steam? ”, look no further. You want to measure your network performance and its speed. 

Moreover, you also often see common questions like “what is the best internet speed in my area? What should my internet speed be for gaming? what should my internet upload speed be?”. You will need to know “what's my internet speed right now?” before checking whether it is good enough or not.

What's my internet speed?

Understanding the definition of internet speed is essential. Knowing its nature, you are able to answer these questions easily “my internet speed is not what I’m paying for? why is my internet speed slower than what I pay for? what is slowing down my internet speed?”. 

What is my internet speed? Internet speed refers to the speed at which your connection allows data to transfer to others in seconds (megabits per second - Mbps). It includes 3 main specs: download speed, upload speed, and ping. Each spec plays a different important role in displaying how fast your network is. 

What is internet download speed?

Digital data is delivered in 2 different directions via the Internet: downloading and uploading. Internet download speed refers to how much data is pulled from the Internet to your devices ( PC, tablet, or smartphone).

Gigabit internet download speed or average internet download speed Mbps are download speed measurements. The normal download speed for internet is displayed in megabits per second (Mbps). 

A megabit equals 1,024 kilobits which means that 1Mbps is 1,000 times quicker than 1 kilobit per second (Kbps). 

1Gb internet download speed is equivalent to 1,000 megabits per second (Mbps) or 1,000,000,000 bits per second. Gbps is a standard unit of measurement for data transmission rates between hardware devices.

What is normal internet download speed? What is a good internet download and upload speed? You need to conduct an at&t internet download speed test, MySpeed, or a reliable internet speeds test to measure speeds. 

Internet download speed test

There are several situations Internet users can meet such as fast internet speed but slow download, computer download speed slow but internet fast, internet download speed slower than upload. 

Why does download speed not matching internet speed? Fast internet but slow download speed or Xbox download speed slow but internet fast can be derived from many reasons. 

That can due to the wrong speed tests or downloading speed is being throttled. Why does my internet download speed fluctuate so much? We will disclose possible causes in the other part of this article.

Internet download speed fluctuates that can depend on what online activities you are doing. Speaking generally, every internet-based activity consumes both downloading and uploading data. 

For example, when you go to the Amazon website on your phone, all texts and images are loaded to display on your screen. That’s downloading activities. Loading the Amazon page takes a long or short time that depending on the download speed. At the same time, uploading bandwidth is used when you search for a product in the search bar. 

However, some activities take up most downloading data so that you need to speed up internet download. If not, my internet speed is fast but download is slow, Xbox download speed slower than internet can happen.

Common activities rely on download speeds heavily:

• Watching movies or TV shows on Netflix

• Shopping online

• Surf social media

• Watch YouTube videos

• Reading articles, news, blogs online

• Streaming music services such as Spotify

• Downloading large files

• Loading a webpage

• Playing online games

• ….

Watching a Netflix movie requires lots of downloading bandwidth

These activities require you lots of downloading bandwidth. Thus, your home network needs to satisfy “What is a good download and upload internet speed?”.  

What is upload speed on internet?

Another important component of internet speed is upload speed internet. What does internet upload speed mean? 

It refers to how much data your network connection allows to deliver from your devices to others via the Internet. Digital data can be included texts, audio, documentation, or images. 

Similar to download speed, upload speed is also measured in Mbps. Gbps and kbps are less common. 

Normally, At&t internet upload speed and cox internet upload speed plans for residential demand can offer up to 1000 Mbps such as att internet 300 upload speed, and wow internet 500 upload speed. In the business field, Comcast business internet upload speed and Xfinity gigabit internet upload speed are more suitable. 

What is upload speed on internet?

What is the normal upload speed for internet? Use an upload speed test or a speed test to test internet upload speed. That time, you can check internet download speed slower than upload or not. 

Besides, if you get internet no upload speed, it’s time to find out “how to increase the upload speed of internet? how to improve internet upload speed?”.

If you are often doing these activities below, you should take more concerned of “What is a good upload speed for internet? what should internet upload speed be?”

• Video calls or virtual conferences through Zoom, Viber, Skype

• Broadcast and play tournament-style gaming

• Sending large attachments (files, images, docs) through emails

• Data backup to internet or cloud storage services

• Uploading videos/ posting photos to social media

• Working on live, cloud-hosted documents like Google Sheets or Docs

• Live to stream

• …..

Especially, internet upload speed for streaming and internet upload speed for gaming, video calls platforms need to be the best upload speed internet. Because they consume lots of uploading bandwidth. 

For example, when you broadcast a stream on Youtube, it means that you send your online content to other devices all over the world via Youtube - the 3rd platform. At that time, most of your internet bandwidth is used to send data to the Internet. 

Internet upload speed for streaming on Youtube

As a result, the fastest upload speed internet is needed. Spectrum internet upload speed slow? Let’s increase internet upload speed. If not, internet issues happen such as stuttering, choppy or distorted video. 

How to increase my internet upload speed? You can try out some easy and free ways but still effective such as reset/restarting the router, replacing a router before calling your ISP.

What type of internet connection do you have when upload speed differs from download speed? When it comes to internet speed, people often mention the difference between internet upload vs download speed. 

Almost all internet providers offer internet plans with fast download speed low upload. Normally, the internet speeds are advertised on ISPs’ advertisements imply download speed. 

The majority of internet activities need a greater amount of download bandwidth than upload bandwidth. Most frequent online activities, as you'll see in several above cases, rely largely on fast download rates. 

Because other activities that need data uploading still require information to go in both directions, the average individual requires faster download speeds than upload rates.

The difference between download and upload speed

Coming back to the Amazon example, downloading is loading texts, images, all webpage. Uploading is just typing/ searching a product which you are going to order. As it can be seen easily, internet speed download vs upload, download is needed more. 

However, during the Covid-19 pandemic, billions of people all over the world even students must work and learn remotely. The role of upload speed is appreciated more. Although download speeds still dominate, the distance between internet upload and download speed is shortening. 

What is ping in internet speed test?

The final spec of internet speed is ping ms. A ping (Packet Internet or Inter-Network Groper) is a simple Internet tool that lets users ping to test internet connection and verify whether or not a certain destination IP address exists and can accept requests in computer network management.

What is ping on internet speed test? It refers to how fast it takes for digital data to be transferred from your device to an Internet server and back to your device. In other words, it is the round-trip time of the packet and any losses along the way.

Test internet ping

Ping works straightforwardly when a device sends an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) Echo Request to a specific network interface and receives a response. 

When a ping command is given, a ping signal is delivered to the IP specified. When the destination host gets the echo request, it sends an echo reply packet in response.

Ping results of internet speed test are measured in milliseconds (ms). Although the round-trip time is in seconds, the longer time still causes a lag and makes a poor internet experience.

The ping time is a crucial indication for online gaming, but it also has a significant influence on ping time while typical Internet browsing. The latency is heavily impacted by both your Internet access equipment and its degree of utilization. 

It's worth noting that ping refers to two-way latency (also known as round-trip delay), which is important for Internet usage. It is sometimes referred to as "one-way latencies," which account just for the access portion of the network and not the entire network's transmission.

When it comes to ping on the internet ping test, the lower the ping is, the better your network connection is. 

2- Internet speed test online: Common terms

Checking my internet speed online by an optimum online internet speed test or conducting an online internet speed test, there are some common confusing terms such as bandwidth, broadband, or measurements. Thus, to use and understand internet speed test online clearly, you should know them. 

Internet bandwidth speed test vs internet speed

• Internet speed refers to how fast your network lets data be uploaded and downloaded on your devices (Mbps)

• Internet bandwidth refers to how much data is uploaded and downloaded on your devices (Mb)

Consider bandwidth in terms of a highway and automobiles as digital data. All automobiles are traveling in the same lane of the highway at the same pace. To move more automobiles along that highway, it needs to be widened. 

For example, suppose Mbps is comparable to one lane of a highway. And let's assume you're attempting to download a 5 Mb picture. It will just take you 5 seconds to download.

Internet bandwidth speed test

Internet speed and bandwidth sometimes can be used in place of another when you do basic online activities such as downloading a file or web browsing. However, normally, when you have high bandwidth, your speed still works like a snail. 

For example, the internet bandwidth test is 50 Mbps meaning that you can download 50 megabits of data in a second to your phone. You download a file from a website and your download speed can be just 20 Mbps. 

Internet speed can not be the same bandwidth due to various reasons such as the distance, the number of connected devices, type of protocol, etc.

Understanding the difference between internet speed and internet bandwidth is useful in choosing the right internet plan for your demand (residential & business network). 

Internet Mbps vs. MBps

What does 100 Mbps internet speed mean? Are 1.5 Mbps internet speed, 1.8 Mbps internet speed, 15 Mbps internet speed the same MBps?  People use Mbps and MBps to measure the same thing. It’s likely pound and kilogram. For example, there is no difference between 119 pounds and 54 kg. 

• Mbps: Megabits per second is a speed measuring unit for both download and upload ( internet speed).

• MBps: The speed at which a file is downloaded or uploaded is measured in megabytes per second (file size).

Megabits vs megabyte

Internet speed is measured in megabits per second (Mbps), which simply translates to the number of bits sent over an internet connection every second. The greater the Mbps, the quicker your internet service will be.

In contrast, all files, whether saved, generated, or transmitted, are commonly measured in megabytes (MB). As a result, MBps indicates how much data in a file is transported every second. 

Because there are 8 bits in a byte, 8 megabits = 1 megabyte. So, to find how many bytes your specific internet plan can transport per second, simply divide your Mbps by 8. To put it simply, if your network upload speed is 8 Mbps, uploading 1 MB of data from your hard drive will take 1 second.

