Broadband / Internet Speed Test Tool

Having a good internet connection when streaming TV shows or movies can make big difference in overall experience and quality. An internet speed test tool is a good way to check the quality of your internet service provider and a nice way to see if you are getting what you pay for. This page is a resource to check the level of service you are getting from your ISP. You can also use this page to troubleshoot your internet connection and find helpful tips to improve your connection and speeds.

How Fast Should My Internet Be to Stream Videos?

For most services, a 10MB connection will work great for a few devices. Most streaming services use what is called a variable bit rate and can sense the connection speed coming from the device playing the video, which will reduce the quality of the video to maintain the stream. If you are using one device then a 5MB connection will do. The more devices you use to stream simultaneously the more bandwidth you will need.

Check Your Internet Speed Below:

This test will work on all devices.

Interpreting The Results

Ping

The round-trip measurement of time for a message sent from the originating host to a destination computer and back to the source. The faster the ping times the better. Several factors can cause bad ping results, like the distance the data packets need to travel and network congestion. Ping results can be impacted by poor copper, fiber, or wireless signal.

Download Speed

This is how many bits per second can be downloaded from a computer to another from the Internet. If your speeds do not match what you are paying for, then you need to troubleshoot your connections and hardware first. If you are still having problems, contact your internet service provider, as it could be a problem on their end.

Upload Speed

This is how many bits per second can be uploaded from a computer to another from the Internet. If you are using a VoIP phone this speed can be important since you are passing data upstream and downstream. A consistent or higher upload speed can improve the quality of your phone conversation and result in fewer dropped data packets.

Improving Your Internet Speeds

1. See how many devices are connected to your network. Many of these devices can be using up bandwidth without you even knowing. Computers, smartphones, and tablets are notorious for using up bandwidth when left on and background apps are running.
2. Check the wiring in your home. Poor speeds can be caused by loose or old wiring. Check your Ethernet cable with an Ethernet cable tester.
3. Your network components may be out of date. Check to see if your modem, router, or switch is up to date with the latest standards.
4. Make sure you are not too far away from your wireless router. This can cause a drop in speeds.
5. Cordless phones operate on the same frequency range as many wireless routers. This can cause interference.
6. Check what channel range your wireless router is broadcasting on. You may be broadcasting on the same channel as many of your neighbors. You can use a network scanner tool to see what free channels are in your area. Then switch to a less crowded channel.
7. Check to see if your wireless router is secure and encrypted. If left open, there may be a neighbor using your bandwidth without you knowing.
8. If all else fails, it may be time to switch to a different ISP or upgrade.

Recheck Internet Speed Test

You should recheck your bandwidth several times and take an average of the results. In some cases, the results can be often due to server issues. Also, try checking your speeds on the devices you plan on streaming from.