Internet speed tests measure your Internet connection’s maximum speed to tell how fast you can upload and download information. You may be asked to run a speed test as part of the troubleshooting process.
Understanding What Can Impact Speed Tests & Internet Performance
Time of Day
Testing network speed during business hours can lead to inconsistent results because other traffic may be consuming bandwidth. For best results, isolate the computer performing the test or perform the test when there is less traffic on the network.
Wireless
Wireless networks are normally slower than wired connections. It is recommended that the test be performed from a wired connection. Wireless speed test may not accurately reflect the fully network speed.
Open Programs & Windows
Close other applications or browser windows before performing the test. Do not leave the browser window during the test.
Explanation of Results
Download
How quickly you can pull data from a server on the internet to your device. Most connections are designed to download much faster than they upload, since the majority of online activity, like loading web pages or streaming videos, consists of downloads.
Upload
How quickly you send data from your device to the internet. A fast upload speed is helpful when sending voice, large files via email, or in using video-chat.
Jitter
Jitter frequency is a measure of the variability in ping over time. Jitter is not usually noticeable when reading text, but when streaming video & voice a high jitter can result in buffering, call quality, and other interruptions. Technically, this is a measure of the average of the deviation from the mean.
Ping
Also called latency, ping is the reaction time of your connection–how quickly your device gets a response after you’ve sent out a request. A fast ping means a more responsive connection, especially in applications where timing is everything (like voice & video). Ping is measured in milliseconds (ms).
Ping reference guidelines for voice and critical traffic:
- 0-60 ms – Solid & Responsive Connection
- 60-130 ms – Strong Connection, remote servers may be farther away
- 130-200 ms – Decent Connection, potentially some network saturation
- 200+ ms – Weak connection, voice & video quality will be poor
