Since its inception, the internet has grown massively to having over millions of websites and billions of users in countries around the globe. Recent studies have also shown that more people tend to access the internet more from their mobile devices rather than the conventional personal computer.
Surfing the internet on slow internet speed can be frustrating at times. Sometimes, this occurs because your Internet Service Provider is throttling your internet speed. Some Internet Service Providers offer unbelievable internet deals just to make you cough out more money from your pocket then they throttle your internet speed. Other causes could be an overload on network usage, malfunctioning cable or router, or even malware. Whatever might be the cause, you should never settle for slow internet speed because you are paying for it. This article will give you details on the best internet speed test sites to check your internet speed.
What is Internet Speed?
In simple terms, internet speed refers to how fast the internet connection provided to you by your Internet Service Provider is. A major disadvantage of slow internet connection is time wastage – you spend more time than required to do things online. If you stream online a lot (Netflix, Hulu, and others), you have to check your internet speed because a slow connection is bad for streaming. You will lose money in two ways because you will not watch your favorite shows due to slow internet speed and automatically, your subscription payment is also going to waste. You can test your Internet speed by making use of internet speed test websites.
What is Internet Speed Test?
An Internet speed test is a test carried out to determine internet speed by checking some parameters. According to Techopedia, an internet speed test is a website that measures a user’s internet connection speed. An internet speed test checks various parameters such as bandwidth upload and download speed, packet loss, jitter, and ping.
Listed below are features to look out for when selecting an internet speed test site.
- A simple and easy-to-use interface
- Accurate results
- A vast range of servers
- Bias-free
Best Internet Speed Test Sites
Do you suffer from a slow internet connection? You need to run an internet speed test to diagnose the problem with your internet. This can help you determine whether you are getting your money’s worth from your internet service provider. Some of the internet test sites offer free services and sometimes if you need a more comprehensive report you have to pay a little fee. This is a recommended list of the best internet speed test sites.
1. Speedtest.Net
Speedtest.net, which is operated and managed by Ookla, is one of the top speed test websites you can find. Speedtest is free and fast, with a wide range of servers that allow for accuracy in speed tests.
If you don’t want to mess around with that, Speedtest can automatically pick the closest server to you (based on your IP address) when you click on the “GO” button. Speedtest also keeps history logs of internet speed tests run previously by users to allow users to compare results at a later time. Speedtest is available across all major platforms (Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS). Speedtest.net is one of the best internet speed test sites you can use for free.
2. Speedof.me
Second, on the list is Speedof.me. This internet speed test service has a different look from the regular internet speed test sites. You don’t need the app because Speedof.me runs on HTML5 technology which is inbuilt in most browsers. It has also been proven to be very fast and accurate. Speedof.me is the site to go if you need a comprehensive analysis of your internet speed.
However, the major limitation you might encounter while using Speedof.me is the number of servers available. Speedof.me has over a hundred servers which it connects to automatically, but you might not be able to get a very accurate result if you are far away from the nearest server available. Apart from that, Speedof.me is a great choice for internet speed tests.
3. TestMy.net
TestMy.net is another great site to test your internet speed. This website is fast, easy to use, runs on inbuilt browser HTML5, and is fully optimized for mobile users. TestMy.net majorly checks for your download and upload speed. It has a feature called “Multithreading” which allows you to test your speed across various servers at the same time. If you want it simple, you can pick a server from their available servers. However, TestMy.net has a limited range of servers so you might consider using a different site if there is no server available near you.
Other than multithreading, TestMy.net provides data for users to compare their internet speed against the average of other users using the same ISP, located in your region and so on. Registered users can also view history logs to compare their internet records for improvements.
4. Internet Health Test
If you are an IT professional or have an eye for comprehensive reports on speed tests, you should try out the Internet Health Test. Internet Health Test is probably the most comprehensive internet speed test site you can get. It has a simple user interface and is free of distractions from adverts. Internet Health Test takes a longer time to run speed tests because it tests your internet speed over a series of six tests. You can be sure to get accurate test results from this website if you have little patience.
Other sites worthy of mention are Xfinity Speed Test (owned by Comcast), Netflix’s Fast.com, and Speedsmart.
Conclusion
Running internet speed tests can save you from a lot of frustration, time wastage, and money loss. Anytime you experience slow internet speed that persists for more than 3 minutes, do not hesitate to test your internet speed from our list of best internet speed sites above. If you find out the problem is with your internet service provider after running consistent tests, you can contact them with proof or change to a better internet service provider so you can have more value for your money. Alternatively, when you combine a slow ISP with a fast VPN service such as RitaVPN, you get a speedy internet connection.
