When conducting an internet speed test, you probably expect your connection to fully reach the maximum speed advertised by your provider, often 1 Gbps. However, it's common to see lower results during these tests. Several technical factors could explain this, including congestion of the speed test servers themselves.
Speedtest Server Congestion: A common issue is congestion of the test servers. Sometimes, the server you connect to for the test may be overloaded, meaning it has less bandwidth than needed to handle all simultaneous test requests. Therefore, even if your connection is capable of 1 Gbps, the test server may limit your test speed due to its own bandwidth limitations.
TCP Header Loss: Another factor to consider is TCP header loss. When data traverses a network, additional information called "headers" are added to each data packet. These headers consume a small amount of extra bandwidth, which can slightly reduce your connection speed. On a 1 Gbps link, TCP header losses can lead to a speed reduction, limiting you to around 900-950 Mbps during speed tests.
Absence of QoS at Hive: Regarding the Speedtest servers available via Hive, it's important to note that Hive does not apply quality of service (QoS) to its network. This means that bandwidth is not prioritized based on certain criteria, which can result in performance variations depending on network load and other users' activities.
To obtain the most accurate speed test results despite these limitations, it's recommended to choose a test server close to your location. This reduces latency and minimizes the impact of distance on measured performance.
Here is a list of Speedtest servers available via Hive as well as other options:
Speedtest.net (by Ookla): You can find Hive servers in Montreal and Ottawa, as well as servers from other providers like Ebox, Fibrenoire, and Bell.
- Hive Data Center - Location: Montreal, Canada
- Hive Data Center - Location: Ottawa, Canada
- Ebox - Location: Montreal, Canada
- Fibrenoire - Location: Montreal, Canada
- Bell - Location: Montreal, Canada
Wifiman.com (Ubiquiti): This service also offers speed tests, and you can find Hive servers in Montreal and Ebox servers in Montreal.
- Hive Data Center - Location: Montreal, Canada
- Ebox - Location: Montreal, Canada
To check latency, Hive offers a Looking Glass (LG) server available at the address: lg.hivedatacenter.com. This LG server allows you to measure the latency from the Hive Data Center infrastructure to your connection, giving you a valuable insight into the performance of your network connection.
In conclusion, while you may not always achieve a speed of 1 Gbps during speed tests, understanding these technical limitations can help you interpret the results more accurately. By conducting multiple speed tests on different speed test servers and considering the mentioned factors, you can obtain a more realistic estimation of your internet connection's performance.
