How It Works
SpeedOf.Me tests your internet connection by downloading and uploading sample files directly from your browser. It reflects your actual browsing and download performance. We call that number Real-World Speed, measured the same way since 2011.
Download and Upload
Download Test
It begins by downloading the smallest sample size (128 KB). While displaying the real-time bandwidth graph, it also measures the download duration. If the download takes less than eight seconds, the next sample is tested; otherwise, the upload test begins. Of all the samples downloaded, only the last one that took more than eight seconds is accepted. Your download speed is based on that final sample.
Upload Test
When the download test is complete, a similar incremental process is used to send data back to the SpeedOf.Me test server. The upload test starts with a small sample file and gradually increases in size until uploading a sample takes more than eight seconds.
Latency & Jitter
SpeedOf.Me also measures latency (ping) and jitter. Latency is the time it takes for data to travel to the server and back, measured over 10 samples with the lowest value reported. Jitter measures the variation between these latency samples. Lower jitter means a more stable connection, which is important for video calls and gaming.
Adaptive Testing Method
To ensure your internet connection is thoroughly tested, SpeedOf.Me measures your bandwidth in several passes. Sample file sizes gradually increase until one takes longer than eight seconds to download. As a result, SpeedOf.Me, unlike other speed tests, can automatically measure connection speeds ranging from very slow mobile networks like 10 Kbps GPRS (2G) to gigabit fiber connections of 1 Gbps or more.
Sample file sizes used in the test are:
- 128 KB
- 256 KB
- 512 KB
- 1 MB
- 2 MB
- 4 MB
- 8 MB
- 16 MB
- 32 MB
- 64 MB
- 128 MB
Test Servers
SpeedOf.Me hosts its sample files on a CDN. It uses many super servers called PoPs in cities (and growing). Each PoP may consist of multiple servers and is located in key regions around the world, near major internet exchange points. These super servers have powerful computing and caching capabilities and are directly connected to major backbone networks.
When the test begins, SpeedOf.Me automatically selects the most reliable and responsive server. This may not be the closest one, as several factors are taken into account to determine the best option. CDN technology handles this process, so the test measures your connection rather than the distance to a single server.
SpeedOf.Me PoP Server Locations
Accuracy
Every SpeedOf.Me result is one number measured one way: your Real-World Speed, the throughput a single sustained connection gets from the open internet. Three choices in the method above are what make it that number, and each one reads lower than the alternative.
One continuous stream, not many small ones. We transfer large, unbroken sample files, the way a web page or a video actually arrives, and plot every moment of it as a real-time graph. Many other services split the transfer into small chunks sent in parallel, then apply adjustments to estimate a figure. Stacking connections that way measures the maximum capacity of your line, which is a useful number, but it is not what one download does.
Neutral servers, not just the closest one. We test against PoPs in different regions, out on the public internet. Other services often pick the nearest physical server, sometimes one inside your own ISP's network, where the data never has to cross the internet at all. That reports the on-ramp rather than the road.
Your browser, nothing installed. No plugins, no separate client with its own tuned network stack. You see what the software you actually browse with can reach.
The result predicts how streaming, downloads and video calls will feel day to day rather than a lab-style peak, and it is the same ruler behind the Internet Speed Atlas. More on where the method came from on the About page.
Browser Compatibility
SpeedOf.Me works well in all modern browsers that fully support current web standards. For the best experience and most accurate results, we recommend using the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge.
Have more questions? Read the full FAQ →