Mobile broadband speed test
Use the mobile broadband speed test below to get a snapshot of your current download and upload speeds. Feel free to use the results to beat your provider over the head with, or just to justify your own suspicions that you're not getting the broadband speeds you were promised! The speed check does take a few moments to load and run, so please be patient. (Or click here if you're on cable or ADSL broadband).
How does the Mobile Broadband Genie speed test work?
On starting the Mobile Broadband Genie speed test, our server sends your computer a small amount of data (512KB) to evaluate the initial speed of the test. The first 64KB are ignored to take in to account the possibility of a slow start to the transmission. This initial speed is then multiplied by a constant to work out how much data to send for a full test: this will last between 10 and 20 seconds.
The same evaluation process also occurs for the upstream test (to test the upload speed), sending the same amount of data. On particularly slow connections, the evaluation can take a while to complete.
The full test then begins, with our server first sending the amount of data (calculated to optimise the length of the test), followed by your machine returning the data. The average speed of the test (note: the peak speed may be higher) is then calculated and reported to you.
Unlike the Broadband Genie speed test, the Mobile Broadband Genie version limits the test to a maximum of 18.25MB in each direction. This means it is only suitable for mobile broadband connections and not say 50Mb services.
Warning: This limit has been placed to ensure the speed test doesn't eat up usage allowances, although users should be aware it may use up to 20MB per test. In practice though it is more likely to do a 0.25MB initial test and then a longer test using a few MB.
You can select a 'port 80' option by clicking the box just below the test box, which uses the port 80/tcp data transfer protocol instead of the HTTP protocol. However, because it is not HTTP, if your provider carries out traffic shaping (giving priority to certain types of data) it may be that the port 80 test will show a slower result than a HTTP test, as the latter protocol might end up being prioritised.
The data stream is pre-compressed, so it should not be possible to accelerate it using any further compression techniques/software, which could give false results.
Comments
by adelaide irvine | registered | 1 post
at 17:16 on 19 Aug 2009
my friend has a landline but i don't. I have orange modem 225, but i took it to my friends computer to try it on hers, but it didn't work. All it said was 'can't find server'. why was that?
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by steve
at 23:36 on 31 Aug 2009
I changed at the start of Aug 09 to vodafone mobile broadband Pro stick (black one) from the vodafone mobile broadband huawei lite stick (white one) as the pro stick i was told was better, both on 1 year contracts with speeds on both up to 7.2mbps. it appears from doing a few speedtests iam getting nowhere near this - my test result for today 31/8/09 was download 0.72 mbps with upload 0.31 mbps and the reception in my area is excellent on their coverage maps, please help
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by electriceel
at 21:45 on 3 Sep 2009
Sounds like it's run by Tiscali!
Just pray that your employer doesn't pay you like internet providers quote speeds
"I'll pay you up to £32-00 an hour".................
You'll end up below minimum wage!
Complain STRONGLY to voda and try to get either free months, or reduced monthly cost, or a termination of contract without penalties.
If they won't play ball threaten to report them to offcom and to diss them on as many broadband forums as you can.
Good luck, You'll need it!
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by paulpicks21 | registered | 2 posts
at 13:49 on 4 Sep 2009
I am very happy with my 3 mobile broadband , I nearly always get speeds of over 2 meg , the test I just did came of at 2.28mbps download and 0.28 upload. Fastest i have ever had was 2.94mbps which I consider totally amazing for mobile broadband. I using it for online gaming on my pc and xbox without any issues. Cant fault it really.
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by simon burton
at 21:41 on 21 Sep 2009
hi, i live in north Shropshire and I'm with 3. When I'm online my signal strenth is 2 to 3 bars, but my downloud speed is very very slow - at worst 10 kbs, at best 40kbs. i feel like walking in to the nearst 3 shop and throwing it at the staff inside and when thay ask me why i did it, i will say i'm just showing them how fast mobile broadband should be! if any of you out there can help me with this feel free i could use the help.
