There are few things worse than a slow internet connection. With so many cloud-based applications today, your business runs on the internet. Do you have the right connections in place to support the speeds you need? Do you know how well your internet is performing? An internet speed test can help shed light on these factors.

Before we get into what an internet speed test does, we need to cover what internet speed is. When we refer to internet speed, we’re talking about how fast data moves from the internet to your device (download speed) and how quickly data moves from your device to the internet (upload speed). Speed is measured in megabits per second (Mbps), the standard measurement for internet speed.

What Does an Internet Speed Test Cover?

An internet speed test checks the upload and download speeds of your devices connected to the internet. To properly assess your internet connection, internet speed tests run four different checks, each evaluating different aspects of your internet connection:

• Download speed — Measuring the capacity of your internet connection to download data to your device, the higher the amount of data measured over time (Mbps) means your device can download files and data more quickly.
• Upload speed — Upload speed also measures the throughput of data and files — only from your device to the internet. Also measured in Mbps, upload speed is important in video calls and online gaming.
• Ping (latency) — The ping measures the time it takes a signal to travel to its destination and back to your device. Measured in milliseconds (ms), a high ping rate might mean you’re experiencing latency issues, whereas a low ping rate reflects fast response times.
• Network jitter — Jitter measures the deviation or displacement of data that can lead to disrupted or delayed audio and video connections. Measured in milliseconds (ms), a low jitter score reflects consistent response times from audio and video connections.

Why Run an Internet Speed Test?

An internet speed test is the most useful way to determine the actual broadband speed you are receiving. This information is important to determine if you need additional bandwidth given your usage and needs.

However, the most common reason to run an internet speed test is to troubleshoot issues. If you are experiencing a slower-than-normal internet connection or experiencing audio and video that is jittery or intermittent, now may be a good time to run an internet speed test.

How to Test Your Internet

Testing your bandwidth speed is easy with TPx’s free bandwidth speed test. Click “Go,” and the bandwidth speed test will connect to one of the TPx test servers located throughout the United States. Results are delivered quickly and accurately.

Evaluating Your Internet Needs

Now that you understand your internet speed and what your usage looks like, you can evaluate if your internet requirements need to change. TPx can help with a variety of business internet options.

Contact a TPx representative today and learn about the benefits of managed internet connectivity with TPx.