How to Check Your Broadband Download Speed?

broadband download speed - asianet broadband

There are so much new jargons in the computing world to learn with download speeds being one of them. While broadband speeds are supposed to be very fast, exactly what are your downloading speeds? Are they sufficient for your needs? Or do you experience lag or slow speeds when downloading files or streaming HD videos?

One of the best ways to check if your ISP is actually delivering the promised download speeds is by checking with free web tools. Using a computer with a wired internet connection, you can easily run a speed check test and interpret the results. For accurate readings, you will first need to stop all downloads and uploading activities as well as deactivating your VPN software. Here is a step-wise method for checking your download speed:

  1.  The best way to check broadband download speeds is with a wired Ethernet connection. Turn off your Wi-Fi and connect directly to your modem.
  2. Disconnect other devices such as smartphones, laptops or other smart devices from the Wi-Fi. Having other devices connected to the Wi-Fi will impact the speed test result negatively.
  3. One end of the Ethernet cable should be plugged into your modem’s Ethernet port and the other end into your computer’s Ethernet port. The Ethernet cable looks like a thick telephone cable and is yellow or blue in color.
  4. Next, you will need to unplug the power cable from your modem for about a minute or so to get rid of the temporary cache. Plug the cable back in again and switch it on.
  5. Before starting the speed test do close any open programs, especially sites like YouTube or streaming applications that can slow down the net.
  6. You are now ready to log into any free speed testing website of your choice. ‘Speedtest.net’ has been around longer than ‘Fast.com’ and gives both download and upload speeds. The latter only reports download speeds, however.
  7. Compare the download speed report with what your ISP promised you. If it doesn’t tally, you could contact your ISP for correction.

Since other factors such as distance from the exchange, no of users, etc., can also affect your speed, consider switching to the more stable fibreoptic network.