Broadband download speed test
This is called traffic management and it can be a help or hindrance depending on what you get up to online (more on this next), so it’s worth looking into to see how your connection might be affected. Some broadband providers place controls on network usage to limit activity that might impeded the internet access of other users. You’re likely to notice slower speeds at peak times such as weekday evenings and at weekends. The more people online at once on your street and in your area, the greater the demand on the network, which means speeds can fluctuate. The principle is similar to your family sharing your home internet connection, but the scale is much larger and the capabilities greater.
#Broadband download speed test password
Your neighbours aren’t stealing your internet – at least not if you have a secure wi-fi password – but they are sharing the network infrastructure that’s supporting your street and area. The technology behind fibre optic broadband means it’s faster over longer distances. If you’re a standard broadband (ADSL) customer, try requesting a line speed estimate from a fibre broadband provider to see how it compares to your existing speed.
uk HQ, for example, is served by the Lichfield Exchange, which happens to be at a distance of just 0.3 miles. These points are where all of the information you access online or upload to the internet is routed, and the further you are from them, the slower your connection may be.Ī quick web search will reveal where your nearest telephone exchange is located. It’s not only the distance from your router that can impede your connection’s performance, it’s also the distance from your nearest telephone exchange and (active) street distribution cabinet. during a weekday afternoon).įibre broadband packages are better suited to supporting multiple connections at once without compromising on speed and overall performance than standard broadband (ADSL). Try testing your broadband speed two to three times throughout the day you may find that its at its fastest when fewer people are online (e.g. When your broadband is serving multiple people – each with varying demands such as video streaming, web browsing, online gaming and so on – it can put a strain on overall performance. The internet is made for sharing, but your connection will have limits on how many people or devices it can support reliably at once. Our guide to boosting your broadband signal can help you improve your broadband speeds. Whatever you do, don’t hide it away in a cupboard. It will work best in an open, elevated position such as on bookshelf or tabletop. Improve wi-fi performance by placing your router in a central location. If you can, try connecting your device to your router using an Ethernet cable and running the speed test again – you may be surprised by the result. The strength of your wi-fi signal can decrease over greater distances and may have trouble penetrating the walls and ceilings of your house. Wi-fi offers tremendous flexibility but it may be degrading your connection’s performance.
My broadband is slow, what might be wrong? 1. They will be able to test your connection for any potential problems and may be able to improve its performance. However, your first port of call should be to contact your provider for more information. If you’re not satisfied with your speed and feel it’s excessively slow, you may be able to exit your contract early. The advertised speed of your broadband package is the maximum achievable and not a guarantee, which is why it’s prefixed with ‘up to’. What if my broadband speed is not as advertised? However, you should bear in mind that speeds fluctuate throughout the day. It's secure, safe, and won’t store anything on your device.īroadband speed tests provide a snapshot of your connection’s performance by determining your respective download and upload speed at the point, and time, of testing. Our speed test works by timing how long it takes your connection to download a sample file from the web and then upload back to the server.
The higher the measurement, the less time it takes to complete the transfer of data.įor example, a connection with a download speed of 38Mb will download a file more than twice as fast as one with a 17Mb limit. These speeds are most commonly measured in megabits-per-second (Mbps or Mb). Frequently asked questions How is broadband speed measured?Įverything you access online – from webpages to emails and videos to songs – is made up of data and broadband speed conveys the rate at which this data is transferred from the internet to your device (download speed) or from you device to the internet (upload speed).