For example, 1000 Mbps internet is 125 MBps, 100 Mbps internet speed is 12.5 MBps, 200 Mbps internet speed is 25 MBps, 25 Mbps internet is 3.125 MBps, or 400 Mbps internet is  50 MBps. 

Data caps

A data cap is a limitation given by internet service providers on the amount of bandwidth that each client may consume in a given month. A data cap includes the amount of data you send and receive.

This essentially implies that your provider is monitoring your internet activity and calculating how much data you use each month. If you use too much data, you may incur additional costs or have your speeds reduced.

Internet service companies do not always make it obvious what your data cap is or what will happen if you exceed it. You need to ask your ISP clearly or take a reference from the table of ISPs with data caps below.

ISPs with data caps

Broadband internet speed

Broadband is widely used to refer to high-speed Internet connectivity that is constantly on and quicker than typical dial-up access. Previously, internet access was obtained using 'narrowband' dial-up connections, which were extremely sluggish by today's standards. 

Broadband internet access is significantly faster and allows us to accomplish more on the internet. Broadband internet speed contains several high-speed transmission technologies:

• Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)

• Cable Modem

• Fiber

• Wireless

• Satellite

• Broadband over Powerlines (BPL)

Broadband speed

Which internet speed is fast enough to be called “Broadband”? You can try out several reliable tests to measure such as morris broadband internet speed test, buckeye broadband internet speed test, bend broadband internet speed test, rise broadband internet speed test, wave broadband internet speed test, Atlantic broadband internet speed test, etc. 

With the help of these tools, you are able to not only test internet speed Atlantic broadband but also the global broadband internet speed test.

However, there is no standard definition and rate to evaluate “broadband” all over the world. 

What’s the fastest internet speed test for Atlantic broadband? Atlantic broadband provides the fastest download speed of up to 1000 Mbps. While satellite broadband speeds for downloading are from 25 to 100 Mbps.

3- What is a good internet speed?

What is a good internet speed? Is the required internet speed the same for all online activities? 

Since 2015, the FCC launched the threshold of minimum standard broadband for basic activities. In detail, an upload speed of 3 Mbps and a download speed of 25 Mbps is good. However, this rate is sufficient to send an email, read a newspaper online or post a photo. 

If you’re a streamer, gamer or you often have video conferences or stream Netflix, the required speed will be different. 

Luckily, you are able to find out answers to the questions “ what is a fast internet speed? what is fast internet speed for gaming, streaming, video calls?” on MySpeed’s website. Let’s dive into it.

4- Free internet speed test

These days, it’s great that more and more internet speed test sites and apps are available for free on the internet. But, what are good apps and websites for internet speed test free that you should use?

Well, when it comes to reliable speed test sites and apps, speedtest.net and SpeedTest app by Ookla are always among the very top choices. And, of course, along with these names, there are still a lot of good options for us to choose from. So, what are they?

Read  our guide to internet speed test free to learn more!

5- How do I check my internet speed?

Thanks to the availability of so many free internet speed test sites and internet speed test apps, it’s easy for us to check how fast the current download and upload speeds are. 

So, how to check internet speed using these tools? Well, you just need to visit the sites or have the apps installed on your devices, follow the instructions to begin the test, and then wait for some seconds for the test results to be displayed on the screen.

In addition to apps and sites for checking the connection speed, there are built-in solutions that let users check internet speed on Mac and Windows 10 computers. 

Want to know more details on how to check internet connection speeds? Read this article “How to check internet speed? Check out these simple steps!” now. 

6- Slow internet speeds, why?

There is nothing more frustrating than experiencing a slow internet speed. If you're working from home, you may feel how terribly this problem ruins your work activities and online experience. Not sure about your internet performance? Run a wifi internet speed test to figure out.

A slow internet connection can be caused by multiple factors. A computer with a slow processor, without enough RAM or an old hard drive, will have a very big impact on the speed of your internet. A problem with your modem and router could be blamed for sluggish connection or maybe you're dealing with heavy usage on your cellular plan and can't afford to enhance data speeds on your home network. 

Learn more about the reasons for slow Internet connections here.

7- How to improve internet speed

Surfing the web should be fast and fun. And when you can't wait any longer for pages to load, it's really not. There are a ton of variables that affect the speed at which you experience the internet – from your modem and router to your connection and ability to handle data transfer. 

If you're looking for a surefire way to increase internet speed? We can help. This post will you the most practical tips on how to improve your connection. From news and tutorials to free software and online tools, we offer everything to get the most out of your internet connection.

Learn what you can do to increase internet speed now.

8- How to choose the right internet plan?

A slow internet connection might significantly affect your internet experiences. Of course, various things can be the reasons behind a slow connection, in which, low internet plan is considered one of the common causes. 

If the low internet plan with inadequate bandwidth is really the cause, then it’s a good idea for you to consider upgrading your internet plan for a faster speed and better bandwidth. 

But, how to choose the right internet plan when ISPs these days provide lots of internet package options? Check out our post on Internet connection test to get the answer now.