Testing Your Modem's Speed

Most types of Internet connections use modems to connect and brige the connection between the subscriber's computer to the service provider and the Internet. Internet connection types like dial up, DSL, cable, and satellite are some examples of Internet connections that used modems.

Modem stands for MOdulator and DEmodulator. A modem is the one in charge of converting digital signals coming from the computer or the Internet to a signal that the medium can carry. For dial up modems, the device is the one that converts the digital signals from the computer to analog ones so that the phone line can carry it.

Broadband modems like cable, DSL, and satellite do not have to convert digital signals to analog since the medium they use is already capable of carrying digital signals. Basically, a modem functions as a bridge to connect a computer to a certain network or to the Internet itself.

There are several ways to test the speed of your modem. For dial up modems, you can use a modem to modem connection between you and your friend to test its maximum speed. Programs like HyperTerminal is capable of doing this type of connection. You will need two computers with dial up modems with two separate phone lines. If you have a friend who has a dial up modem, you can tell him to do this type of connection with you.

You will have to decide who will be the one to dial or connect to whom. After a connection has been established, transfer a file to the other computer. Any file will do, but you will have to make sure that it is a few megabytes in size so that you can accurately measure the speed. While the transfer is in progress, you will see the transfer rate which is usually expressed in bits per second (bps). The figure you will get is the speed of your modem. The fastest speed that a dial up modem can achieve is 56 thousand bits per second or 56 kilobits per second (kbps).

For broadband modems, the only way you can determine its speed is by uploading or downloading data to and from the Internet. The simplest way to do this is to download any file from a website and check the transfer rate. The transfer rate you will get multiplied by eight is your bandwidth. Another way is by using Internet speed tests which is also basically the same thing as downloading files, only it is done automatically.

You must take note that the speed that you get may not be the actual speed of your modem for broadband types. Since this type only measures the speed it of the Internet connection.