Now and then, everyone questions whether their Internet connection is working as fast as it should, so most people are familiar with speed tests. There are plenty of them to choose from, but are all speed tests created equal? Well, yes and no.
The most well-known speed test sites are probably speedtest.net and speakeasy.net. These are both good free test sites, and they are both powered by Ookla, so their results should be similar and reliable. These sites test the speed of your connection between your location and another server. The biggest difference is that speedtest.net automatically chooses the nearest server based on your IP, and speakeasy.net allows you to choose your test server manually.
Have you ever noticed, though, that sometimes those speed test sites seem to take forever to load? The natural assumption is that the lag is evidence of just how slow your connection is, but that might not be the case. A good way to tell is to try an HTML5 site, like speedof.me or testmy.net. Because these sites don’t use Flash or Java, they load faster, work better on mobile devices, and put less load on your system.
If your primary concern is whether your connection will allow Netflix to run smoothly, there’s a speed test made just for that. Fast.com is a service-specific speed test, which measures your speed from your device to the Netflix servers. This won’t give you an accurate idea of your overall connection speed, but it will confirm your ability to stream.
For more speed test options, and pros and cons of each, see this great article from Lifewire. For fast, affordable Internet service in your area, contact us today!