Frequently Asked Questions
What is Internet connection speed?
Internet connection speed refers to the data transfer rate from the Internet to
your computer. Basically that means the amount of time it takes your computer to
download a given amount of data. Internet connection speeds are usually measured
in Kbps (kilobits per second, or thousands of bits per second) or KBps
(kilobytes per second). Nowadays with the technological improvements in
data transfer speeds, Internet connection speeds can also be measured in Mbps
(megabits per second, or millions of bits per second) or MBps (megabytes per
second). For example, if you had a 28.8K (28,800 bps) modem, then it would take
at least 4 - 5 minutes to download a 1MB file. If you had digital subscriber
line (DSL), the same 1MB file would take approximately 10 - 20 seconds.
What is the Bandwidth Meter?
The Kify.com Bandwidth Meter measures the information-carrying capacity, or
bandwidth, between the client and the server. In this case, the client is the
user on the Kify.com Bandwidth Meter, and the server is the Internet Services
server located in the United States, California.
How did you calculate my Internet connection speed?
Your Internet connection speed was calculated with 1 or 2 tests, depending on
how fast your computer received the first file.
We performed the first test by sending a 150KB file to your computer and recording the amount of time it took for your computer to receive it.
If it took your computer 1.0 seconds or longer to receive the file, then the first test calculation provided your final result.
If your computer took less than 1.0 seconds to receive the file, then we performed the second test. Based on the first test calculation, you were redirected to another Web page with either 600KB, 1.5MB or 3.0MB of data. The time it took for your computer to download that Web page was then recorded.
| Amount of Data | = | Your Internet Connection Speed |
| Time to Download |
Why were 2 tests performed?
The second test was performed because sending larger amounts of data to your computer would provide more accurate results for your Internet connection speed test.
If I refresh the page or recalculate the test, will my results improve?
Not necessarily. The Web pages are not cached by your browser. So each time you refresh or recalculate the test, all files are reloaded as if you were taking the test for the first time.
Why do the results vary each time?
The Internet is a global network, basically a vast grouping of computers transferring data to one another. Connection speeds will vary depending on many conditions such as the time of day and the amount of congestion on the Internet in general. When you request a Web page from a server on the Internet, both the request and the resulting page travel over a series of links that help comprise the Internet. Points between links are often referred to as "hops." So depending on the number of people connecting to our servers, the number of "hops" taken to get to our site, the quality of the connections between each hop to this site and various other factors, your Internet connection speed will always vary.
I have a 56K modem. Why is my result lower than 56.6 Kbps?
Your 56K modem has the ability to transfer up to 56.6 Kbps or 56,600 bps. But that doesn't mean that you can connect to the Internet at that speed. There are many factors involved, including the quality of your telephone line, the quality your telephone company's switches, and FCC regulations.
Why do I want to use the Bandwidth Meter?
Often, users perform this test out of curiosity about what the actual throughput
is to their computer from Web sites such as Kify.com Internet Services. In some
cases, users have been able to troubleshoot their connections to the Internet by
performing tests on the Bandwidth Meter.
What can affect the Bandwidth Meter results?
The bandwidth rate between our server and your computer could be affected by
many factors. Some of the most common are:
- Being outside of the United States or far away from the location of our
server.
- Performing other downloads at the same time that this test is executed.
- Executing other programs that use your bandwidth to monitor resources
while this test is being executed.
- The quality of your line speed. In some cases users may find noise, which
is caused by electromagnetic energy that degrades the quality of signals in
hard-wired circuits (that is, telephone lines), thereby limiting the
throughput to the computer.
- 56K modems are limited by FCC regulations to 53K.
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