Are Your Speeds Zooming?
It's time to find outNOTICE: This speed test utility is for use by commZoom customers only.
Questions?
Call us at 1-844-858-8500 or send an e-mail to commercialsales@commZoom.com or residentialsales@commZoom.com.
Bandwidth 101
All you really want to know is if your connected devices such as a Smart TV or your computer will do the job you need it to do. Speed determines the quality of the video or movie you’re watching, how long it takes to load a web page, the quality of a video call on Skype, and so on.
Download vs. Upload
The first number commZoom and anyone else shows you, when describing levels of Internet service, is the download speed. They are usually much faster than upload speeds because most Internet users pull things down from the Internet (movies, books, music, e-mails, video, etc.)
If you upload or send out large files or a lot of photos or videos, to the Internet, you’ll want faster upload speeds.
What is Buffering?
When a video or movie is “buffering”, the connection isn’t keeping up with the speeds at which the video, music or other content is being delivered to your screen. When buffering occurs, the device is pausing to collect the data. When/if it catches up, it resumes the playback function. If it happens regularly or repeatedly, it is going to take twice as long to watch the movie or load the page. That doesn’t make for a pleasant experience.
Imagine if you filled your car’s gas tank by attaching the nozzle from the pump to a funnel that fed a straw sized opening to the tank. Think how long that would take to fill up! In a way, this is what is happening when your download speed is inadequate. So speed (primarily download speed) = quality of user experience.