Frequently asked questions about the Speedtest
Measuring Cable, LTE or DSL Bandwidth - How Does It Work?
Use the Vodafone Speedtest Plus to check your internet speed i.e., the bandwidth of yourcable-, LTE-DSL-or VDSL connection as well as Gigaspeed availability. Good to know: the test only shows approximate bandwidth values. It is therefore important to test your connection at least 3 times a day. If you are connected to the internet via WiFi, your results are limited to the bandwidth of this wireless connection which is usually lower than your real connection.
By the way: For Vodafone cable customers, a second measurement stage is available if required.
And this is how it works:
Step 1: What should I consider before starting the Speedtest Plus?
- Please close all open programs in advance, so that they do not influence the measurement result.
- Make sure that as few devices as possible are active in your home network during the speed test.
- Turn off a VPN connection for the duration of the speed test, if one is active.
- Please do the Speedtest Plus at different times of the day. This will give you a more accurate result.
- Also use different devices with WiFi and/or LAN for the measurement.
Step 2: Click Start
First, we measure your bandwidth for download and upload.
Depending on your bandwidth and device, this may take some time.
After that, we measure the packet delay/ping (the response time of your internet connection).
The packet delay is the time span between sending a data packet to a recipient and the immediately returned response packet. The lower the packet delay time, the better.
What are the advantages of Vodafone Speedtest Plus?
The Speedtest is a unique test for measuring your bandwidth. Your big advantage as a Vodafone customer with a cable connection: If we notice during the test that your Internet is slower than promised by your tariff, we also check the route from our servers to your router as well as your home network. This way we can give you specific tips to improve the internet speed of your home network. Don't worry, your personal data will remain anonymous and secure.
And this is how it works:
The first measurement shows whether your booked bandwidth is achieved on your device. If not, we automatically initiate a second measurement stage. This shows where the bandwidth is lost.
This second measurement stage now tests the bandwidth between our server and your router.
After analysis, you can improve the strength and speed of your home network with our "Optimization tips" or you can take a look at your measurement overview under "Show details".
How do I evaluate the results of my Vodafone Speedtest?
The result of your internet speed test depends on many factors. Not all of them are directly related to your bandwidth. These are, for example, your operating system settings, an anti-virus program, your browser, or your LAN connection. The speed test provides you with approximate values of your bandwidth at your computer. The bandwidth at your connection can vary greatly. For Vodafone cable customers, we developed a second measurement: It measures the speed from our servers to your router independently of your devices.
We recommend a network connection via Ethernet cable (LAN). For bandwidths up to 90 Mbit/s, use at least a Fast Ethernet connection. For bandwidths of 100 Mbit/s and more, you need a Gigabit Ethernet connection as well as a suitable computer and cable (CAT 5e or better).
With WiFi, the bandwidth depends on the used WiFi-Standard, the radio load in your environment, the frequency band used and the age of your WiFi device.
In addition, deviations of up to 50% can occur at peak times of internet use. Therefore, measure at least 3 times on different days at different times of the day.
Good to know: 1,000 kbit/s corresponds to 1 Mbit/s, i.e. 1 megabit per second.
What to do if I was expecting a different result?
You have measured your cable or DSL speed, but the result of the speed test does not correspond to your ordered bandwidth? Then measure at least 3 times on different days at different times of day.
This is how you proceed:
Step 1: Check wiring and connect the original cable
Connect your computer during the measurement via a LAN cable with yourRouteror yourEasyBox.
Tip: Avoid using cables that are too long or not adequately shielded and connecting plugs for extension. They can have a strong influence on your Internet speed.
Step 2: Restart device
Restart your devices. Unplug them for at least 10 seconds and then plug them back in. Wait a few minutes until your devices have synchronized again.
Step 3: Check the current network load on your computer
To check the network load, you can use the task manager from Windows 7. To do this, press the key combination [WIN] + [R] and enter the commandtaskmgrin the execution window that opens. In Windows 7, you will find the tab “Network” in the task manager which shows you the load of all network connections graphically.
Starting with Windows 8 there is the tab "Performance" in the task manager, if you display the details there. You also get a display of the current load for every network connection - graphically and in text form.
If you can already measure a high network load in idle mode, then your computer is running data transfers in the background, e.g. by update downloads from Windows or other programs. If you were to run a fiber-optic cable, LTE or DSL speed test in the browser, it would show you less bandwidth than is actually available at the connection. This is because the speed test cannot switch off the background downloads while it is measuring.
Step 4: Do the speed test
Close all internet applications, e.g. FTP and e-mail programs or downloads. Also log out of your company VPN if you are working from your home office. Then start the speed test and measure at least 3 times on different days at different times of the day.
Step 5: Assess results
After the measurements, compare the results with your booked bandwidth.
What does download mean?
Receiving data on your computer from a server via the internet is called a download, just like the data itself.
The download speed is the speed at which you download files from the internet, e.g. updates for your computer or when you download programs or games to your computer.
What does upload mean?
The flow of data from a local computer or from another local storage medium to another computer is called upload. When data is sent over the internet to another computer, it is also called upstream.
The upload speed is the speed at which you upload files to the internet, for example when sending an e-mail with a file attachment. In contrast to the download, the speed and bandwidth for the upload are lower.
What does packet delay or ping mean?
The packet delay is the timespan between a data packet being sent to the recipient and the response packet being sent back. The lower the packet delay, the better.
