Broadband speed testing websites

[#1]

I have recently had a broadband problem with dropouts. For info only: -

https://community.plus.net/t5/Broadband/Frequent-dropouts-25th-Jan-2025/td-p/1996788

This looks to be fixed but in the process I was keeping an eye on my broadband speed.

The Hub Two 'Broadband and performance test' no longer works since I believe speedtest.btwholesale.com was decommissioned on 10th Jan 2025.

Q1 - Is Plusnet going to change the Hub Two link to direct us to another speed testing website?

Q2 - If so then which will it be?

Q2 - Does it matter which we use if they give similar, but not the same, results?

I have used https://fast.com/# and https://www.speedtest.net/ but they give slightly different results even though carried out only 1 minute apart.

[#2]

I don't know what advice BT Consumer Division (the 'bosses' of Plusnet) are planning to do, but I use the Ookla site you reference and https://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest for my (roughly) fortnightly check on my FTTP  circuit. Both give almost identical results, using the default testing servers. From memory, they also did so when I was on FTTC.

[#3]

In addition to Ookla and TBB, I also use https://speed.cloudflare.com/ 

[#4]

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@Madeleyite wrote:

... This looks to be fixed but in the process I was keeping an eye on my broadband speed.

@Madeleyite 

This might seem like an odd question, but what are you hoping to achieve looking at third party speed test results ?

For monitoring whether your VDSL connection speed is moving around due to changing weather conditions, Openreach DLM, etc, then you might as well regularly check the Hub Two's "Data rate" figures, because at least that doesn't change from one minute to the next, and that any third part speed test results shouldn't change unless the "Data rate" has resync'ed to some new speed.

If you are still in the process of trying to improve RFI / EMI / DSL cabling, etc, then watching for dynamic changes in the "Maximum Data rate", "Noise Margin", and the rate of change in any error counters that the Hub Two can display,  will be a good live indicator of whether your external physical changes are making any difference - without triggering an unwanted "Data Rate" re-sync.

I don't know whether the Hub Two's line stats page automatically updates every few seconds (like most third party modems), but presumably doing a page refresh would cause an update ?.

.

[#5]

@outcast - Re your question "but what are you hoping to achieve looking at third party speed test results ?": -

I was looking to see if the NGA profile change from 'Speed' to 'Standard' had been completed since I thought it may show up in a reduced speed. I had been checking speeds before and after and thought I would see a change. It doesn't matter now that I know the change has been done.

Normally I only check my download/upload speeds once a month but due to the dropouts that caused me to start this thread I had been checking daily. It seems fixed now.

Thanks for your advice about using the Hub Two Information figures instead of 3rd party speed testers.

[#6]

@Madeleyite 

The Hub's Event log category WAN would detail the line stats on connection, I would use that for reference.

I am not convinced the BT Wholesale Basic Speed test was ever the best for speed testing, I use the CLI version of speedtest.net found here https://www.speedtest.net/apps/cli 

[#7 · Accepted solution]

I wouldn’t accept any of the speed tests as being totally accurate, too many variables could affect the results.
What I would say is stick to the same test, test regularly then you’ll spot any major differences which could mean a potential line fault developing.

[#8]

@Champnet That is why I have always used the TBB and Ookla tests. I do have others in my 'toolkit', but have found those two pretty reliable - especially when I was on ADSL/FTTC - now I'm FTTP , I don't worry about using them as much.