Your broadband speed will be shown in kbps (kilobits per second).
This shows you how quickly "bits" of data travel across your connection.
bit (b) = 0 or 1
byte (B) = 8 bits of data
kilobit (kb) = 1,000 bits of data
kilobyte (kB) = 1,000 bytes of data (or 8,000 bits)
megabit (Mb) = 1,000,000 bits of data
megabyte (MB) = 1,000,000 bytes of data (or 8,000,000 bits)
What are download speeds?
This shows you how quickly data is transferred from the Internet to
What are upload speeds?
This shows you how quickly data is transferred from your computer to
I'm on up to 8Mb broadband, why is my speed lower than 8Mb?
Many broadband providers sell broadband with "up to 8Mb speeds". The
key part of this claim is "up to". Broadband speeds are dependent on a
number of factors, including your internal wiring and the distance to
your local telephone exchange. With "up to 8Mb" broadband you get the
fastest speeds your line will support, up to 8Mb. If you're lucky enough
to have perfect wiring and live across the road from your telephone
exchange, you might see 8Mb speeds. If not, your speed is likely to be
Please note: this is a HTTP broadband speed tester. As a result, the
test results it displays may be affected by traffic prioritisation,
applied at different times of the day.