Broadband speeds are not all created equal. In most cases, the actual speed experienced by the consumer does not match the speed claimed by the Internet service provider. Actually, the speed indicated in the brochure defines the fastest you can have. Most of the time, consumers cannot experience this bandwidth (speed). This is because the actual internet speed a consumer has is largely determined by several factors.
These factors include your distance from the Internet tower that is sending the signal (the closer you are, the faster your speed) and congestion (the more users there are, the slower your speed). If you are curious about what your actual bandwidth is, you can check out some sites that offer speed tests for DSL and cable internet. Some of them are paid, but many are free.
Running the test is very simple and does not require any download. Most speed test portals have an easy to understand graphical interface and taking the test basically starts with simply clicking a button which is usually below the speedometer image. The speed test can be completed in less than a minute and a results window will appear immediately telling you your actual bandwidth.
The most common problem that consumers encounter when using the service comes with the high restrictions set with the firewall. When the blocking option is set to a very high level, the firewall usually blocks the speed test site. When this happens, you can reset your firewall to allow the particular site.
