This is because speeds are dependent on the distance to the exchange (for conventional broadband) or to the street cabinet (for fibre broadband).Īs shown in the chart below, fibre broadband connection speeds decline with distance from the fibre street cabinet. Just because your ISP claims that your broadband connection offers speeds “up to 24 Mbps” (for ADSL2+ conventional broadband) or “up to 80 Mbps” (for VDSL2 fibre broadband), it won’t mean that you’ll be able to achieve such speeds.
![broadband download speed test broadband download speed test](https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/static.anygator.com/static-anygator2/thumbs/uk/a3/a3c3c1d9abf715bf0f159d0e78868bab943b935d/big.jpg)
In major part, this is due to its use of many geographically-distributed servers, which allows you to run a test on a server that is located physically close to you.įirst set your expectations based on distance if you are using basic broadband or fibre broadband Provided that you take the right precautions and choose the right online speed test (like the one below), an online speed test can be reasonably accurate and a useful tool to assess a broadband connection.īelow is our online speed test, provided by Ookla, which we believe is the most accurate online tester available based on extensive measurement. Bizarrely, one particular speed test (the BT Wholesale test) massively overstates performance. It’s not surprising that broadband providers completely ignore any online speed tests that have been performed by their customers. In most cases, because of the many factors involved, they may indicate that your broadband connection is performing much worse than it really is. You need to be very cautious with online speed tests. We identify the best and worst online speed tests. We can help with that, too - head straight to our dedicated broadband deals guide to ensure you're getting the best prices available today.We’ve lost count of the number of people that have told us that their broadband connection is not working properly because an online speed test has reported low or highly variable speeds. Tried out a broadband speed test and not liking what you're seeing? Then it may be high time to switch your internet provider. The more strain you're putting on your connection, the slower the results will appear. To get as accurate a result as possible, we'd suggest turning off anything else that might be tapping into your broadband before starting your test. That means it makes sense to test your speed at the time of day you most regularly use the internet – so if you're online most during the evenings, streaming Netflix shows or browsing Facebook, then check at that time. The results will be affected by external influences, particularly by how many people are using the internet at the same moment as your test. The result you're given tends to be the number of megabits that are being downloaded per second. Generally, internet speed-checks measure your real-time network connection to your local server by simulating downloads and uploads using your current broadband connection. For online gaming and you really need 20-25Mbps, which will also enable you to stream Ultra HD, and those are the kinds of speeds that only fibre broadband deals can provide. Most photo and video uploads, as well as standard-definition streaming, can be done at around 5Mbps, but you probably need 10Mbps to be comfortable, and to use applications like Skype or HD video streaming without any issues. Practically speaking, you need to have 2Mb to use websites comfortably. Some people have super-slow speeds that aren’t much different from dial-up – which is a bit scary when you consider that broadband internet has been the predominant standard for over 10 years now.
![broadband download speed test broadband download speed test](https://www.internetspeedtest.co.uk/assets/illustration-06.png)
![broadband download speed test broadband download speed test](https://uncommonchick.com/wp-content/uploads/7090054249_210456bdac_z.jpg)
If you're not getting the connection you were promised, you can head to our broadband comparison page to find a new plan, or simply use the comparison chart below: How fast should my speed be, and what do I need? So go and check your broadband speed now. But if it's falling short of the minimum promised speed, then you can potentially exit your contract penalty-free. If your speed check trials show that the speed you're getting is slow, but within the promised range, then there isn't much you can do other than complain. Still, when you signed up for your latest broadband contract, your provider should have given you a range of speeds that it will supply. Not they have to submit their 'average' speed, which is the speed that more than 50% of their users enjoy between 8pm and 10pm in the evening. That's all changed now though, thanks to an intervention from the Advertising Standards Authority. Internet providers such at BT broadband, Virgin Media and Sky used to try and cover themselves by saying that your broadband speed will be 'up to xxMb'. What if my broadband speed test reveals slower speeds than I'd expected?