95
My test score is a lot lower than what I pay my ISP for. Why?
The bandwidth provided by your ISP (Internet Service Provider) is advertised as ‘up
to’ as this is the maximum bandwidth you can expect coming into your network. This
can be affected by many things such as the quality of the provider’s cabling, ‘Fair Use’
clauses in the agreement and the amount of people accessing the same server.
But even if you get the maximum advertised bandwidth from your ISP, the home
network may be creating a bottleneck. Major factors include interference, obstructions
and distance between the router and device. Even time of day can have an effect – if
more people are using the internet in your area, that can reduce bandwidth. However,
there are some simple things to try that can really help improve your test score.
Why is the score lower than other tests?
Internet connectivity tests are often optimised to give you a theoretical ‘best scenario’
speed and can be a good indicator for what your ISP is providing but will not tell you
specifically what bandwidth your KEF speaker system will be able to take advantage
of. The KEF Connect speaker connection test more closely represents what happens
when using the speaker system normally:
KEF Connect
Other
Server used for
test
Random (Real world situation)
Nearest possible (Optimised,
unrealistic)
Number of
Connections
opened
One (Works as your KEF
speaker system would)
As many as possible (Artificially
maximises your network
throughput)
File(s)
downloaded to…
KEF speaker system (Factors
in the quality of the system’s
connection to the network)
Phone/Computer (May be in a
higher/lower quality network
area)
Improving your network experience
There are a few ways in which bandwidth may be improved. Some are very simple
and require no knowledge of computers and routers, whilst others are slightly more
advanced, involving changing router settings. Always refer to the router manual, and if
in doubt, do consult a professional.
First, it is important to determine how your speaker system is connected to your
router – wired by Ethernet cable or connected wirelessly.
If connected by Ethernet cable:
1.
Ensure the router firmware is updated.
This is a basic step for any electronic device, as updated firmware may address
known bugs.
