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Broadband Internet has become a residential public service like water or electricity over the past fifteen years. According to a recent study, around 25% of people around the world had high-speed Internet connectivity in their homes in 2004. By 2019, that number had risen to 73%.
Today, most broadband internet is touted as “fast speed,” but there is little agreement on what that entails. Depending on where you live and your Internet service provider, the term “broadband” can refer to a variety of Internet connections, including those that have not been called “fast” since 2004. This can make it difficult to determine if the service you are worth paying for – or if you even get the fast speeds advertised.
What kind of internet speed do you need?
• Netflix recommends 5 Mbps for streaming Full HD video and 25 Mbps for streaming 4K Ultra HD content, but you will need more connections if you want to connect multiple devices at once. The same can be said for other streaming platforms, including game streaming services such as Twitch.
• More bandwidth is required when multiple devices are used. Suppose you want to stream 4K video material and there are many devices connected to your network at the same time. In this case, you should consider investing in higher download rates, such as 200 Mbps, which should be sufficient for most households.
• If Gigabit is available, consider it. Big data consumers will demand faster speeds and more capacity. Gigabit broadband internet plans are the best you can get for residential connections when available.
• Understand your speeds. Take a look at the speed of your internet connection using one of the best speed test apps, for example, Nopeustesti EU, to see if you are getting the bandwidth you are paying for.
Find out which Internet speed test you should use to test your Speed ​​connection.
You might think that the connection speed advertised in your home internet plan is what you get all the time, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. During heavy use, speeds can slow down and generally fluctuate throughout the day. They can also fail if your provider imposes data limitations or limits connections to preserve overall network performance.
Fortunately, there is an easy way to monitor your home’s internet speeds, and that is to use an internet speed test. There are several free alternatives available online, and you can even run one from the same software that you used to set up your network. In most situations, performing a test is as easy as pressing the “Go” button.
A decent speed test will allow you to easily see current upload speeds, upload speeds, and latency for any device you test on – but with so many choices offering to do just that, who should you be doing? to trust?
Glad you asked – here are the best and why they’re the best:
Ookla
One of the most popular is the Ookla Speed ​​Test, which has a strong reputation for reliability and was one of the first internet speed tests. Aside from its popularity, we love Ookla because it has everything a basic user needs from a speed test: accuracy, the ability to view your speed test history (when you create an account ), a wide selection of servers to connect to, and even a handy app to test speed from your Android or iOS device.
Ookla has also done a great job of staying up to date by adding new features and capabilities over the years. The service has just introduced a video-specific speed test that assesses your network’s ability to handle 4K video streaming. It also includes apps that can be used on Windows and Apple TV.
Ookla displays banner ads when you perform basic speed tests. This is not unusual, but depending on the strength of the connection at the time of the test, it may have a minor influence on your results.
Fast.com
Fast.com is another great broadband test, with a user interface that is as simple and straightforward as it gets. One of its biggest advantages, however, is that Netflix owns it. It might seem odd at first, but that’s really what makes it a good choice for online streamers, as the test is designed to determine if your connection is strong enough to stream Netflix at full resolution without buffering.
While Fast.com is a great tool for some, it’s not the most useful test for everyone. Yes, the basic UI is straightforward, but it lacks some of the sophisticated options and metrics seen in other speed tests. Most importantly, you cannot select the server you want to connect to for your test.
Speedof.me
Speedof.me is the way to go if you’re looking for a test that’s not all about speed. The test interface, like Ookla, does a great job of showing variations in your upload and download rates. This can make it easier to spot any issues with your connection over time, especially since Speedof.me allows you to compare your results to previous tests. Its mobile-friendly website is also great for performing tests on your phone, allowing you to perform a quick speed test on the go without downloading an app.
However, Speedof.me is not a great solution. For starters, there is no way to choose which server to connect to. If you are unfamiliar with home networking, graphical statistics can seem more complicated or overwhelming than something like Fast.com, which provides a number.
Testmy.net
Testmy.net is a web-based internet speed test that HTML5 and PHP at full power. That is, it does not require third party software such as Java or Flash to perform your test, which can give more accurate results. This also makes it a great tool for comparing the performance of different browsers. You can also create an account to track your internet speed for future reference or comparison.
However, it is not the most user-friendly tool. You will have a lot of information to sort through with a lot of detailed data, most of which may or may not be about you.
Conclusion
Finally, choosing the internet speeds you need isn’t as easy as it looks – or as easy as ISPs would like you to believe. According to the gurus, you should also consider the number of devices connected to your network and what you plan to accomplish with your connection. However, if you want to stream 4K video, play online games, and connect a lot of devices, you’ll need more bandwidth, which will cost you more.
What you pay is not always what you get. You should regularly monitor your network speeds to observe what is happening during connection slowdowns or failures and normal use.
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