Sparklight offers an authorized speed test through your online Sparklight account. This tool will show your current download and upload speeds – both within your community and across the internet.

What is a speed test?

A speed test is a diagnostic tool that can be used to display your internet connection speed.

What is Internet Connection Speed?

Internet Connection Speed refers to how fast you can navigate the Internet and is typically shown in Mbps. This is important as every function performed on the internet requires information to be passed back and forth between your PC and the internet. Higher speeds result in a faster internet experience.

Why should I use the Sparklight speed test instead of others available on the internet?

The speed test offered by Sparklight is powered by Ookla and is a diagnostic tool designed and built specifically for your Sparklight high-speed internet connection. This tool assists our technicians with troubleshooting any service issues you may experience. We also perform two tests on your internet connection, one to test your speed in your community and a second to test your speed across the internet. Various other speed test sites measure the speed of service between your house and their servers, which could be located anywhere nationally. In most cases, you will see reduced speeds when going across the internet to other speed test sites as compared to the results displayed for the Sparklight test.

When and why would I run a speed test?

A speed test can be run at any time to view your current internet connection speed. We suggest running the tool to assist in troubleshooting slow connectivity. Many factors can contribute to slow connectivity. Using the Sparklight authorized speed test as a diagnostic tool can help you identify a possible connection issue.

How can I run the Sparklight authorized speed test?

1. Log in to your online Sparklight account.
2. Click the ‘Services’ tab on the top navigation menu.
   
   
   
3. Find the section labeled ‘Quick Links’ and click ‘Check Internet Speed.'
   
   
   
4. You can also click 'Check Speed' in the 'Internet Speed' section.
   
   
   
5. On the next page, click ‘Go’ to perform your speed test. The results will appear after the speed test completes.
   
   

What should I do if I see slow speeds on my test?

Here are some troubleshooting steps you can perform:

 

1. Make sure no other applications are running on your PC.

 

2. Verify that your PC is the only PC using your internet connection.

 

3. If you have a router, switch, or hub connected between your PC and the cable modem you can bypass the device and connect your PC straight to your cable modem.

 

4. With the above steps completed, run the speed test again. NOTE: More information about slow internet speeds and troubleshooting WiFi signals can be found in this support article

I'm getting 90 Mbps and my plan is 100 Mbps. Do I have a problem?

Most likely, not. There are many factors, including the performance of your PC, that can affect overall speed. Many customers can see speeds that are slightly lower or higher than their plan. If you are close to the speed listed on your plan, the internet connection is OK.

Can I run a speed test from my mobile phone?

Running an internet speed test is suggested for desktop/laptop users with WiFi or wired cable connections. Testing your internet speed on a mobile device with a WiFi connection may cause inaccurate results.

 

Device Limitations: Older devices or those with hardware limitations may not accurately represent the actual network speed.

 

Background Processes: Running apps or processes on your device can use bandwidth, affecting the speed test results.

 

Keep in mind that running a speed test from your mobile device without WiFi will only test your mobile data speed.

When I run the test on a wireless connection, I get slow speeds. Why is this?

There are several factors that can cause wireless internet to perform poorly even though the speed to the modem is fine. Sparklight does not guarantee connection speeds over wireless. If possible, you should always run the speed test from a PC that is connected directly to your modem with an Ethernet cable using our speed test tool. If you have slow speed on a wireless connection, but a speed test on a wired connection performs normally, see the article Wireless & WiFi Connection for more assistance.