What is this bandwidth speed test?

Speedtest.net's Mini test is a two-way test between our servers located in Lake Point, UT and your computer.  It times how long it takes to stream a large image to your computer and back.

Requirements

This requires a browser with Flash support.  

What should I expect? 

Your results will vary, depending on the connection you have and whether you are running the test during peak hours.  The following are simply averages we have seen throughout the network.

• Fiber customers should see very close to the plan rates, i.e. 20Mbps residential should show around 20 down and anywhere from 5 to 15 up. Businesses should see symmetrical speeds, i.e. 50Mbps business would be 50/50 (some browsers may top out around 30 up). 
• Wireless customers will see a larger variation because of the nature of the radio equipment, location, and plan rates.  During off peak hours, most customer should see between 5-7Mbps down, while during peak hours 1-3Mbps is more common.  The latter is due to the large amount of streaming (Netflix streams average about 1.5Mbps).  Upgrades network-wide are in the works to help alleviate congestion during peak hours.
• DSL customers will range from 1.5Mbps to 5Mbps down and 500-900K up, depending on the area.
• This test is meant for Beehive Broadband customers.  Tests run from outside our network are not guaranteed accurate, nor supported.

Recommendations 

If you are seeing adverse performance or poor test results, keep the following in mind: 

• For best results, ensure that no other computers, game consoles, mobile devices, or multimedia devices are using the connection during the test. Quite often, customers complain of lousy results, only to find out another device in the home is downloading music or videos.
• All browsers have a tendency to show slower upload bandwidth results, especially on higher-speed connections (20Mbps or higher).
• Some home routers will also skew test results.  You may want to bypass the router if you are seeing unusually low numbers.
• Computers infected with malware or viruses often run slow. Often this will affect speed test results, especially if the machine is spreading its infection or sending spam. 

What does the speed test measure?

This program tests how fast your computer can load data from and send it to the Wireless Beehive server. It does not necessarily measure the speed of your connection, but rather the speed at which data is received and appears in your browser. This method is a quick evaluation of the throughput provided by our system at a given moment. It is by no means a comprehensive test of your Internet connection or computer's Internet capabilities. Third party devices and software may affect results.

What doesn't the speed test measure?

This test does not indicate how fast you will always be able to connect to your favorite web site. It only measures the transmission of data across our network. From Lake Point on to the rest of the world, many factors will affect the speed at which you connect with your target website.