The Internet has become an important part of our daily lives. With larger file sizes and most of our computing taking place on the Internet, it is necessary to have a decent connection. When signing up for Internet service, you Internet Service Provider (ISP) promises a certain download speed in megabits per second (Mbps) for the amount you pay. If you Internet connection seems to be slowing down, you may want to check how many Mbps your ISP is really giving you.
Step 1
Go to the Bandwidth Place (Resource 1 below) and click "Start Test" near the right side of the page. Write down the time and the results for download and upload speed.
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Step 2
Go to DSL Reports (Resource 2 below) and click the location nearest you. Write down the time and the results for download and upload speed.
Step 3
Go to SpeedTest.net (Resource 3 below) and click "Begin Test" near the top of the page. Write down the time and the results for download and upload speed.
Step 4
Compare your results. If they are similar, they are accurate. If one is much faster or slower than the other two, discard the results and trust the two tests.
Step 5
Compare the numbers to the speed promised by your ISP. If your ISP guarantees 6 Mbps and your tests showed 2 Mbps, contact your ISP. They may need to make a repair or change settings at your address.
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