How to Accurately Measure Your Internet Speed

It’s important to make sure that you’re getting the correct speed of the internet that you pay for, and sites like Speedtest.net are good resources for measuring that speed. However, how accurate are test services like these?

Unfortunately, there are many factors that can make your speed reading inaccurate. Sometimes the reading is accurate, but your service is, in fact, too slow, and often it’s because of an overlooked detail. Here is a question to always ask yourself as you test your internet speed, and below are some tips to make sure you get an accurate reading.

Are multiple devices running on the internet?

If you run an internet speed test while your daughter is on Netflix and your son is playing a game on the iPad, then you’ll most likely get inaccurate results. The more devices that are connected while you test, the more likely they will mess up the reading.

If you aren’t receiving the speed you need from your current internet company, then be sure to check out Lakeland Internet’s plans on our website! We want to make sure you’re connected, whether that’s for conference calls, security, or connecting with family.

If you’re already a customer of Lakeland Internet and are still having trouble measuring your internet speed, give us a call at (855) 947-7743.

The most accurate way to measure your internet speed

For optimal testing results, try doing all of the following:

  1. Don’t use the internet for anything else. Make sure all devices are not actively using Wi-Fi. Make sure you didn’t leave the TV on in the living room!
  2. Restart the device that you are using to test the speed of the internet, whether that be a phone or computer.
  3. Reboot your internet. For help on how to do this, check out our How to Troubleshoot Connectivity Issues guide.
  4. Choose an HTML5 internet speed test program, not a Flash-based one. A Flash-based internet speed test will have to buffer data in order to make the software it runs on perform seamlessly. This won’t give you accurate results when you’re measuring your internet speeds, whereas an HTML5 internet speed test will take less time and won’t use up as many resources on your device. Some of the best HTML5 tests include Speedtest.net, TestMy.net, and Bandwidthplace.com.