Test your Internet speed to see if it matches what you're paying for

Ever feel like your Internet is running slow? Sometimes Web pages take forever to load, and don't even get me started about downloading programs, pictures or even videos.

It's very frustrating, especially when you pay for high-speed Internet. The problem is that it's not always the same thing that's causing your Internet to run slowly.

Many things can cause websites and emails to load slowly. It could be your browser, your computer or a website problem.

The place to start, however, is your Internet connection. For that, you need Speedtest.net.

Speedtest.net will measure the ping time, download speed and upload speed of your Internet connection.

Ping measures how fast you get a response back from the test server. The lower the number is the better. If you play online multiplayer games, you'll want less than 100 milliseconds.

As for uploading and downloading, measurements are given in bits per second. Higher numbers are better. Download speeds will typically be much faster than upload speeds

You can compare these numbers against the speeds that your Internet service provider promises you. Be sure to run multiple tests over several days at different times. This will give you on overall picture of your connection speed. You also might find specific periods that it's slow.

Download Instructions

Before you test your speed, close any other browser tabs. Also, stop any downloads you may have in progress. You will also want to use a wired Ethernet connection instead of Wi-Fi. A spotty Wi-Fi signal can affect the results.

Speedtest will recommend you download Chrome to improve your speed. Chrome typically tests faster than other browsers, but it isn't mandatory.

Whichever browser you use, you'll want to update to the latest version. Not only will your speed improve, you'll be less susceptible to viruses and malware.

To test your download speed, navigate to the Speedtest.net site and click the green button labeled "Begin Test" in the middle of the screen. It will automatically detect test servers near your location.

Note: If you click on anything other than "Begin Test," it is most likely an ad. This is a free test, and will not ask for your payment information, nor will it install anything to your computer. If any of these things happen, you have clicked the wrong link. Follow the instructions above to get the correct link.

For the first test, use the server it chooses. Afterward, you can try other servers around the country if you want.

Want to test your cellular connection? Click here to try out the mobile version of Speedtest.net.

PC version of Speedtest.net