Speedtest.net Website Review

When it comes to internet speed test sites, Speedtest.net is definitely an old favorite and probably the most commonly used test site - it runs over 50 million speed tests each month.

Speedtest.net combines a very long list of remote test servers, an easy to use and fun interface, and powerful statistic tools - all making it one of the best when it's time to test your bandwidth.

Before you waste your time searching among the mountain of sites designed to test the speed of your internet connection, give Speedtest.net a try.

Speedtest.net: Pros & Cons

There's a lot to like about this bandwidth test:

Pros:

• Huge number of bandwidth test locations all over the world, improving accuracy of results
• Speedometer-like display is familiar and shows bandwidth levels during test
• Nearest test location is automatically calculated based on IP address
• One of the most graphically appealing interfaces among speed test sites
• Speedtest.net test result graphics are easily shareable via email and on social networks
• Global Stats show test statistics from around the world
• Speedtest.net test statistics are saved for future test comparisons
• App versions are available for most major mobile platforms

Cons:

• Utilizes Flash, which isn't available in all browsers and may interfere with test results
• Heavy graphics more of a nuisance than an advantage for dial-up users
• Test locations concentrated mainly in North America and Europe

More Information on Speedtest.net

Here are some more facts about Speedtest.net:

• Even without making a user account, your preferred testing server can be pre-selected from the settings. Before you start the speed test, you can then pick either your preferred server or the recommended one, which is the one closest to your location
• If you'd rather read the speed test in a different unit of measurement, you can pick between kilobytes (KB), kilobits (Kb), megabytes (MB), and megabits (Mb)

• From the My Results page is a list of all the tests you've taken as well as the best result from all those tests. Also on this page is your "Connection Grade," which is a grade (A, B, C, D, or F) determined by how your speed compares to others in your country and around the world
• Your speed test results can be exported to a CSV file
• Not only can single speed test results be shared, but also all of your Speedtest.net results - the whole list that shows your results over time

My Thoughts on Speedtest.net

If you had to choose a single bandwidth testing site among the huge number available, I would certainly recommend Speedtest.net over some others. Speedtest.net is operated by Ookla, a provider of bandwidth testing technology to a number of other internet speed test sites.

Speedtest.net is a very well designed and functional site with a speedometer display and other dials and read-outs showing important information about your internet connection.

A map of the Earth highlighting the over 3,500 remote testing servers makes it easy to decide on and change test locations based on geography.

Besides the attractive design and huge number of testing sites, Speedtest.net sets itself apart from most other internet speed test sites by its ability to save the results of your tests over time and to compare those tests with others around your neighborhood or around the world.

Every time you visit Speedtest.net, you can see the results of your previous bandwidth tests. This is great for tracking the speed of your internet connection to either show your ISP that your connection has slowed down or to prove to you that an advertised upgrade to your bandwidth has actually occurred.

Another unique feature is the custom Speedtest.net graphic that's generated each time you do a bandwidth test. This graphic can be emailed to a friend to brag about a fast new connection, shared online to compare results with others, or perhaps you might want to forward it to your ISP along with a complaint letter!

All in all, there's very little not to like about Speedtest.net. It's intuitive, fast, easy on the eyes and has been fairly accurate in my tests when compared to what my ISP says my available bandwidth should be.

If the fact that Flash is used for the test is an issue for you, another bandwidth test that doesn't utilize Flash might be a better choice. See this discussion on HTML5 vs Flash tests for more on this topic.

Visit Speedtest.net

Want to do an internet speed test from your mobile device? Check out the Speedtest.net Mobile Apps page for links to apps for Apple, Android, and Microsoft devices.