Swish Fibre Speed Test

Swish Speed Test

Is it time you ran a speed test on your internet connection? Swish Fibre broadband can offer speeds from 400Mbps up to 900Mbps. You might not realise just how far your connection is lagging behind until you conduct a speed test to check the performance of your current broadband service.

There are many good reasons to test the speed of your internet connection. But first, what exactly does a speed test do?

What is a broadband speed test?

Essentially, a broadband speed test measures the speed and quality of your connection from a connected device to the internet. It works by running multiple tests in quick succession, which measure elements such as download speed, upload speed and latency. These values represent different qualities of the connection and are taken into account to produce the final result of the speed test.

A speed test determines your location and the test server closest to you. Once the test server is in place, a ping (basic signal) is sent to the server and the server responds. The test takes a measurement of this roundtrip, which would typically be in milliseconds. Then the download test begins, measuring how long it takes to download a small piece of data, and the extent of network resources which were used. This is followed by the upload test, which is basically the download test but in reverse.

The benefits of a Swish broadband speed test

Know your speed

Do you know the internet speed you are actually getting? Much of the time, we label broadband connections “fast”, “OK”, “unreliable” or “slow”, but are not specifying a speed. Performing a broadband speed test allows you to put a number to your internet connection. Once you know what you are getting, you can figure out the broadband speed you want or need, giving you a better idea of how long media will take to downloand, the quality of video streaming you can comfortably handle and how many people in your household can be online at once without disruptions.

Ensure you are getting what you’ve paid for

It’s a sad fact that with some companies, the broadband speed you have paid for may be different from what you are actually getting. Many ISPs advertise ‘up to’ speeds, which might be a lot higher than the average speed you receive. Remember there is no need to simply take a broadband provider’s word for this. With broadband speed tests on Compare Fibre, you will know exactly the speed you are receiving at different times of the day. In some cases, you may even be entitled to cancel your current standard broadband package and switch to fibre should your connection be far slower than what you were promised.

Root out problems

Broadband speed tests have a fantastic practical function – use them as a tool to help you get to the bottom of issues with your internet connection. For example, maybe you are unsure if the cause of a problem is your internet connection or a particular device. Running a broadband speed test on multiple devices allows you to determine if the device or the connection is the issue.

Inform your next broadband purchase

Before you start to shop around, a broadband speed test determines exactly what you are getting at present. If the speeds you receive with a normal broadband package aren’t allowing you to go about your internet activities without disruption, it might be time to upgrade to the enhanced speeds available with fibre broadband.

How to perform a speed test on Compare Fibre

Performing a speed test on Compare Fibre couldn’t be easier. Simply click the ‘start speed test’ button on this page to check your speed. If you aren’t getting the speed you hoped for, you can start to compare fibre broadband providers for much faster connections.