Whats a good speed for downloading files

How to Check Internet Speed The best way to find out how fast your Internet is performing is to test it. Restart your modem and router before starting the test. Refrain from using the Internet for any other activities as you test your Internet speed. This includes shutting down mobile devices as they will often be auto-connecting to your network. Restart the computer or device which will be used to perform the test.

You should do this before each set if you plan on testing multiple times. Speed tests rely on downloading and uploading files and may not reflect accurate speeds if files are cached. Some of the reasons you might be experiencing slow Internet speeds are: Wired versus WiFi connections — Wired connections are generally faster and are subject to less interference than wireless connections. Hardware — Your computer and modem can both contribute to degraded Internet speed.

Operating system — A misconfigured OS can lead to slower Internet speed than expected. Congestion — Excessive usage on your network will slow down speeds for all users. In addition, the websites and servers you are accessing may be experiencing high usage rates which limit their ability to meet download demands.

Software — A misconfigured web browser is a common cause of bottlenecks and slow throughput. Infection by malware can also have a negative impact on the speed of your Internet connection. Perform a survey of your network — Using a quality network monitoring tool such as Netspot will allow you to test a wireless network to identify where potential issues may exist.

Running an active scan returns visualizations that allow you to analyze upload and download speeds as well as the wireless transmission rate. Information gained through the scan can help you decide which factors may be holding down your Internet speed. Upgrade your router — A dual-band router gives you two a 2. Move to a wired connection — Wired connections will provide faster and more consistent Internet speed but may cost more and offer less flexibility than a wireless solution.

Eliminate signal interference — Your WiFi router needs to be placed where microwaves or other devices will not interfere with its signal.

Locate your router where there will be a limited impact from walls and furniture that may degrade the signal. Looking at the test results, you will know how good your connection is and whether the speed is the same as what your ISP Internet Service Provider offers to you.

Meanwhile, ping time or latency lets you know how responsive the connection is. So, what is a good ping upload and download speed on internet speed test results? Keep reading to find the answer. Ping time or also known as latency measures the reaction time of an internet connection.

This metric lets you know how quickly you can receive a response after sending out a request from your device to a server on the internet. Latency is measured in milliseconds ms. The lower latency or ping, the better, and vice versa. See more: What is ping rate. Unlike the latency measured in milliseconds - ms , download speed is measured in Mbps — megabits per second. It shows how much data your computer can get from the Internet in a given second.

The data can be in the form of videos, images, text, audio, so on. Activities such as streaming videos on Netflix, downloading files, listening to music on Spotify, etc all require you to download data. On the other hand, poor download speeds mean it will take more time to grab the data from the Internet.

This metric is also measured in Mbps megabits per second. Upload speed determines how fast you can send data from your computer or other devices to another location on the internet. Speed for uploading data is essential for most internet users, but in fact, some people rely on it more heavily than others.

For content creators, who work with videos, audio, graphics, Often, the download speed is higher and faster than the upload speed. The difference between these two metrics is normal because most average internet user spend more time downloading including browsing websites, watching videos, listening to music, These metrics are major factors determining how great an internet connection is. We use our upload speed when we want to post a video to Facebook, or send a picture from our phone to a friend.

We also use it every time we click on a link or type a search term into Google. That information has to travel from our browser to the appropriate server in order to tell it which information it needs to send us. Uploading is an essential part of using the internet. We all use upload speed, but some people rely on it heavily.

Most ISPs advertise only download speeds, so you might not even realize that upload speeds are a separate thing. Download speeds are also generally the faster of the two speeds, so most advertisements tend to focus on them. Although we constantly both download and upload information online, for most of us, the information we upload is generally much smaller. By contrast, the only information that needs to be uploaded are the search terms you look up and the information from the links and buttons you click.

Most of us have had to deal with slow download speeds at one point or another, which often involves waiting for images to appear on a web page or a video stopping in the middle of playback to buffer. There are several reasons why your internet speed might dip temporarily due to traffic or routine maintenance. Thinking of switching to a faster plan? Enter your zip code to see which providers are available in your area.

Author - Peter Christiansen. Peter Christiansen writes about satellite internet, rural connectivity, livestreaming, and parental controls for HighSpeedInternet. Peter holds a PhD in communication from the University of Utah and has been working in tech for over 15 years as a computer programmer, game developer, filmmaker, and writer.

Cara Haynes has been editing and writing in the digital space for seven years, and she's edited all things internet for HighSpeedInternet. When she's not editing, she makes tech accessible through her freelance writing for brands like Pluralsight.

She believes no one should feel lost in internet land and that a good internet connection significantly extends your life span. What is a good download speed?