How to check the speed of your Internet Connection

I remember when I first started browsing, broadband was unheard of in India. Dial-up connections offered by BSNL were the rage in those days and the fastest connection available (economically feasible) to a normal user was the 128 kbps (Kilobits per second) ISDN connection, while the dial-ups offered a measly 56.6 kbps. India has come along way since. Now, broadband connections offering atleast 3.1 Mbps (Megabits per second) are a must.

However, one thing has remained unchanged. Even then we never got the advertised speed, nor do we get it now. There are a few websites  which run a test on your internet connection and tell you your exact download and upload speed and your ping rate.

The first website to try out is, but ingore all Coupon code pop ups: www.testmyspeed.com

Click on Start speed test and you are good to go. It tests the download and upload speed of your internet connection and produces the results.

Moving on to the next site, www.speedtest.net.

To start the test click on Begin Test. This site not only tests your upload and download speed, but also your ping rate.

The last site on our list is www.bandwithplace.com.

Click on Start Test to begin the test.

Please Note that Speedtest & ISP’s use bits per second while download agents/programs use bytes per second. Because there are 8 bits to a byte, 1.2 megabytes a second sounds right. So, calculate wisely before blaming your ISP.

In simple language, you should get 1/8th of the advertised bandwidth means 2MBPS connection should give 0.25 MegaBytes / sec = 0.25 KiloBytes / sec.

With the help of these websites you can know exactly what speed you are getting. Do please share with us how many of you are getting the advertised 3 Mbps.

Click Here to Leave a Comment Below 4 comments
Rutvij - February 9, 2011

One thing that I would like to add is that your ISP is obliged to provide you atleast 80% of the promised bandwidth as per TRAI guildelines. So for 512kbps speed you should atleast get 409.6kbps speed on your connection.

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bicky rock - January 3, 2012

u r right…i m using 256kb/s broadband plan….but when i am downloading through idm or torrent the speed becomes as u say 1/8 th …30 – 40 kb/s….there is nothing in the world which can boost the speed….

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James Allen - September 7, 2012

@ Bicky Rock
Of course there is such thing you can do in order to boost your internet speed and that is considering factors that might be the cause of slow internet connection and that includes your Internet plan, the wiring in your home and the hardware and software you use. Having a fast connection these days is important, as downloading movies, television shows and participating in online gaming, have boosted consumer’s demand on quality Internet service. [ internet speed guide (dot) com ]

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