Measuring Cable, LTE or DSL Bandwidth - How Does It Work?
Use the Vodafone Speedtest Plus to check your internet speed i.e., the bandwidth of yourcable-, LTE-DSL-or VDSL connection as well as Gigaspeed availability. Good to know: the test only shows approximate bandwidth values. It is therefore important to test your connection at least 3 times a day. If you are connected to the internet via WiFi, your results are limited to the bandwidth of this wireless connection which is usually lower than your real connection.
By the way: For Vodafone cable customers, a second measurement stage is available if required.
And this is how it works:
Step 1: What should I consider before starting the Speedtest Plus?
- Please close all open programs in advance, so that they do not influence the measurement result.
- Make sure that as few devices as possible are active in your home network during the speed test.
- Turn off a VPN connection for the duration of the speed test, if one is active.
- Please do the Speedtest Plus at different times of the day. This will give you a more accurate result.
- Also use different devices with WiFi and/or LAN for the measurement.
Step 2: Click Start
First, we measure your bandwidth for download and upload.
Depending on your bandwidth and device, this may take some time.
After that, we measure the packet delay/ping (the response time of your internet connection).
The packet delay is the time span between sending a data packet to a recipient and the immediately returned response packet. The lower the packet delay time, the better.
What are the advantages of Vodafone Speedtest Plus?
The Speedtest is a unique test for measuring your bandwidth. Your big advantage as a Vodafone customer with a cable connection: If we notice during the test that your Internet is slower than promised by your tariff, we also check the route from our servers to your router as well as your home network. This way we can give you specific tips to improve the internet speed of your home network. Don't worry, your personal data will remain anonymous and secure.
And this is how it works:
The first measurement shows whether your booked bandwidth is achieved on your device. If not, we automatically initiate a second measurement stage. This shows where the bandwidth is lost.
This second measurement stage now tests the bandwidth between our server and your router.
After analysis, you can improve the strength and speed of your home network with our "Optimization tips" or you can take a look at your measurement overview under "Show details".
How do I evaluate the results of my Vodafone Speedtest?
The result of your internet speed test depends on many factors. Not all of them are directly related to your bandwidth. These are, for example, your operating system settings, an anti-virus program, your browser, or your LAN connection. The speed test provides you with approximate values of your bandwidth at your computer. The bandwidth at your connection can vary greatly. For Vodafone cable customers, we developed a second measurement: It measures the speed from our servers to your router independently of your devices.
We recommend a network connection via Ethernet cable (LAN). For bandwidths up to 90 Mbit/s, use at least a Fast Ethernet connection. For bandwidths of 100 Mbit/s and more, you need a Gigabit Ethernet connection as well as a suitable computer and cable (CAT 5e or better).
With WiFi, the bandwidth depends on the used WiFi-Standard, the radio load in your environment, the frequency band used and the age of your WiFi device.
In addition, deviations of up to 50% can occur at peak times of internet use. Therefore, measure at least 3 times on different days at different times of the day.
Good to know: 1,000 kbit/s corresponds to 1 Mbit/s, i.e. 1 megabit per second.
What to do if I was expecting a different result?
You have measured your cable or DSL speed, but the result of the speed test does not correspond to your ordered bandwidth? Then measure at least 3 times on different days at different times of day.
This is how you proceed:
Step 1: Check wiring and connect the original cable
Connect your computer during the measurement via a LAN cable with yourRouteror yourEasyBox.
Tip: Avoid using cables that are too long or not adequately shielded and connecting plugs for extension. They can have a strong influence on your Internet speed.
Step 2: Restart device
Restart your devices. Unplug them for at least 10 seconds and then plug them back in. Wait a few minutes until your devices have synchronized again.
Step 3: Check the current network load on your computer
To check the network load, you can use the task manager from Windows 7. To do this, press the key combination [WIN] + [R] and enter the commandtaskmgrin the execution window that opens. In Windows 7, you will find the tab “Network” in the task manager which shows you the load of all network connections graphically.
Starting with Windows 8 there is the tab "Performance" in the task manager, if you display the details there. You also get a display of the current load for every network connection - graphically and in text form.
If you can already measure a high network load in idle mode, then your computer is running data transfers in the background, e.g. by update downloads from Windows or other programs. If you were to run a fiber-optic cable, LTE or DSL speed test in the browser, it would show you less bandwidth than is actually available at the connection. This is because the speed test cannot switch off the background downloads while it is measuring.
Step 4: Do the speed test
Close all internet applications, e.g. FTP and e-mail programs or downloads. Also log out of your company VPN if you are working from your home office. Then start the speed test and measure at least 3 times on different days at different times of the day.
Step 5: Assess results
After the measurements, compare the results with your booked bandwidth.
What does download mean?
Receiving data on your computer from a server via the internet is called a download, just like the data itself.
The download speed is the speed at which you download files from the internet, e.g. updates for your computer or when you download programs or games to your computer.
What does upload mean?
The flow of data from a local computer or from another local storage medium to another computer is called upload. When data is sent over the internet to another computer, it is also called upstream.
The upload speed is the speed at which you upload files to the internet, for example when sending an e-mail with a file attachment. In contrast to the download, the speed and bandwidth for the upload are lower.
What does packet delay or ping mean?
The packet delay is the timespan between a data packet being sent to the recipient and the response packet being sent back. The lower the packet delay, the better.