What are the common mistakes in testing network speed? Avoid minefields and measure network speed accurately

in the process of daily use of the network, the speed of the network directly affects various experiences such as drama, office, games, etc., so many people will regularly test the network speed to understand the network status. But many people often get inaccurate results due to improper operation when testing the network speed, either mistakenly thinking that the network card is an operator problem, or ignoring the real network failure. This article will sort out the common misunderstandings when testing the network speed in detail, help you avoid these minefields, get accurate network speed data, and judge the network status more scientifically.

, test network speed only rely on a single tool?

many people test network speed, they are accustomed to using only one commonly used tool, thinking that as long as the results of the well-known platform are certain to be accurate, but this practice actually has a lot of deviation.

1, single tool server differences affect results

the server distribution and bandwidth resources of different test network speed tools are different, for example, the servers of some tools are concentrated in first-tier cities. When users in third- and fourth-tier cities test, the data transmission path is longer, the delay is higher, and the measured network speed will be lower than the actual value. And the servers of some tools are closer to the user's location, and the test results will be closer to the real network speed. It is easy to misjudge if you only look at the data of a single tool.

2, differences in tool algorithms lead to biased results

the calculation algorithms of different test network speed tools are also different. Some tools focus on the instantaneous peak of download speed, while others take the average speed of the whole test process, which will cause a large difference in the results measured by different tools in the same network environment. If you only refer to a single tool, it is likely to have a wrong understanding of your real network speed.

Second, the test network speed ignores the influence of the connection method?

connection mode is a key factor affecting the results of the test network speed. Many people choose the connection mode at will during the test, resulting in a disconnect between the results and the actual use state.

1 Replace Wired Test with WiFi Test

many home users are accustomed to using WiFi to test the network speed, but the WiFi signal is vulnerable to wall occlusion and interference from other electronic devices, and the signal attenuation will directly lower the test results. If it is to determine whether the bandwidth provided by the operator is up to standard, the network cable should be used first to directly connect the router and equipment for testing, so as to eliminate WiFi signal interference and get the true network speed closest to the operator's promise.

2, ignore signal strength when WiFi connection

if you really need to test the network speed with WiFi, many people will operate in a position far away from the router. At this time, the WiFi signal strength is weak, the data transmission packet loss rate is high, and the measured network speed is much lower than the speed that the actual WiFi can provide. The correct way is to test in the core area of the router signal coverage, so that the results can reflect the real performance of WiFi.

3, test network speed does not avoid network peak?

there is an obvious peak period of network use, many people test the network speed during the peak period, but mistakenly think that there is a problem with the network itself, which is also a common test error.

1, network congestion during peak hours reduces speed

7:00 pm to 10:00 pm every day is the peak of home network usage. At this time, a large number of users in the same area use the network at the same time. The outlet bandwidth of the operator will be congested. When testing the network speed, the download and upload speed will drop significantly. The test results of this period do not represent the normal state of the network, but will let you misjudge your network speed.

2, does not close the background occupation network program

in addition to the external network peak, when many people test the network speed, the background of the device is still running download software and video caching programs, which will consume a lot of internet bandwidth, resulting in the tested network speed is much lower than the actual available speed. Before the test, all background network programs should be closed to ensure that only the test tool is occupying network resources during the test.

4, the test network speed only depends on the download speed?

many people test network speed, only focus on the value of download speed, but ignore the upload speed, delay and other key indicators, this one-sided judgment will affect the overall understanding of the network.

1, ignoring the upload speed affects the two-way experience

with the popularity of teleworking, live broadcast, cloud storage, the importance of upload speed is increasing. For example, when sharing screens during remote meetings, slow upload speed will lead to picture cards; when uploading speed is insufficient during live broadcast, there will be picture delays. If you only look at the download speed when testing the network speed, you will ignore the shortcoming of upload speed, and you will not be able to find the root cause when encountering related problems.

2, ignore delay indicators affect real-time operation

for games, real-time video calls and other scenarios, network latency is more important than simple download speed. Some network download speeds are fast, but the delay is high, and the operation card and screen frame skipping will occur when playing games. When testing network speed, you should also pay attention to indicators such as delay and jitter, so as to fully judge whether the network is suitable for your own needs.

to sum up, when testing the network speed to avoid only rely on a single tool, ignore the connection, do not avoid the network peak, only look at the download speed of these common misunderstandings, by selecting a variety of tools cross-validation, matching the appropriate connection, in the off-peak testing, pay attention to full-dimensional indicators and other methods, in order to get accurate network speed data, more scientifically evaluate and optimize their network experience.