3 Reasons Why You Should Be Doing a Broadband Speed Test

Before we go into the ‘why’ let’s look at ‘what’ a broadband speed test is. It basically is a very simple test that provides people an insight how much their broadband connection speed is. It will show you both the results of your download and upload broadband speed.

There are a lot of websites nowadays that provide a service to test the broadband speed. Some of those websites are better then others. One of the better sites is USwitch.com which provides a FREE broadband speed test…

How do broadband speed tests work

First of all it is required that you to stop your computer from running other tasks or downloading anything else. This is to make sure you will get the most accurate reading on the broadband speed test. Because if the computer is downloading a file already then your broadband connection won’t be able to use the full resources giving you an accurate reading.

Once you are totally certain that the computer is not performing any internet activity, it is time to start the speed test. Most services just ask you to simply click a button to start the test. At this moment a file will be downloaded and depending on how quickly this is downloaded this will determine the speed of your broadband connection.

Once completed the next step is to perform an upload speed test. This basically means how fast the connection can upload information from your computer. Just keep in mind that the upload speed is a lot slower than the download speed. The reason for this is that in most cases people download more then they upload.

So now we know how a speed test works let’s look at why we should be testing the speed of our broadband connection…

3 Reasons Why Everybody Should Do A Broadband Speed Test

1) A lot of broadband providers in the UK offer connections that never deliver the promised speed. Most people will have seen or read the “up to…” statements. Basically they advertise that they provide a broadband speed ‘up to 8 Mb or 12 Mb’, but most of the time the speed people get is only half or even less of that.

It is used by broadband providers to tempt new customers. But on the other hand it is for these companies also a way to avoid the awkward question of why most broadband connections rarely deliver the advertised speed.

In other words it is no good paying for a connection speed if you can’t get that where you live!

2) Before you decide on the package that you need or want to buy, think about what you need it for. If you are an occasional ‘surfer’ on the internet then a basic package will do. But if you like to stream for example BBC iPlayer over the internet you will require a faster connection speed, especially if you prefer to watch it in HD (high definition).

Or maybe you are a bit of film lover and love to stream movies live or even download films on a regular basis. Having a package that provides better speed (and unlimited downloads) is a must have. As I said make sure what your needs are and then research what the best deal is out there for those needs.

3) A speed test is also great for those who are unsure what connection speed they get. Or for those who feel their broadband speed is not what it should be.

Hopefully you have a better understanding now of the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of a broadband connection speed test. Maybe you are looking around for the best deals or what package you should be getting but are still left with further questions.

Go and visit one of the better sites like USwitch.com for a free broadband speed test find the best deal for your area and get the package that suits your needs today. Happy surfing…

 

 

 

 

 

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