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by Bill Wood
at 01:57 on 24 Sep 2009
I'm with 3. Living in Leicestershire on the edge of town. My download speed was similar to Simon, so I looked around for ways to improve it and found something called Download Accelerator Plus. A free download. All I can say is that it helps. Sometimes my downloads come in at over 2.50mbps and I reckon the average to be around 1.5mbps. depends on the time of day pretty much. The best I've ever had was in the region of 3.26mbps, but this was a one-off!
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by Lee Garrity
at 10:44 on 1 Oct 2009
I Have Just got The T Mobile 120 stick on the £2.00 a day tarriff,....just ran a test in south manchester & got 2.98 meg down / 0.22 meg up..not too bad if you ask me....ok not 7.2 as the add says, but hey....better than some.
I have 4-5- bars most of the time, Although it didnt work soo well in Creetown (near stranrear)
plus i was in a caravan....prob too much silver foil insulation lol.
All in all im happy.....but hey the services are only gonna get quicker over time as networks expand.
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by Jonathan Feakes
at 22:45 on 1 Oct 2009
3 mobile is utterly cr*p. The broadband speed is laughable (0.1Mb on a good day) and the customer service non-existent. Thank god I've reached the end of the contarct period and can switch.
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by Lisa Smith
at 21:14 on 6 Oct 2009
Hi I live in Edinburgh and Im coming to the end of my 3 mobile broadband contract and just completed the speed test - Download 0.22 mbps and Upload 0.15 mbps!!!!!!! This is with 4 or 5 bars!!
They've offered me what sounds like a pretty attractive deal of 15 mbs for £15 a month, but after doing the test im thinking it doesnt sound so good now.
Not sure who to go with now though?
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by Rolando
at 23:27 on 14 Oct 2009
Vodafone mobile broadband, Marylebone, London
Date 14/10/09 23:25:23
Download speed 1508.22 Kbps (1.47 Mbps)
Upload speed 333.65 Kbps (0.33 Mbps)
Server Port 8095 (tcp)
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by chandan singh
at 23:07 on 24 Oct 2009
Rlly I am surprised to read all about 3 and vodafone in UK. I live in DELHI, India, where because of infight betbeen two different ministry, 3g spectrum auction is to be held in jan 2010. In between we have three major mobile broadband player present. Namely RELIANCE, TATA PHOTON and BSNL. A 4th one is coming i.e. MTS. Well, all of them claim a DL 3.1 MBPS and 1.8 UL speed. if i compare with the speed u get out of advertised 7.2 mbps, I think I am happy. Iget an average of 2.7 mbps DL and more than 400 kbps UL. I am using Reliance netconnect +. Tata photon is also good but speed low compared to reliance. Yes, for my handse I use MTNL 3g in delhi which gives me a speed of around 600 kbps on my handset. Nice to listen your experience.
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by Oliver
at 21:44 on 28 Oct 2009
After reading these comments I'm not going down the road of removing my landline broadband service & going mobile from home - even though I get full bar 3 service in Horsham, West Sussex. Thanks everyone for putting me off. :-)
Apart from Chandan. I might just move to Delhi instead!
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by sunray
at 06:02 on 3 Nov 2009
3 Network Islington .55 up .55 down..what a joke, but its stable as hell
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by dylan
at 00:26 on 13 Nov 2009
I seem to be one of the lucky ones i'm on t-mobile web & walk plus using my g1 tethered via wi-fi (cool eh) and i regularly get between 700kbps to 2.1mbps.
Somehow this seems to be faster than most people on t-mobile get using a dedicated usb stick.
but the real sweetner is i pay £30 per month for the phone, hsdpa & £200 pounds worth or credit (flext 35 with discount )
On the coverage map it shows my area as poor even though i'm in the centre of a city (Newport S Wales).
