One of the first things an end user troubleshoots when the internet seems slow is their speed – this can be done by running a speed test. But what exactly is the speed test checking? This article will break down the different types of speed tests, elements of a speed test, speed limiting factors, and how to improve your internet experience.
Understanding Your Speeds
Picture this – I-10 construction is complete, and you have a brand-new, wide-open highway all to yourself. If you have a Fiber 1 GIG plan, the speed limit on that highway is 1,000 Megabits per second. This highway represents the internet connection from BEC Fiber servers to your router.
On this multi-lane highway, there are all kinds of vehicles traveling from place to place. From sports cars, to tractors, to motorcycles, to RVs, this highway supports all types of vehicles – these vehicles represent your wireless devices within your home network. Just like a sports car would be able to travel much faster than a tractor or an old model T, some of your new devices in your home will be able to achieve better speeds and perform better than older wireless devices. If a brand-new motorcycle gets a flat tire, it won’t be able to travel very fast until we get that tire patched – the same is true for a smart device that needs a firmware update.
Types of Speed Tests
There are 2 primary types of speed tests. Speed to the home and speed to the device.
- Speed to the home: This test measures the speeds from BEC Fibers provisioning server to your ONT. The speeds reflected on this test should be greater than 90% of the service plan that you are subscribed to. You can test the speed of your router by using the BEC Fiber app.
- Speed to the device: This test measures the speed from your router to your devices within your home network. You can test your devices at using our Fiber Speed Test website.
Elements of a Speed Test
The speed test is broken down into four components; Download speed, Upload speed, Ping, and Jitter.
- Download Speed: Your download speed shows how much data your device can receive over the internet. This is measured in megabits per second (Mbps). This number is determined by the speed profile you subscribe to and the capabilities of your device. With upload and download speed tests, the higher the number, the better.
- Upload Speed: Your upload speed shows how much data your device can send over the internet. This is also measured in Mbps and is determined by your speed profile and device capabilities.
- Ping: Ping is the reaction time of your connection – how fast you get a response after you’ve sent out a request. This is measured in milliseconds (MS). For Ping and Jitter tests, the lower the number, the better.
- Jitter: Jitter is the rate at which ping changes over a period of time. ‘Jittering’ is essentially the fluctuation or variation of latency over time. This is measured in MS.
All the speed packages offered by BEC Fiber provide unlimited data, the difference will be how fast you can send and receive that data. With a ½ GIG (500 Mbps) subscription, your speed tests will max out at ½ GIG (500 Mbps). You still have unlimited data, but you are limited as to how fast you can send and receive that data.