A speed test checks the maximum speed of your connection to a remote server on the internet.

This test runs in your browser. It does a multiple stream download and upload to servers it determines may be closest to your location. The test should take no longer than one minute to complete. Speeds are quoted in megabits per second (1 million bits per second) or kilobits per second (1000 bits per second) of data.

The speed test attempts to take your network connection to its maximum speed. This can be limited by several factors including the distance to the test servers, the operating system in use, the traffic en-route, and of course any congestion or wiring problems close to your location.

The servers are dedicated to speed testing and monitored for performance. They are currently capable of running from 300 megabit for the smaller servers to over 2 gigabit for the faster servers. Generally the ultimate speed limit is not the server speed but the distance to the server. The closer to the server the higher speeds can be obtained by the client operating system.