Speedtest.net - Internet Speed Tester

Speedtest.net is a web service that provides free analysis of Internet access performance metrics, such as connection data rate and latency. It was founded by Ookla in 2006, and is based in Seattle, Washington.

The service measures the bandwidth (speed) and latency of a visitor's Internet connection against one of 4,759 geographically dispersed servers (as of August 2016) located around the world. Each test measures the data rate for the download direction, i.e. from the server to the user computer, and the upload data rate, i.e. from the user's computer to the server. The tests are performed within the user's web browser or within apps. As of 2016, over 9.0 billion speed tests have been completed.

Tests were previously performed using the HTTP protocol at Layer 7 of the OSI model. To further improve accuracy, Speedtest.net now performs tests via direct TCP sockets and uses a custom protocol for communication between servers and clients.

The site also offers detailed statistics based on test results. This data has been used by numerous publications in the analysis of Internet access data rates around the world.

History

The owner and operator of Speedtest.net, Ookla, was established in 2006 by a small team of internet and technology veterans. Ookla was acquired by Ziff Davis in 2014.

Technology

The technology of Speedtest.net is identical to that of Ookla NetGauge which is provided to a wide variety of companies and organizations on a licensed basis. Speedtest.net Mini is a free stripped-down version of the speed test technology used on Speedtest.net that users can run on their own web server. Together, over 20 million speed tests are generated each month using Ookla's software.

Speedtest.net Data

Speedtest Market Reports

In 2016, Speedtest began releasing market reports for different countries and cities, providing raw statistics regarding download and upload speeds for the past year for ISPs and mobile carriers. It also includes analysis of the current ISP and mobile markets of the respective country and breakdowns by region and city. ISPs and mobile carriers are ranked by their geographic performance. As of now, only the United States has a report, though briefly a Canadian report was visible (since redacted).

Net Index Rankings

Net Index is no longer supported by Speedtest.net and has been replaced by Speedtest Awards and an enterprise product, Speedtest Intelligence.

Speed Wave

The site offers a service by which groups of friends may compare results against each other and as a group average. Badges are also awarded for achievements such as Highest Download Speed and Lowest Latency.

Badges are awarded when either Highest Download or Lowest Ping will be.

My Results

The Ookla Speed Test also has a tool called “My Results” which lets you graphically compare your upload and download speeds as well as the different servers you have tested. Users who have been through many internet service providers, or that have more than one, may find value in this tool and could use it to choose the most efficient.