Since we aren’t ones who bury the lead — At GreenLight Wireless we dislike Internet speed tests, and we’re going to tell you why. Let’s start at the beginning and then dive into what’s really slowing your computer down (hint: it’s not your Internet speed).
What is an Internet Speed Test?
An Internet speed test is a measure of the rate at which data is downloaded and uploaded. (Pretty much exactly what it sounds like.) Internet speed tests are often available as a free online tool.
On a high level, Internet speed tests give us a perspective on whether a connection is good or bad. If you run a speed test, and it shows 10 MBs you can be confident that you’re not getting a 100 MBs of service. If you run a speed test and the needle shows you 300 MBs, you can probably be pretty sure you’re not getting 10 MBs.
Sounds ok so far, right? The problem is that speed tests use an analog metric to measure digital content, and it’s the wrong tool for the job.
So. Many. Questions.
What’s happening on your computer when you run a speed test?
There are so many factors. The data is being compressed. Are you moving 10 MBs at a time, or is it 30 MBs compressed into a smaller file that gets unpacked on the other end? Are you measuring latency? Are you using an older magnetic hard drive? Those hard drives can only handle a certain amount of data at a time. So, if you’re using a magnetic hard drive, you won’t be able to move the same amount of data that you can if you’re using a solid-state drive. (Example of a solid state is a flash drive.)
What about your Wi-Fi speed?
If you’re on Wi-Fi, your computer has an inherent bottleneck between your computer and the cable modem. There’s a bottleneck there before you even get to the internet. So there are just so many different factors. Like with so many things in the world, you can’t distill it down to one single measure of success.
What should people use instead to measure if things are working?
Latency is one metric that determines whether or not it works well. Low latency is good. Your speed test could say you have a 300 MB connection, but then you have a terrible Zoom meeting and bang your head against the desk yelling “WHY? WHY?” (Perhaps you are not as dramatic as us.)
When you stream content, your stream is broken up into packets and sent across the internet into individual packets, which are then put back together on the other end. Your speed test tells you that you can move all these packets, but it does not tell you that each package is delayed. To put it simply: your Internet speed can’t measure latency.
How does a speed test work?
At its most basic, a speed test is moving a huge file from a server to your computer and measuring how fast that happens. And if I’m already using 20 MBs doing other things, then there’s not 100 MBs available. I’m already using it…wondering how? You’re in luck, more on this below.
Memory Usage
Disk and memory usage slows computers down more than your network.
In a task manager, you’ve got half a dozen tabs across the top: progress, performance, app history, startup, user details, and services. You’ve got columns that show CPU, memory, disk, and network power usage.
It’s tax season, right? QuickBooks on this machine runs at 3%, but my memory measure and pressure are at 69%. QuickBooks is using 310 MB of my memory.
Here’s how to check out your computers tasks:
On a PC
Click control + Alt + Delete, and go into the task manager.
On Mac
On a Mac, go to Applications> Utilities> Activity Monitor, you can see the percentage you use of the CPU memory energy disk network and what programs are using the resources on your computer.
Cool, How Do I Speed Things Up?
Launch on Startup
So many programs launch every time you turn your computer on. So. Many. Find all of those and turn them off. Launch them when you need them and then close it out when you don’t need it anymore. If you reboot your computer or turn it on, and it takes you 10 minutes for your computer to boot up, it’s often because too many programs are set to open automatically upon startup. For example, Outlook has to start and Spotify has to begin and Pandora has to start (why you need Spotify and Pandora, who knows but you’ve got to both running), and Teams has to start and…ahhhh, it’s too much at once.
Our suggestion: Shut it all down. Go into all of those programs’ settings and make sure they are not set to open at launch.
Get Rid of Bloatware
After we’ve cleaned out the programs that automatically start when you boot up your computer, the next step is to get rid of bloatware. Downloading free virus and malware protection programs seems like a good idea, but they constantly run in the background. They slow your computer down, and many of them are not well-written. Remember that they’re free, and you get what you pay for. If you didn’t pay for a license, you’re using a program that’s just slowing your machine down incredibly because it’s doing a hundred and one other things that you didn’t pay for.
Get Rid of Even More Bloating: Browser Bloat
Take a good look at your browser extensions. Some may be helpful, and you may use them daily. But again, because they are free, it’s easy to download and never use them again.
Then, look at the number of tabs you have open. It’s easy to keep lots of tabs open in many browser windows, so you don’t have to take a lot of time to find what you were working on or even as a reminder to finish a task. But, they can quickly get out of hand. Remember that those browser extensions we talked about are on every browser window. And every open website is constantly updating itself. For example, CNN refreshes every 30 seconds. So multiply that by each tab you have open. (Mind blown.)
With Green Light Wireless, you’ll enjoy reliable, high-speed Internet services from a locally owned and operated company. Check out our Internet service comparison chart to learn how Green Light Wireless is different from other big Internet companies.