Modem Speed Tests

Test Your Modem Speed

How fast is your connection? Even if your modem (analog, DSL, or cable) is operating well, trouble anywhere in the path between your ISP's access equipment and the server you are connecting to can slow you down, or bring things to a halt.

There are various websites that offer various forms of speed tests. These can be helpful - especially if you run them regularly. You will get an idea of what good, bad and average for you is, and they can also be helpful in comparing ISPs. Combine speed tests with a tool like Visual Route, and you can get a good idea of why your connection isn't performing up to speed.

REMEMBER: A speed test is a snapshot of throughput at a particular point in time to a particular remote server. The best way to troubleshoot low speed problems is by doing PINGS and TRACES and REMOTE TRACES. See the 'Trouble Beyond the Modem' pages.

Here's a listing of some speed tests:

Modemsite.com's Easy Throughput Check - for 28.8k-115k connections, uses RealAudio from server in California to you. Trouble indicated by music skipping or stopping.

TestMySpeed.com - Maintains easy-to-use links to a growing list of speed test sites throughout the world.

DSL Reports Speed Test - I like this one! Uses a Java applet and will test 28.8k - 3mbps cable connections to servers on East and West coast.

Toast.net Performance Test - This page lets you test text and/or graphics throughput from several different servers.

Leslie's Speed Test Page - This page uses Javascript to time the downloading of graphics and calculate your throughput. If you repeat the test, you may need to clear your browser cache!

Beeline Software Express - Speedtest from the Netherlands calculated by downloading a 175k file.

Telstra Test Your Internet Speed - For users in Australia.

Speedtest from site in Sweden - supports modems and broadband connections

Expect to get different results from different tests, and the results may vary from hour to hour or day to day.

NOTE! If you check Verbose on the DSL Reports Speed Test, details of the test will be returned. Here are results from 2 tests run a couple of hours apart on the same day:
Test running..Downloaded 60900bytes in 2855ms
Downloaded 696000bytes in 9844ms
First guess is 565kbps
medium speed line - now test 1mb
Downloaded 1109250bytes in 9804ms
Upload got ok 1 bytes uploaded
Uploaded 1bytes in 160ms
Upload got ok 1 bytes uploaded
Uploaded 1bytes in 131ms
Upload got ok 1 bytes uploaded
Uploaded 1bytes in 190ms
Upload got ok 50000 bytes uploaded
Uploaded 50000bytes in 1622ms
Upload got ok 250000 bytes uploaded
Uploaded 250000bytes in 7752ms

** Speed 905(down)/262(up) kbps **
(At least 18 times faster than a 56k modem)
Finish.
TEST #2:
Test running..Downloaded 60900bytes in 3815ms
Downloaded 696000bytes in 21041ms
First guess is 264kbps
slow speed line - now test 400k
Downloaded 696000bytes in 51464ms
Upload got ok 1 bytes uploaded
Uploaded 1bytes in 1001ms
Upload got ok 1 bytes uploaded
Uploaded 1bytes in 922ms
Upload got ok 1 bytes uploaded
Uploaded 1bytes in 981ms
Upload got ok 50000 bytes uploaded
Uploaded 50000bytes in 3716ms
Upload got ok 100000 bytes uploaded
Uploaded 100000bytes in 15402ms

** Speed 108(down)/55(up) kbps **
(At least 2 times faster than a 56k modem)
Finish.