How It Works - InternetSpeed.my

📊 What We Measure

Our speed test measures four critical metrics that determine your internet performance:

⬇️

Download Speed

How fast you receive data from the internet. Affects streaming, browsing, and downloads.

⬆️

Upload Speed

How fast you send data to the internet. Critical for video calls, live streaming, and file uploads.

⚡

Ping (Latency)

Response time in milliseconds. Lower is better for gaming, video calls, and real-time apps.

📶

Jitter

Variation in ping over time. Measures connection stability and consistency.

🔬 How The Test Works

Our speed test uses advanced techniques to measure your actual internet performance:

1

Server Selection

We automatically select the optimal test server based on your location and network topology. This ensures you're testing against a nearby server for the most accurate results.

2

Ping Measurement

We send multiple small packets to the server and measure round-trip time. We calculate both average latency and jitter (variation between measurements).

Samples: 20 ping requests over 5 seconds

3

Download Test

We open 6 simultaneous connections and download test data. Multiple streams ensure we fully utilize your connection's capacity, even on high-speed links.

Method: Progressive stream loading, discarding initial buffered data for accuracy

4

Upload Test

We open 3 simultaneous connections and upload test data to the server. We measure the transfer rate and adjust for protocol overhead.

Data Size: Dynamically adjusted based on connection speed (faster = larger test)

5

Results Calculation

We aggregate all measurements, remove outliers, and calculate your final speeds in Mbps (megabits per second). Results are displayed in real-time as the test progresses.

🛠️ Technical Implementation

Multi-Stream Architecture

Unlike basic speed tests that use a single connection, we use multiple simultaneous streams:

Why? Modern internet connections can handle multiple TCP streams, and testing with only one would underestimate your actual capacity
Download: 6 streams to saturate high-speed connections (1 Gbps+)
Upload: 3 streams (upload typically has less capacity than download)
HTTP/HTTPS: We use standard web protocols, so results reflect real-world performance

Client-Side JavaScript

The test runs entirely in your browser using modern web APIs:

// Simplified test implementation
const streams = 6;
const xhr = [];

for (let i = 0; i < streams; i++) {
    xhr[i] = new XMLHttpRequest();
    xhr[i].open('GET', `/test/download?stream=${i}`, true);
    xhr[i].onprogress = (e) => {
        updateSpeed(e.loaded, e.timeStamp);
    };
    xhr[i].send();
}

function updateSpeed(bytes, time) {
    const mbps = (bytes * 8) / (time * 1000);
    displaySpeed(mbps);
}

Adaptive Testing

Our algorithm adapts to your connection speed:

Slow Connections (< 10 Mbps): Shorter test duration, smaller data transfers
Medium Connections (10-100 Mbps): Standard 10-15 second test
Fast Connections (> 100 Mbps): Longer test duration for accuracy, larger data transfers
Gigabit+ Connections: Maximum streams and extended testing to saturate the link

Accuracy Optimizations

Warm-up Period: First 1-2 seconds discarded (TCP slow start)
Stable Measurement: We only use the middle portion of the test when speed stabilizes
Outlier Removal: Statistical filtering removes anomalous measurements
Protocol Overhead: Adjusted for TCP/IP and HTTP headers (~3-5%)

⚠️ Factors Affecting Test Accuracy

✅ What We Control

Server Performance: High-performance servers with 10 Gbps+ links
Geographic Distribution: Test servers in multiple regions
Test Algorithm: Optimized for accuracy across all connection types
Browser Compatibility: Tested on all major browsers

⚠️ What Affects Your Results

WiFi vs Ethernet: WiFi is typically 30-50% slower
- For most accurate results, use a wired connection
- WiFi speeds vary with distance, walls, and interference
Device Performance: Older devices may not handle gigabit speeds
- Older WiFi cards (802.11n) max out around 150-300 Mbps
- CPU-intensive background tasks can slow tests
Network Congestion: Other users on your network or ISP's network
- Close background apps (updates, cloud sync, streaming)
- Test during off-peak hours for best results
Browser Extensions: Ad blockers, VPNs, proxies can affect results
- Temporarily disable extensions for accurate testing
- VPNs typically reduce speed by 10-50%

🎯 Best Practices for Accurate Results

Use Ethernet: Connect directly to your router/modem
Close Other Apps: Stop downloads, streaming, cloud backups
Disconnect Other Devices: Ensure only your test device is using the network
Restart Router: If experiencing issues, reboot your router first
Test Multiple Times: Run 3-5 tests at different times for an average
Use Different Browsers: Compare results across Chrome, Firefox, Safari

🆚 Why Our Test is Different

Multi-Stream vs Single-Stream

Some speed tests use only a single connection. This was fine for old DSL connections, but modern broadband requires multiple streams to achieve maximum throughput.

Example: A 500 Mbps connection might only show 150 Mbps on a single-stream test, but 480 Mbps on our multi-stream test.

HTML5 vs Flash

We use pure JavaScript (no Flash, no Java applets). This means:

Works on all devices (including mobile)
No plugins or downloads required
Better security and privacy
More accurate real-world performance

Privacy-Focused

We take your privacy seriously:

We never sell your data to ISPs or advertisers
No account required (anonymous testing available)
HTTPS encryption for all connections
Full control to delete your test history anytime
GDPR & CCPA compliant - see our Privacy Policy

❓ Questions About Our Methodology?

We're committed to transparency in how we measure your internet speed. If you have questions about our testing process or want to know more details:

Contact Us: Get in touch with our team
FAQ: Common questions answered
Technical Support: We're happy to explain our methodology

⚙️ How It Works