Broadband speed tester

Using the broadband speed tester

Our free broadband speed tester will tell you exactly how fast your connection is, giving you a reading for both your download and your upload speeds.

To guarantee an accurate result, you should make sure that you fill out each required field in the box above and turn off any applications that are running in the background before you run the test.

The speed test takes around 30 seconds to run and works by sending a small file to your computer and timing how long it takes to be downloaded. Because of this, any other internet programs you are running at the same time could affect your result.

You should also bear in mind that speeds can vary depending on when you run the test. Conducting multiple tests at different times of the day will give you a more accurate idea of the kind of speeds you’re getting.

Average download speeds

Although many broadband providers now advertise top speeds of up to 20Mb or 24Mb broadband, this is rarely the speed that you will actually receive.

The average download speed across the UK now stands at 5.1Mb, according to research from telecoms regulator Ofcom in July 2010. But although this represents a 25% increase since 2009, this is less than half the speed that is advertised.

Customers still on an up to 8Mb broadband package averaged just 3.3Mb, Ofcom’s research revealed, while those on copper wire ADSL packages with speeds of up to 24Mb or 20Mb broadband received an average of 6.5Mb.

At the same time, cable broadband customers signed up to Virgin Media (www.Virginmedia.com) fared much better, with 20Mb customers averaging 15.7Mb - more than double what ADSL competitors could deliver.

Customers on the Virgin Media up to 10Mb package also averaged an impressive 8.7Mb, the Ofcom research showed.

Why aren’t I getting my advertised speed?

A variety of factors can affect your broadband speed, but the main issue is usually how far you live from the local phone exchange. If you are a copper wire ADSL broadband customer, then your download speed will get slower the further you are from the exchange.

Other factors that affect all types of broadband connections include peak time traffic. This can slow you down when lots of people are online at the same time. Your provider’s own traffic management policy may also affect your speed. For example, certain kinds of traffic, such as video streaming, might be slowed down at busy times to make room for more “important” data.

Using wi-fi to share your connection can also slow you down when lots of people are connected on different computers and devices.

Speeding up your broadband

There are a number of different ways that you can speed up your broadband. The first thing you should do is talk to your supplier to see if there’s anything they can do to get you a faster connection. You should also ask your provider exactly what kind of speed you should be expecting - which will be based on your distance from the exchange.

If you are an ADSL customer, installing an iPlate could help you increase your connection by an average of 1.5Mb.

If that doesn’t work, download our complete guide to speeding up your broadband and follow the tips and tricks to see if we can help you go a bit faster.

Switch broadband provider

If you are still struggling on slow speeds, switching to a faster supplier or a fibre optic broadband package could be the answer. Virgin Media already offers speeds of up to 50Mb broadband to over half of the country, and plans to launch an even faster 100Mb broadband package by the end of 2010.

If its cable packages aren’t available in your area, you should look into BT broadband’s (www.BT.com) new BT Infinity packages. It is rolling out its new network to four million homes by the end of the year, with plans to offer speeds of up to 40Mb broadband to two-thirds of the UK by 2015.