Image by alan9187 from Pixabay
You’re in Tech HS. Tech HS is the technical wing of Hoax-Slayer. Not all material in this section is specifically related to scams, hoaxes, or computer security issues. Read More
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like to tell customers how lightning fast their service is compared to that of other companies.
But, of course, in the real world, the actual Internet speed you get will often not live up to the ideal promoted by your ISP.
Wouldn’t it be great if there was an Internet speed test that let you see how fast your Internet service really was?
Well, actually there is!
Internet Speed Test – Speedtest by Ookla
If you head over to www.speedtest.net, you can access an Internet speed test service called Speedtest by Ookla.
And, conducting the test couldn’t be easier. Just click the “Go” button, and your test will start running:
The service will first conduct a ping test (explained below) and then test your download and upload speeds. The test then displays your final results:
You can even share your results on social media by clicking one of the share buttons.
Interpreting The Results
Ping describes the reaction time of your connection. It measures – in milliseconds – how long it takes to get a response after it sends a request. Fast ping is good, so the lower the number the better.
Download shows how fast data can be downloaded to your device and is measured in megabits per second (Mbps). The higher the number the better.
Upload shows how fast data can be uploaded from your device. Again, the higher the number the better. With most services, your upload speed will be a lot slower than your download speed. This is normal.
Speedtest Awards
The site also includes a lot of interesting information about Internet speeds around the world. Clicking the Speedtest Awards link in the footer of the site opens a page that provides data for “The World’s Fastest ISP’s and Mobile Networks”. You can click a flag to get more information about speeds in different countries:
Speedtest Accounts and Apps
Speedtest also allows you to create a free account if you want to access your historical results and manage preferences.
And, you can even download and install an app that runs the speed test and stores your results right on your desktop.
Speedtest by Ookla provides an excellent, very useful, and completely free service to Internet users all around the world. Even if you don’t have a need to use the service that often, it’s good to know it’s there.
Importance Notice
After considerable thought and with an ache in my heart, I have decided that the time has come to close down the Hoax-Slayer website.These days, the site does not generate enough revenue to cover expenses, and I do not have the financial resources to sustain it going forward.
Moreover, I now work long hours in a full-time and physically taxing job, so maintaining and managing the website and publishing new material has become difficult for me.
And finally, after 18 years of writing about scams and hoaxes, I feel that it is time for me to take my fingers off the keyboard and focus on other projects and pastimes.
When I first started Hoax-Slayer, I never dreamed that I would still be working on the project all these years later or that it would become such an important part of my life. It's been a fantastic and engaging experience and one that I will always treasure.
I hope that my work over the years has helped to make the Internet a little safer and thwarted the activities of at least a few scammers and malicious pranksters.
A Big Thank You
I would also like to thank all of those wonderful people who have supported the project by sharing information from the site, contributing examples of scams and hoaxes, offering suggestions, donating funds, or helping behind the scenes.I would especially like to thank David White for his tireless contribution to the Hoax-Slayer Facebook Page over many years. David's support has been invaluable, and I can not thank him enough.
Closing Date
Hoax-Slayer will still be around for a few weeks while I wind things down. The site will go offline on May 31, 2021. While I will not be publishing any new posts, you can still access existing material on the site until the date of closure.Thank you, one and all!
Brett Christensen,
Hoax-Slayer