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by andrew simmonds
at 22:53 on 25 Nov 2009
i have mobile broadband with t-mobile and just done a download speed check . the results are shochocking. I should be getting around 4mb and the test showed i am not even getting 0.5mb i am having words with them tomorrow .
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Editor - Chris Marling
by Chris Marling | registered | 104 posts
at 11:55 on 27 Nov 2009
You may want to take a look at our overview of these
mobile broadband speed tests over the year so far - it makes pretty miserable reading, I'm afraid.
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by Mathew Percival
at 12:18 on 20 Dec 2009
I've got a T-Mobile web and walk stick, and have had it for about 18 months now, I use it in hospital as I've been stuck as a patient for 10 months now, and was simply AMAZED by results, I'm in Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire, and my download speed was an amazing 4.3mbps, better than I get on my bt net connection at home
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by Dave
at 00:59 on 22 Dec 2009
Well, I live out in the sticks.. No 02 Voice/Data, No Vodafone Voice/Data, Orange Voice & EDGE. "Three" 3-4 Bars & consistent 1.1-1.2 MBs Down & 360K Up. I did not buy it for use here, but for my travels. I was just setting it up on my Netbook.. Nearly fell off the chair
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by joss
at 16:47 on 28 Dec 2009
I was told by a tech head, that you could not upload audio football commentary on a dongle is that true?
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by Sandra Kirkby
at 17:05 on 28 Dec 2009
My orange mobile broadband dongle is totally rubbish, it takes 2 hours and 50 minutes to download a file 88.8mb file, how disgusting is this, no wonder people always go over the limit, plus my last bill was £45 because I went over, they didn't turn the dongle off when it reached the limit, orange certainly make sure you pay, I think all Orange customers should be given the option of getting out of their contracts because orange are not being fair.
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by gadge
at 14:33 on 30 Dec 2009
am with t-mobile broadband in hull and the service is nothing short of pathetic dial up was 10 times faster and we all know how slow that was. t-mobile are a disgrace and should be sued for false advertising
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by daz
at 23:01 on 10 Jan 2010
hi, had a three e160g dongle for 1 year now, i've been gutted since i had it, never had the 3.6MB/s like it states on my contract, had close to 200KB/s a couple of times but generally around the .50KB/s- .120KB/s. how can isp's state one thing and provide another, normally got 2-3 bars on network status, never had 4 or 5 bar even though the carphone warehouse stated i was in an better than average signal area, looked into aerials, what a joke, £36 pound for a aerial which give little improvement, can't wait to get cable back
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by bri
at 20:54 on 20 Jan 2010
i feel ripped off with t mobile."broadband" it aint.its piss poor performance and i cant wait to end it!!
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by lesley
at 18:37 on 27 Jan 2010
3 !!! wouldn't touch them with a barge pole. got stuck in a 18 mth contract , their staff were rude to both my self, my friend and the manager at the shop where i bought it, called us liars and didn't respond to either e-mails or faxes.
NB watch out cause if you live at the same address as someone else who takes out a 3 contract they will not accept you are an individual in your own right and insist on taking both monthly payments from the same account!!
Hense i am chasing each month for the payment now the person has moved out!!!
Only 2 months to go hallalujah.
looking for new phone and mobile broadband - any advice there seem to be so many bad reviews.
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by mark looper | registered | 1 post
at 05:36 on 4 Feb 2010
im in augusta ga on a htc touch diamond with verizon and my test was good 1.5 mbps download speed and 1 mbps upload
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by christo
at 22:16 on 5 Feb 2010
Not to bad. 1.16Mbps on 3 mobile. Gonna see how xbox live performs with it now.
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by Joan
at 00:44 on 7 Feb 2010
I'm truly gobsmacked that isp's can get away with these false ads on broadband speed. They must think we're all daft and will accept whatever is shoved down our throats. I am going to ring my isp on Monday morning and give out to them...you'll hear me over in the UK!
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