Internet speed test

The Internet is based on a combination of TCP / IP protocols and, in fact, consists of millions of servers and computers connected by a cable and wireless network.

The Internet does not have a single home base and control center, its segments are distributed all over the world, mainly in developed, civilized countries. According to the latest data, in 2023 more than 5.16 billion people use the Internet, which is more than 50% of the world's population.

Internet connection types

All existing options for connecting to the Internet can be divided into two groups: wired and wireless connections. So, the former include telephone wires, twisted pairs, coaxial cables and fiber optic cables, and the latter include radio communications, Wi-Fi, satellite and mobile Internet.

Wired connections

The highest data transfer rate is provided by wired connections, when servers/computers are directly connected to each other: without the use of radio frequencies, one way or another used in all types of wireless communications. Wired connection methods include:

Dial-up, or dial-up access. It is carried out through telephone lines, with a data transfer rate of no more than 60 kilobits per second. At the moment it is obsolete, but is still used in remote settlements where there is no possibility to conduct a full-fledged high-speed Internet.
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL). An enhanced version of dial-up that is a bridge between dial-up and FTTB technology. For its operation, you need a telephone cable, a modem and a splitter. The speed of receiving data via ADSL reaches 24 megabits per second, but the sending speed is much lower, which can be attributed to the main disadvantages of this technology.
DOCSIS. Transmits and receives data over a TV/coax cable. At the moment, it is also practically not used, with the exception of remote villages and urban outskirts. The speed of such an Internet reaches 42 megabits per second and decreases noticeably while watching digital TV. DOCSIS requires access to a TV cable and a special modem.
FTTB. Today, the most common type of connection is via fiber optic cable. Internet speed reaches 1 gigabit per second, with the possibility of additional connection of telephony services and digital TV.
GPON. The fastest, but so far - a little common type of connection via fiber optic cable. For its operation, you need a special ONT modem and cable laying directly to the user's apartment / house (without a switch). The GPON speed reaches 2.5 gigabits per second, and the ping is almost zero.

Wireless Connections

As for the wireless connections available to users, we will refer to them:

Wi-Fi. Operates up to 300 meters away, with the ability to connect laptops, smartphones, tablets and peripherals (such as printers) equipped with Wi-Fi modules.
Mobile Internet. It is provided through cell towers and requires an advance payment for a service package. It works many times slower than Wi-Fi, but with almost 100% coverage in large settlements and beyond (wherever there are 3G, 4G and 5G towers).
Satellite Internet. Can work in the field, where there are no Wi-Fi translators and cell towers. But it requires expensive equipment and has the highest ping - up to 250 milliseconds.

There is also an Internet radio that works up to 50 kilometers from the signal source provided by the ISP. The data is transmitted by radio and picked up by an antenna placed on a hill or on the roof of a building. This is a rather expensive connection option, which is used only as a last resort.

What internet speed do you really need

The rule “the more the better” does not quite work here, because for every extra 50-100 megabits per second you have to pay a lot, sometimes many times over.

Therefore, it is important to find a middle ground that is right for you. For example:

2 Mbps is enough to watch 480p SD video.
5 Mbps is enough to watch 720p HD video.
10 Mbps is enough to watch Full-HD video at 1080p.
30 Mbps is enough to watch Ultra-HD video at 2160p.

Given that most providers offer a home Internet speed of 50 megabits per second, this is quite enough for the needs of several people (family), and more than enough for one person. Higher speeds are needed only for specialists working with large data arrays or broadcasting streaming video in 4K format.

As a rule, the Internet speed is indicated by the provider itself as part of the provision of a particular service package. But these figures almost never correspond to real indicators, and users have to specify the connection speed "manually": using the capabilities of the operating system or online services.

For example, the speed can be found through the "Task Manager" (in the "Performance" tab), or through "Network Connections" (in the "Status" context menu) for Windows.

For macOS, open Terminal and type networkQuality.

To determine the maximum bandwidth of a dedicated Internet connection, you can gradually upload a large file (from 1 GB) to the cloud, and then download it from there, monitoring the "Mbps" indicators in the "Task Manager".

So you will know the speed of "upload" and "reception" of data, which may differ several times. But these are still not very reliable methods! If you need to know the exact speed of the Internet, the best option is a specialized online service. It will provide the following benefits:

High accuracy of speed measurement, taking into account its dynamic fluctuations.
A simple and intuitive interface.
Opening in a browser tab - no installation.
Getting information about the provider.
Auto detect IP address.
Accessibility from any Internet devices: PCs, laptops, tablets, smartphones.

The actual Internet speed may differ from the declared one by 2-3 times. At the same time, it is important to take into account that if the device from which the measurement is being taken is connected to the network via Wi-Fi, the speed may be significantly lower than with a cable connection. If you are not satisfied with the measurement results, you can increase the Internet speed without switching to a more expensive service package.

How to increase internet speed

It will not be possible to overclock the Internet above the speed that the provider provides you, but in most cases the speed decreases not through the fault of the operator, but due to internal problems: in local areas of the network, with a router, with hardware and software of a computer / smartphone .

By eliminating these problems, you can get the maximum speed and enjoy 100% high-speed Internet capabilities. The procedure differs depending on which device you are using.

We speed up the Internet on a computer, laptop

If the computer is connected to the Internet via a cable, you must first check its integrity. Inspect the wire along its entire length for damage, dents, clips. It is not uncommon for a cable to be pinched by fasteners, a door jamb or a baseboard, which disrupts the network. Also worth checking out:

The connector on the cable that connects it to the PC.
Connector on motherboard/network board.
Router/router - if you use one.

If mechanical defects are detected, it is worth calling a master who will fix the problem. But much more often, software problems become the cause of slowdowns. First of all, we will refer to them:

Misbehaving browser. A large number of tabs with the option to open them automatically, VPN operation, a full cache, connected utilities - all this heavily loads the network and slows down its speed. Clear your cache and history, turn off auto-open tabs, get rid of unnecessary utilities, and don't use the default VPN.
Upload files by the operating system (for updates) or by the user.
Virus software. It can significantly slow down the Internet and use a dedicated channel for receiving and sending data. To prevent this, use a reliable, up-to-date antivirus.

We speed up the Internet on a smartphone, tablet

If you need to increase the Internet speed on your mobile gadget, follow these steps:

Remove unnecessary, unused applications that consume bandwidth.
Install a booster (accelerator) that increases the speed of receiving and transmitting data on smartphones / tablets.
Turn off auto-update of the system, and do it manually from time to time.

These simple measures should be enough to increase the speed of the Internet in 80-90% of cases. If no improvement has occurred, the reason for the low speed is most likely hardware in nature and requires either technical intervention or replacement of the device/components.

Our service starts working with one click. Information is transferred from your computer to us and vice versa. Thus, the average speed of transmission, download, upload and connection delay per unit of time is determined. To get an objective picture and evaluate the stability of the Internet connection, repeat the test several times. With our service you will get accurate results quickly and free of charge.

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Internet speed test