The value of broadband line speed checks

Although it might seem like a straightforward process, piping the internet into your home is surprisingly complex.

We’ve previously explained how everything your computer does or displays has to be broken down into binary bits of data – zeroes and ones.

Each bit is then dispatched across a global network of servers, relay stations and nodes – eventually reaching your domestic connection, whereupon your device has to reassemble it.

Things could go wrong at any stage of this journey, from dropped connections and lost data packets to malfunctioning WiFi routers and wireless signal interference.

As a residential broadband customer, these issues may lie beyond your technical knowledge, while some broadband outages and issues have decidedly strange origins.

However, there is a free and helpful tool which often assists in terms of identifying and resolving domestic connectivity issues.

Broadband line speed checks help to establish how quickly your connection is operating at any given moment, compared to its theoretical peak performance.

It might just provide the impetus (and the information) your ISP needs to accelerate a sluggish service…

How do broadband line speed checks work?

Broadband line speed checks are carried out through websites which do all the heavy lifting for you.

Companies like Ookla and Fast.com offer this service, as do consumer champions Which?

Some ISPs offer proprietary line speed checking services, including TalkTalk and Virgin Media, though it’s advisable to use these only if you’re an existing customer.

(In this article, we’ll use Ookla as an example, since some major ISPs regard it as the most trustworthy line speed checker, and it harvests more information than some competitors.)

After loading the homepage, a pulsing Go button illuminates above details of your ISP, your IP address and the server your home broadband is connected to.

Clicking Go transforms the button into a speedometer, before performing a ping test to determine how many milliseconds it takes to get a response from the aforementioned server.

Generally, a ping rate of less than 50 milliseconds is recommended, especially if you’re planning on conducting online gaming.

Next, the speed checker will conduct two separate tests – download speeds, then uploads.

On full fibre connections, a faster upload speed might be reported, though most ADSL and Fibre to the Cabinet connections are asymmetric and will be quicker at downloading.

This isn’t a problem, providing both upload and download speeds are reasonably quick. Just don’t expect them to match your advertised connection speed.

(For reference, your correspondent ran a test on his 500Mbps full fibre broadband connection while writing this article, achieving 95Mbps down and 180Mbps up).

Data transfers can be slowed by factors including your device’s distance from the router, the number of other devices connected, the time of day, your choice of browser, firewall and even antivirus package.

Great! Now what?

Firstly, compare your reported speed to the service you signed up to.

If the actual upload and download speeds are a high percentage of the quoted ones, the service is working well.

If they’re a tenth or less of the theoretical maximum, there’s probably a broadband problem at your address.

Begin any investigation by restarting your WiFi router and then running the speed check again once it’s back online. Has performance improved at all?

If so, your router may simply have needed a few moments to cool down. If not, try moving your device closer, reducing the physical distance data has to travel.

If that isn’t possible, hardwire key devices to the router with an Ethernet cable or install a Powerline adaptor through your home’s electrical circuits.

These should improve line speeds. If they don’t, it’s time to contact your ISP and report a sluggish connection.

It helps if you can demonstrate multiple occasions where line speeds were underperforming.

Take speed checker results screenshots on your computer or mobile device, including the time and date where possible.

Quoting precise figures and other technical info (such as which server you were connected to) helps technical support staff to identify and resolve connection issues.

It’s also useful to save these screenshots in case future issues arise, for comparison and reference.