Speedtest.net (no...not result screenshots again...)

[sleedeane]

Elementary, I assume. But I am tired of not knowing:

1). There should be a direct correlation between download/ upload speeds (as in how fast you can download a webpage from your browser or music from xyx free music, and upload a video to u-tube or post something to a blog or a forum), and what speedtest.net indicates, right?
In other words, google pages would come up noticeably faster if st.n says you are currently d/ling 20mbps than if it indicated 5mbps.
Is this correct?

2).Okay. If the previous assumption is correct, and one was to change the server on speedtest.net, and got d/l speeds of 40Mbps from this new location, would the browsing be quicker?
In other words, are we actually changing our service? Is speedtest.net a tool to speed up web-surfing and upload time?

Or are we just learning that IF we had use of that other server, which we don't, we would have that indicated speed at our disposal (at that time. I know speeds change with the traffic)?

When we use the tool in st.net to change the server, and then we run the test again, are we now just testing a hypothetical scenario?
Or have we actually changed the speed of the service that we are using?

(I know the speed, real or implied, is govorned by the router)

So if the internet is lagging, just find faster service using speedtest.net?

You guys don't know how long I've been wanting to ask this.

 

[Rxpert83]

You are downloading and uploading from speedtests servers when you run a test.

Changing what server you ping your downloads to/from isn't changing the physical tower you are using, only where it is getting its information from.
The app tries to locate its closest server to you because thats going to give you the quickest and most accurate result.

I guess what I'm trying to say is... No, changing the server from within the app will not change your data speeds. It is not modifying your connection to the tower at all.

 

[sleedeane]

Thank you. I really didn't think so (changing servers different seem to make any difference).
But what's the point of testing servers that my internet company doesn't have me connected to?

Mods: If I pepper my first post with profanity (or because I say please!) will you delete it? Its kind of embarrassing its such an idiot question.(kidding. I don't care).
Oh well. If people don't know that about me already...

 

[Doit2it]

There are a few factors that affect internet speed. The number of "hops" needed to access a site, the current load on a particular server, the current load on your local hub, internet health.

Hops: The web is called as such because it uses a web of computers (hubs, backbones, servers, etc) and your signal hops between a few of these to access a remote server (computer). The more computers your signal has to hop thru, the slower the speed will be.

Server load: Accessing walgreens.com VS assessing ticketmaster.com when tickets go on sale will have in different results. The amount of people trying to access a server at a given time slows down the speed cause that one server can't handle the traffic.

Local hub: If your using your cell phone, home broadband, or dial up you are sharing bandwidth with others that are accessing the internet the same way. If you are at a football stadium and x0,000 people are using their data, the local data server will be taxed and slower speed. Time of day is the same. Less people are using their phones late into the night so you local hub speeds are faster.

Internet health: If a backbone or hub is down or all it's servers are not online, your signal is rerouted and it increases the number of hops needed to get to a particular site.


All that being said, Speedtest.net (app and website) always looks for the closest server to test. Closer server (usually) means less hops. Change the server to a distant one and you will see slower speeds. So speedtest.net results are a "best possible" result, based on the current health of the internet and your local hub.

Speedtest.net DOES NOT affect your speeds, it only reports current speeds based on current conditions.

 

[sleedeane]

There are a few factors that affect internet speed. The number of "hops" needed to access a site, the current load on a particular server, the current load on your local hub, internet health.

Hops: The web is called as such because it uses a web of computers (hubs, backbones, servers, etc) and your signal hops between a few of these to access a remote server (computer). The more computers your signal has to hop thru, the slower the speed will be.

Server load: Accessing walgreens.com VS assessing ticketmaster.com when tickets go on sale will have in different results. The amount of people trying to access a server at a given time slows down the speed cause that one server can't handle the traffic.

Local hub: If your using your cell phone, home broadband, or dial up you are sharing bandwidth with others that are accessing the internet the same way. If you are at a football stadium and x0,000 people are using their data, the local data server will be taxed and slower speed. Time of day is the same. Less people are using their phones late into the night so you local hub speeds are faster.

Internet health: If a backbone or hub is down or all it's servers are not online, your signal is rerouted and it increases the number of hops needed to get to a particular site.


All that being said, Speedtest.net (app and website) always looks for the closest server to test. Closer server (usually) means less hops. Change the server to a distant one and you will see slower speeds. So speedtest.net results are a "best possible" result, based on the current health of the internet and your local hub.

Speedtest.net DOES NOT affect your speeds, it only reports current speeds based on current conditions.

I really appreciate the detailed explanation.
Thank you very much.

 

[AntimonyER]

Hey, I moved this to the android application forum, thanks for understanding

 

[feelbetter]

The speed test results doesn't make any changes or harms to your connections or to your computer . It only shows you the connection speed like download,upload speeds and the Ping results. Check your speed results using scanmyspeed.com .this will shows you a better results.Also download the gadget for future tests