Most consumers know how fast their internet is supposed to be ― after all, the tier of service you pay for is likely listed on your monthly bill. However, many people don’t know whether their internet service provider (ISP) actually delivers the speeds they claim to.
To determine whether you’re getting your money’s worth or not, there are several reputable internet speed tests available online, like the one provided by Speakeasy. Is this truly a reliable speed test, or should you find an alternative? We decided to find out.
The first step to analyzing any internet speed test is creating a repeatable testing environment. In order to minimize the possibility of any variables affecting the reliability of the Speakeasy speed test, we ran it five times on three different devices ― a desktop, a laptop, and a smartphone ― on the same internet connection. We made sure that the Google Chrome browser used for the tests was the only program running on each device, and we also disabled all active Chrome plugins. Here are the results we recorded under these testing conditions.
# | Startup Time [s] | Test Duration [s] | Ping / Latency [s] | Download Speed [Mbps] | Upload Speed [Mbps] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Test 1 | 3.1 | 36.3 | N/A | 169.0 | 6.0 |
Test 2 | 3.0 | 37.3 | N/A | 177.9 | 6.0 |
Test 3 | 3.4 | 37.1 | N/A | 178.7 | 6.0 |
Test 4 | 3.4 | 37.4 | N/A | 177.2 | 6.0 |
Test 5 | 3.7 | 37.0 | N/A | 176.9 | 5.9 |
To analyze the Speakeasy speed test, we used a connection that is advertised to deliver 150 Mbps download speeds. On this particular day, we noted from using other speed tests that our connection was running a bit faster than that, which was confirmed by the Speakeasy test as well.
This speed test takes about 3.3 seconds to load on average, and the duration of the test runs around 37 seconds, both of which are comparable to most other popular speed tests. As for the speed of our connection, Speakeasy recorded a mean download speed of 175.9 Mbps, and an upload speed of 6.0 Mbps, which were both right in line with what we expected. Unfortunately, Speakeasy does not record ping times, which is quite the oversight seeing as most competitors do test pings.
If you want to get a feel for the Speakeasy speed test’s aesthetic qualities, take a look at the screenshots we took on our laptop and smartphone during and after testing.
In our opinion, the Speakeasy speed test records reliable and accurate data when it comes to download and upload speeds, which is obviously the most important aspect of any internet speed test. This test also provides some other key information, such as the user’s IP address, the identity of the internet service provider supplying the connection, and the location of the testing site.
Additionally, we appreciate the inclusion of the option to share results via social media and email. Speakeasy also stores test results on their website, so that anyone with an account can keep track of their speeds over time, and across multiple test locations. We always value secure websites when running these tests as well, which is another area Speakeasy excels in, thanks to the https protocol on their speed test web pages.
The graphics are clean and modern, and although there is an advertisement for their own services on the desktop version of this speed test, it’s a rather unobtrusive addition. Finally, they offer to check for better bandwidth availability in your area upon the completion of your test.
The only major issue we have with the Speakeasy speed test is the fact that it does not record ping or latency times. This is an unfortunate oversight because the vast majority of competing speed tests do measure ping times, and Speakeasy’s test is rather strong in just about every other way.
Except for the lack of ping times in the test results, we are quite impressed with the way the Speakeasy speed test functions. It records accurate download and upload speeds, which is crucial for any internet speed test. We’re pleased with the amount of additional info that’s available with the Speakeasy test as well, and the ability to store test results and share them online is always welcome. Finally, their clean graphics and user-friendly interface far outweigh the presence of one small unobtrusive ad on the desktop version of the test.
At the end of the day, there’s a lot to like about the Speakeasy speed test. If it recorded ping times, it would likely be in the conversation for our favorite internet speed test, but as is, it’s still easy to recommend.
We reviewed other ISP speed tests in the market to see how reliable their speed test tools are for their customers. Below you can find all reviews we have done so far: