Internet Speedtest

From New Zealand Connections

An example of a speedtest.net test, performed on a Telecom broadband connection

Speedtests provide a method to measure connection speeds and performance. They've come more and more common, starting off as simple javascript applets, to java and flash applets - through to websites with a large range of international sites.

They work by transferring a known amount of information and measuring the speed exhibited when downloading an object. However most speed tests suffer from backhaul issues, international provider issues, or capacity issues - which do not unnecessarily reflect true performance. For more accurate measurements - large downloads usually suffice.

Here on nzconnection, we have an example of a speed test which measures your speed to our webserver which is based in CA, US. This is a 'mini' version provided by the makers of speedtest.net

More popular speedtests include speedtest.net which has a vast selection of servers that can be used for testing purposes. These allow users to estimate the performance of their connection to international locations.

ISP provided speedtests

Many ISPs provide their own speedtests. These usually provide the best speeds if the user uses their own ISP to test from as there is less of a length to go through to be able to reach the server.

• Slingshot Speedtest (requires Flash)
• Telecom/Xtra Speedtest
• Xnet Speedtest (requires Flash)
• Worldnet Speedtest
• Actrix Speedtest
• Vodafone Speedtest (requires Flash)