How accurate are Broadband speed tests?

[max691ktm]

There are several companies providing speed tests.
To date I have been using ZDNET, Speedchecker.co.uk, and mybroadbandspeed.co.uk.
Virgin Media seem to like > Speedtest.net

While Speedtest.net provides almost a constant 9.800Mbps -ZDNET and the other providers show considerable different readings MUCH LOWER and different every time.

Is Speedtest the only one which is accurate? All the time?

Ping seems to vary from 13ms up to 212ms - does this mean anything?

 

[jmacavali]

They are accurate in that they give you a rough idea of the speeds you are getting. It doesn't mean though that you'll actually be able to get a download speed of whatever it says because of equipment limitations getting in the way of the download.

The ping times are fine, unless you can tell a huge difference between 13 milliseconds and 212 miliseconds.

I don't find there is any use in getting worked up about my interent speed. You'll rarely, if ever, achieve the speeds you pay for and the only way to improve them is to buy a faster connection from your ISP anyway.

 

[berry120]

You have to look at what the speed test is actually doing - giving you the speed of your connection at a specific point in time with regards to a specific server. In practice it depends on lots of factors such as the location of the server, time of day (peak times will likely be slower), location of the server and as said above, limitations in equipment at various places along the chain.

+1 to not worrying about it.

Oh and I don't trust ZDNet's blog posts let alone their speed tests