Are You Getting the Internet Speed You're Paying For?

Lots of factors contribute to the speed of an internet connection

Not everybody has the same internet speed, but not everybody can purchase the same
internet speed, either. The three major contributors to the speed of any network
are where you're located, what you're paying for, and how you're using the
internet.

The United States doesn't have equal internet speed across every state and
provider. In-town customers usually have their pick at a variety of internet
service providers while rural users are stuck with few options.

Another area where internet speed can be measured is for mobile users. Most cell
phone providers offer a data plan for customers to access the internet on the go,
and the speed you're allotted depends on where you are when you access the mobile
network and what kind of device you're using.

If after testing your internet speed you find that it's slower than what you're
paying for, there are some things you can try to make the connection faster.
However, the speed of any network can only be as fast as what the internet service
provider (ISP) is giving out.

Determining a Normal Internet Speed

It's impossible to put a number on what's considered the normal speed of a
network's internet connection. Everyone pays for a different speed and uses
different devices, on different networks, to access the internet.

However, it is possible to determine your specific definition of normal by testing

how fast of a connection you have and comparing that to the speed you're supposed
to be getting.

With that being said, it's definitely much more common to get faster speeds on
wired connections than wireless. For example, your phone probably can't stream
movies while camping as quickly as it can at home.

Average Mobile Internet Speeds

Average connection speed for mobile phones ranges from 12 Mbps to 60 Mbps depending
on the state where you live, the age of your phone, and whether your equipment
supports the 4G LTE standard.

All major cellular providers show somewhat slower speeds in rural areas, no doubt
because 80 percent of the population lives in urban areas. In most cases, the speed
differential is less than 10 percent.

However, these are averages; some users experience faster speeds and some slower
speeds.

Average Broadband Speeds

Modern broadband cable, fiber, and DSL networks continue to increase their internet
speeds. Typically, you can expect to see download speeds in the 50 Mbps to 150 Mbps
range, with upload speeds much slower.

How to Test the Speed of Your Internet Connection

Finding out how fast of an internet connection you have is fairly easy. There are
lots of internet speed test sites that will do it for you in a matter of minutes,
like Speedtest and SpeedOf.Me.

One catch is that you have to make sure you're performing the speed test against
your own ISP. For example, even if you don't subscribe to Comcast's internet
package, you can still test your internet speed with the Comcast speed test for a
somewhat accurate result. However, if you plan to argue with your ISP about why you
have slow internet, you'll need to use a speed test they approve of.

If you can't find your own ISP in the list of speed test sites above, contact your
internet service provider and tell them you want to test your internet speed.
There's a good chance they have a speed test you can perform to instantly see if
you're getting what you're paying for.

However, it's important to remember that there's a lot that goes into the speed of
a network. You could very well be getting exactly what you're paying for but not
fully realizing it because your network is being overworked. There's more on that
below.

How to Get Faster Internet

If your internet speed seems to be falling short of the theoretical maximum set by
your ISP, consider all the different variables at play.

Here are some of the more common scenarios that could be contributing to slow
internet:

Network congestion: If you're sharing the network with other users, specifically
ones that play online games, stream Netflix and YouTube, broadcast live video, and
download lots of large software programs, you'll experience a slowdown.
Have the other users pause their downloads, streams, or uploads, or have them
install an app with bandwidth control. The less bandwidth that's being split
between all the users, the more bandwidth that each individual user will have,
which translates to faster internet for everyone.
Your location and distance from the server: Particularly for people in rural
settings, the more distance the signal travels, the more your data hits bottlenecks
across the many hops to reach your device.
If you're gaming or streaming movies, switch to a closer server (if that's an
option).
Hardware: Hundreds of pieces of hardware connect you to the web, including your
network connector, your router and modem, many servers, and many cables. Also, a
wireless connection has to compete with other signals in the air.
Check the connections that you can in your network (router, cabling, etc.) to be
sure they're attached properly. Replace the router or modem if it's too outdated to
perform well. Change your wireless router's channel number to avoid interference.
Time of day: Like the roads during rush hour, the internet has peak times for
traffic that contribute to speeds slowing down.
Put off streaming and downloading until off-hours like during the day Monday
through Friday.
Selective throttling: Some ISP's analyze data, and purposefully slow down specific
types of data. For example, many ISP's limit connections that are downloading
movies or will dial down everything if you consume more than your monthly
allotment.
Use a VPN provider to obfuscate your data so that the ISP can't detect your habits
and throttle your bandwidth.
Software: You may unwittingly have malware or a bandwidth-intensive application
running that robs your internet speed.
Shut down the bandwidth-hogging application and/or scan for malware.
If after satisfying all of the above solutions, your internet is still slower than
you think it should be, your only option is to upgrade. You can get faster internet
by calling your ISP and requesting the next tier in their plan (if there is one).

However, before upgrading your internet service, do one last speed test with all of
the above in mind. Keep network activity to a minimum, switch over to wired only,
etc., and if the speed is within 5 to 15 percent of the service's promised speed
(which is normal), an upgrade may be your only solution.

On the other hand, if you pay for a 150 Mbps connection, and you're getting 44
Mbps, it might seem like a perfect time for an upgrade, but you should first
contact your service provider to audit your connection. If they mistakenly toggled
you at a slower speed, the provider should give you what you paid for or credit you
back fees.

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