An internet speed test is a quick way to see just how fast
your internet is. Internet Service providers (ISP’s) promise “up to” a certain
speed in optimal conditions, but a speed test will confirm how fast—or
slow—your connection is.
A speed test measures your ping download and upload speeds.
Measuring the latter two is essential because most ISPs make separate promises
for download and upload speeds.
Usually, the download speed features prominently, but if you
dig into the details, the ISP typically specifies a slower upload speed for
each level. For instance, some local ISPs, offer a plan with a 500 Mbps
download speed, but a 125 Mbps upload speed.
Sites To Use When Testing Your Internet Speed
An internet speed test is the best way to get an idea of how
fast your connection is right now. The service you connect to often limits your
download and upload speeds based on the plan you chose, local congestion, any
throttling rules it has, and so on. There are different sites you can use to
check your internet speed test:
1. BroadbandChecker: Start the Internet Speed Test by clicking the red Start
speed test under the dials. The Broadband Speed Test will start
measuring your Broadband’s download speed and then your upload
speed. You will also see your Ping time in milliseconds –
the smaller the better.
2. DoSpeed Test: The website and speed test will automatically identify the
device that you are using and all that you would have to do is click the start
option and the rest is taken care of.
3. Testmy net: This site attempts to download files in real-time and then it
shows you the speeds at which it took to download the files/data. You have to
manually conduct the download and upload speed tests.
Here Are Some of The Most Popular ISP’s in Kenya
· Safaricom Limited – 15.75 Mb/s
· Wananchi– 14.85 Mb/s
· Safaricom Business – 13.09 Mb/s
· Jamii Telecommunications Limited – 11.21
Mb/s
· Wananchi Online Limited – 8.76 Mb/s
· Wananchi Group (Kenya) Limited – 8.38
Mb/s
· SEACOM Limited – 7.58 Mb/s
· Orange Cellular Kenya – 4.84 Mb/s
· Simbanet Com (K) Ltd – 4.46 Mb/s
· Airtel Kenya – 3.78 Mb/s
How They Work
When you start a speed test, multiple things occur. First,
the client determines your location and the closest test server to you—this
part is important. Some versions, like Ookla’s Speedtest.net,
have an option to change the server. With the test server in place, the Speed
Test sends a simple signal (a ping) to the server, and it responds. The test
measures that round-trip in milliseconds.
After the ping is complete, the download test begins. The
client opens multiple connections to the server and attempts to download a
small piece of data. At this point, two things are measured: how long it took
to grab the fragment of data, and how much of your network resources it used.
If the client detects you have room to spare, it opens more
connections to the server and downloads more data. The general idea is to tax
your internet connection and see how much it can do simultaneously.
Are They Reliable?
Getting accurate test results depends on what you intend to
measure. Do you want to see if your ISP is genuinely providing the speeds it
promised? Then, go for optimal conditions. Use an Ethernet-connected device,
choose the test server closest to you, and stop anything that might be taxing
the internet connection (like a streaming service).
You might even want to restart
your router before running a speed test. If your router has a built-in
speed test, use that instead of a browser test. Doing so removes some of the
hoops the process has to jump through.
However, if you want results closer to real-world performance, use a browser or app test.
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