How to measure the speed of your Internet connection? Where to find this information ? Why does Internet surfing seem so slow to you? Do you have the speeds promised by your operator, landline or mobile? Whether you are at Orange, SFR, Free or Bouygues, small web tools allow you to answer these questions.
We often hear it said that today we can no longer live without the Internet. This assertion is false. To say that we can no longer live without good Internet connection would be fairer. And precisely, to know the quality of your bandwidth, there are some extremely easy to use tools. Here is a quick overview of the essentials, which are a mandatory first step to diagnose problems with your connection.
Fast.com, the easiest way to measure your connection speed
Within seconds, Fast.com calculates your download speed. In July 2018, the tool was updated and now offers speed in upload, or the data you send. Latency is also calculated: just activate the option in the settings of the very simple page.
Offered by Netflix, the service quickly established itself as an example of simplicity. It also works just as well on smartphones as it does on PCs and if you need a quick idea of your speed without having to click anywhere else, Fast.com is the place to go. .
Google allows you to measure your internet speed
Is there something left that Google is not doing? In any case, Google is now taking care of measuring your connection to the Internet if you type the correct request. And it is frankly not easy to find: you have to type ” internet speed test ” to succeed. “Flow test” will not give you anything.
Offered in partnership with M-Lab, this test is as simple and effective as that of Netflix. It measures download, upload and latency in milliseconds.
Speedtest is the benchmark for measuring the speed of your Internet connection
This is the best known of the tools presented here. Speedtest is complete and calculates your up and down speed as well as the latency time. You thus have in hand absolutely all the information to know the speed of your connection. We only regret the rather long time that a test can take (around 47 seconds) and the interface that lacks sobriety – despite its recent redesign.
The Ookla extension measures the speed of your connection in one click
This tool is extremely practical. Ookla, the company that created Speedtest, has released a fast and user-friendly Chrome extension. Like the website, it calculates the download, upload and ping. The test is carried out in a little less than 30 seconds but it is above all by its extreme ease of use that the extension appeals.
Indeed, no need to type the address of a site or to launch a Google search. A simple click at the top right of your browser is enough to access it. So, if you notice some connection slowness, no need to wait forever before accessing the page that can confirm that your speed is bad. You can also close the extension window, it will continue to do the flow test discreetly.
Unfortunately for anyone who doesn’t use Google’s web browser, the Ookla add-on is only available on Chrome.
Article originally published on July 19, 2018 and updated on August 14, 2021
