The easiest way to check your internet speeds in South Africa

Testing your internet speeds ensures you are getting the performance your ISP has promised.

The easiest way to do this is by using the MyBroadband Speed Test app.

Simply open the app, click “Start Test”, and the tool will automatically determine your ping, upload, and download speeds.

The MyBroadband Speed Test App can be easily accessed through the links below:

• Google Play Store
• Apple App Store
• Huawei App Gallery
• MyBroadband Speed Test website

Using the data

To use the data the app provides, you also need to understand what each of the three data points represents.

• Ping: This represents the period it takes for data to be transferred between a server and your device.
• Download: The speed at which your computer will receive content, such as when watching YouTube or downloading a file.
• Upload: The speed at which data and files can be moved from your computer and devices to another location through the internet – like when uploading a file to Google Drive.

Generally, home internet packages are listed in the format of 100/10Mbps, with the former referring to the maximum download speeds, and the latter the maximum upload speed.

For example, with the above package, you can expect 100Mbps download speeds and 10Mbps upload speeds.

However, it’s important to remember that you’ll rarely get exactly what is stated.

If your ISP promises 100Mbps download speeds and you’re getting 85Mbps, this is perfectly normal, but if you’re only getting 20-30Mbps, this is well below reasonable expectations.

In this scenario, there are several reasons your Internet could be slow – and not all of them are your ISP or network provider’s fault.

These include:

• Connection type – Wired connections are more stable than wireless connections.
• Multiple devices – If you have several devices running background apps at the same time, this can lower network performance – as speed tests do not consider bandwidth that is currently being used.
• Hardware issues – Before blaming your ISP/network provider, it is worth restarting your modem or router and seeing if this changes anything.

If none of the above tips are applicable, it is time to contact your ISP.

Click here to perform a speed test.