Staying connected and entertained have become critical aspects of modern life, and you need a reliable internet connection to achieve both. Technology has come quite far since the early days of a dial-up connection, but it can be frustrating when your connection speed slows down and it feels like you are back to that level. If your internet connection experiences issues, you might want to use an online speed test to get more information.
Why Test Internet Speed?
Whether you are working, surfing the web, or streaming videos for entertainment, your internet speed should be able to keep up with your activities. Internet service providers offer varying levels of service, each of which has its own upload and download speeds. If your connection comes in substantially lower than what you are paying for, it is important to contact the service provider to find out the cause of the slowdown. By conducting an online speed test, you can find out the upload and download speeds of the connection.
How to Test Your Internet Speed
You can use a number of online speed tests to check your internet connection, although it is important to note that not all offer the same results. One of the most accurate internet speed tests is available through GCI, a leading provider of internet services to remote locations across the U.S. You can find the test on the GCI website; usage may impact the results. Before you start the test, make sure the test you are using includes both download and upload speed results for improved accuracy.
The download speed refers to the speed at which you can pull something stored on another server to your computer or mobile device. The upload speed measures how quickly you can send a file from your device to a server. Internet service providers outline the upload and download speeds for customers, and these speeds are typically not the same. The speed is measured by megabits per second or Mbps. If you need to download a file while connected with a speed of 100 Mpbs, this means that 100 megabits of the file would download per second.
When to Test Internet Speed
If you notice that your internet connection seems to be slowing down or becomes unresponsive, you can run a quick speed test to get a better sense of how quickly it can download and upload files. You can use the results to determine whether your connection is operating at the speed for which you are paying.
If the results are substantially lower than your subscription level, it is best to contact your service provider directly to find out whether any outages are affecting your connection. Other factors that can impact internet speed include the number of devices and/or people using the connection and slowdowns or problems with a particular site or app.
Speed testing is a quick and effective way to find out how fast your internet connection is, including both the download and upload speeds. With this information, you can contact your provider to determine whether your connection might be slowing down temporarily due to issues with the network or whether a technician needs to perform troubleshooting to figure out what may be causing the ongoing slowdown.
