Bufferbloat and Internet Speed Test

How the internet speed bufferbloat test works

The tool runs an Internet speed test, in which a test file of approximately 100 MB is downloaded from a dedicated server and at the same time ping measurements are performed to a specified host, for example a popular DNS server. This means that during downloading, data on delays, jitter and possible packet loss are collected continuously, which allows you to see the real behavior of the link when it is busy.

Unlike a typical speed test, which often shows very nice download and upload numbers but says nothing about how your ping increases under load, the bufferbloat internet speed test looks deeper. Checks whether packet buffering in your router, modem or on the provider's side does not make online games, video calls and remote desktop virtually unusable, despite a seemingly fast connection.

• The transfer of a large file is started to simulate a real download load in the home network.
• A ping test without load and a ping test with full or almost full link load are performed in parallel.
• On the basis of the collected data, jitter, i.e. delay spread, and possible packet loss are calculated.
• The internet test ends with a summary with a bufferbloat rating on a scale from A to F, which immediately tells you how serious the latency problem is.

Thanks to this, you do not only look at the number of megabits per second, but primarily at whether the Internet is still responsive under load, or whether each click and each command arrives with a significant delay.

How to perform a speed test and bufferbloat step by step

The tool's interface has been designed so that even a less advanced user can run a link test in a few seconds and immediately understand the results. The entire process of testing internet speed, ping and bufferbloat is automated, and your task is to choose the host to ping, the duration and decide whether you want to run the full test under load.

1. In the ping address field, enter the host you want to use for latency measurement, for example1.1.1.1or another stable server.
2. Set the internet speed test duration, for example 20 seconds, if you want a quick but reliable result.
3. Check the option to run the bufferbloat test if you want the test file to be downloaded in the background and pings under load to be measured at the same time.
4. Make sure that other devices on the network are not doing very heavy downloads during the test, unless you intentionally want to simulate very high traffic.
5. Click the start button, watch the progress bar and wait for the internet speed and ping test to complete.
6. At the end, read the summary, the table with the results and the connection quality assessment, which will tell you whether your Internet will be best for gaming, remote work or just for leisurely browsing.