Last update: 08.23.2006 (GMT+8)
　

Internet Connection Download Speed Test

This is a list of sites that you can test your Internet connection for free.  To conduct one of these tests, you should note the following:

  1. Choose an appropriate location or nearest to you.
  2. Make sure no other internet activity (other downloads and uploads, email, videoconference, file transfers, ICQ, etc.) is running before the start and during the test.
  3. Run the test more than once and at different times (e.g., off-peak vs. peak hours) to obtain an average speed value and a fair assessment of your connection.
  4. The result is also affected by server response time and bandwidth at the other end as well as internet traffic at the time of the test between the server and your computer.
Location Website/Page Note
Hongkong Netvigator network test Best for testing 1.5 / 3 / 6 M (Mbps/Mega Bits Per Second) ADSL products from PCCW IMS Netvigator.com and other local ISP offering similar ADSL Broadband service.  Since 2002, some ADSL services have been upgraded as follows: 1.5M = 1.8M, and 3M = 3.8M, so please consult your ISP for clarification.  Upload is capped at 640kbps (80KBps).

To retest, press CTRL+F5
　 New World Telecom Netspeed Tests upload as well as download.
　 Netfront.net The instructions are in Chinese.  Not accurate and very misleading.
　 Numion.com YourSpeed A broad speed test service.
USA McAfee Internet Connection Speedometer With easy to understand animated graphical presentation.
　 Numion.com YourSpeed 　
　 Broadband Reports Speed Test Reports also on upstream connection speed.  Requires Java.
　 2Wire.com Quick but will differ from your ISP connection.  Good explanation.
　 Stanford University Network Diagnostic Tester (NDT) Tests upload speeds as well, and includes other network information and links.  Requires Sun Java to run.
Japan Bspeedtest.jp NOTE:  ADULT AD SUPPORTED!  Scroll down to middle of the page to select speed test options.
　 Broadband Networking Report Requires Macromedia (now Adobe) Flash Player installed.
 
Worldwide Speedtest.net Test your download and upload connections to various sites around the world (defaults to US sites).
　 A BELTRÓNICA Telecom Speedometer
　 Numion.com YourSpeed Simply choose the location against which you wish to test your connection.

　

　

Internet Tools
(freeware or donationware)

Software Type Description
Ad-Aware adware/spyware remover Free/Lite version of Lavasoft products, with free manual updates.
AVG Free Edition anti-virus protection Free automatic updates.  New version 7 no longer requires email registration.
CookieWall browser cookie checker Removes unwanted Internet cookies from your computer.
GuildFTPd FTP server Easy to configure.  Very good online tutorial for beginners.
K9 POP3 SPAM email classifier Very small file size.  Can be trained to identify your genuine email from SPAM.  Please read its online tutorial before using it.
Maxthon Internet browser Formerly known as MyIE2.  Supports skins, plugins and multi-tabs.
Mozilla Firefox Internet browser Gives Internet Explorer a run for the money.
NetTransport download manager With MMS support.  NetTransport has become a shareware, but many of its functions remain free.
PopTray email notifier Checks, reads, and deletes email.  Supports multiple POP3 accounts, as well as IMAP and Hotmail (beta plugins required).
Popup Manager browser popup blocker Doesn't block everything, but it's donationware and non-intrusive.
Skype P2P online chat client P2P Telephony at its best.  High audio quality.  Includes users search.  Works with NAT routers and firewalls.  The only thing missing is video :(
SmartFTP FTP client Windows-like interface, drag n' drop and Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support.  Free for personal and non-commercial use.
SpamBayes SPAM email classifier A more sophisticated version of email filter.  Use statistical analysis to identify SPAM as they are downloaded into your email client.
Spybot - S&D adware/spyware remover AKA Spybot - Search & Destroy.  Scans and removes spyware/malware from your computer; free manual updates.
SpywareBlaster stops spyware from installing Blocks spyware from being downloaded to your computer, free manual updates.
Windows Defender (Beta 2) anti-spyware protection Windows Defender is a free program from Microsoft that helps you stay productive by protecting your computer against pop-ups, slow performance and security threats caused by spyware and other potentially unwanted software.  Genuine Microsoft Windows Validation required to download and install.
YahooPOPs! Yahoo! mail servers emulator Emulates Yahoo! mail POP3 and SMTP servers so you can check your Yahoo! mail with your email client.
ZoneAlarm software firewall protection Free (or lite) version of ZoneLabs security products.  Easy to use and configure.

　

　

Other useful tools

CPU-Z

System Information for Windows, SIW

　

　

Concierge Windows computing Internet tips Latest virus alerts MS Knowledge Base Links Friends

　

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Registered Trademarks and Trademarks remain with their respective owners.

Disclaimer :
This is an online self help guide created for my family and friends.  It remains under construction and will be modified, refined, and updated continually (when time permits).  While tweaks and applications have been tried and tested extensively on different systems to ensure compatibility and stability, Spymac Network, Inc. and I accept no responsibility for any loss of data as a result of computer failure, so use at your own risk please.
Remember: Always backup your important data before any modification!