Bandwidth meters can measure the true connection speed of your computer and compare it to your internet service provider’s (ISP) advertised speed. Bandwidth is like a highway, with more lanes allowing for more traffic. ISPs charge for bandwidth allocated to accounts, and cheaper packages offer less bandwidth. Checking speed online is simple, but factors such as distance from the local DSL access multiplexer (DSLAM) or cable subscriber traffic can affect results. Background processes running during tests can also disrupt results. Free bandwidth meters are available online.
Between content-laden browsing, media streaming, and uploading/downloading ever-larger files, online fast Internet service is the call of the day. As most netizens know, high-speed Internet access via digital subscriber line (DSL), cable, or fiber optic (FiOS) services offer varying packages based on speed. In general, if you want a faster online experience, you need to pay more. But how fast is your computer’s true connection speed? A bandwidth meter will tell you the answer, allowing you to compare your speed and the performance of your Internet Service Provider (ISP) against others.
Bandwidth can be compared to a highway, with the data representing the traffic traveling along that highway. A narrow two-lane highway allows for less traffic to flow, while a wider highway with more lanes in each direction can accommodate more traffic. If you’re driving on a narrow highway and there’s too much traffic, you may end up slowing down past the bottleneck. Similarly, a computer attempting to download large amounts of data will be very slow if bandwidth is low.
ISPs charge customers for allocating bandwidth allocated to their account or connection. Simply put, a less expensive package buys fewer lanes (less bandwidth) than a more expensive package. People naturally want to know if they’re getting every last drop of bandwidth for their money, and they can go to an online bandwidth meter to see.
Checking the speed online is a fairly simple process. Websites that host bandwidth meters upload a quantified amount of data to your computer, measuring how long it takes to complete the download. A graphical table illustrates the result translated into data units per second. However, many factors can affect speed, including the number of “hops” between the web server and your computer and the amount of traffic using the website. As a result, it is best to conduct repeated tests and use more than one website or a bandwidth meter to establish an average.
Depending on the type of Internet service you have, you may find that the bandwidth meter results are lower than the advertised speed of the subscribed package. This could be explained in the terms of the ISP’s SLA.
For example, DSL customers get service from a local DSL access multiplexer (DSLAM). The further away your physical address is from your local DSLAM, the greater the potential for speed lag due to weakened signal strength. A customer at the edge of the useful area will have slower service than a customer closer, even when both customers subscribe to the same package. Cable customers, on the other hand, may experience degradation of service when large numbers of local cable subscribers eat up large amounts of bandwidth. During non-business hours, speeds are more likely to be closer to advertised rates.
Another factor that can negatively impact a bandwidth meter test is unnecessary background processes running during the test. Firewall, antivirus, and antispyware services should always be running, but avoid running a speed test while an active disk scan is running. Automatic updates and maintenance services such as background indexing, registry, or disk defragmentation will also disrupt the test by hogging system resources, resulting in an inaccurate score.
There are several free bandwidth meters online. Some websites that host speed tests ask for your zip code, the type of internet access you have, and the name of your ISP selectable from a drop-down list. Others simply upload a large graphic or text file to your computer, calculating the results.
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