Monitor internet speeds over time

Monitoring internet speeds over time is essential for understanding your network’s performance, diagnosing issues, and ensuring you get the service you pay for. Internet speeds can fluctuate due to a variety of factors such as network congestion, hardware limitations, ISP throttling, or even weather conditions affecting wireless signals. By tracking these speeds consistently, you gain insights into trends and potential problems, allowing you to take informed steps to optimize your connection.

Why Monitor Internet Speeds Over Time?

Consistent monitoring reveals patterns that one-off speed tests can’t capture. For example, speeds might be fast during off-peak hours but slow down significantly during peak usage times. You might also detect whether slowdowns are isolated to certain days, times, or devices. This information is useful for:

• Validating ISP claims: Ensure your provider delivers the speeds promised in your plan.

• Troubleshooting connectivity issues: Identify if slow speeds are due to your hardware, ISP, or external factors.

• Optimizing home networks: Spot when and where upgrades or adjustments are needed.

• Detecting bandwidth hogs: Recognize devices or applications consuming excessive bandwidth.

How to Monitor Internet Speeds Over Time

1. Use Dedicated Speed Test Tools with History Features

Several services offer built-in history tracking for repeated speed tests:

• Speedtest.net by Ookla: Offers a paid service called Speedtest Premium which logs and graphs historical test data.

• Fast.com: Simple speed testing but without history tracking.

• DSLReports: Provides speed test results and forums where users can track speeds over time.

While many free tools test speed on demand, only a few maintain logs over time unless you manually record the data.

2. Automated Speed Test Software

To track internet speeds continuously, automated tools can schedule and log speed tests regularly:

• Speedtest CLI (Command Line Interface): Ookla’s official CLI tool can be set to run at intervals via scripts (Windows Task Scheduler, cron jobs on Linux/macOS). Results can be saved to a file for historical analysis.

• NetSpot: Primarily a Wi-Fi analyzer, it can help visualize performance over time.

• GlassWire: A network monitoring tool that tracks bandwidth usage and can infer speeds.

• Continuous Ping and Traceroute Tests: While not speed tests, these tools monitor latency and packet loss trends, important for overall network quality.

3. Use Your Router’s Built-in Tools

Many modern routers include monitoring features showing real-time and historical bandwidth usage per device. Some support exporting data logs for deeper analysis.

4. Create Your Own Tracking System

By scripting regular tests and logging the results, you can customize the data you collect. For example:

• Run Speedtest CLI every hour.

• Save the download, upload, and ping results to a CSV file.

• Use spreadsheet software or visualization tools to track trends and identify anomalies.

Key Metrics to Track

• Download Speed: The rate data is received from the internet to your device.

• Upload Speed: The rate data is sent from your device to the internet.

• Ping (Latency): The time it takes for a data packet to travel to a server and back, measured in milliseconds.

• Jitter: Variation in ping over time, affecting real-time applications like video calls and gaming.

• Packet Loss: Percentage of data packets lost during transmission, affecting connection stability.

Interpreting the Data

• Consistent Speeds: Indicates a stable and healthy connection.

• Fluctuations During Peak Hours: Common in shared networks; consider upgrading or switching ISPs.

• High Latency or Packet Loss: Could point to hardware issues or network congestion.

• Sudden Drops: May indicate hardware failure, ISP issues, or interference.

Tips for Accurate Monitoring

• Test from a wired connection to avoid Wi-Fi interference.

• Use the same server for tests to maintain consistency.

• Run tests multiple times to account for transient spikes or dips.

• Consider environmental factors like time of day, weather, or nearby network usage.

Benefits of Long-Term Speed Monitoring

• Improved Troubleshooting: Pinpoint the root causes of intermittent slowdowns.

• Better ISP Accountability: Provide documented evidence when disputing slow speeds.

• Enhanced Network Planning: Decide when to upgrade equipment or service tiers.

• Optimized User Experience: Adjust device usage patterns to avoid slow periods.

In conclusion, monitoring internet speeds over time provides valuable insight into your network’s true performance. By leveraging automated tools, router features, and proper testing methods, you can gather meaningful data that helps maintain a smooth and reliable internet experience.