# Why Speedtest is NOT the Ultimate Troubleshooting Tool 🚫⚡ Everyone and their dog 🐶 has run a **Speedtest** at some point. “Hey, my Internet is slow, let me check Speedtest!” But here’s the **cold, hard truth**—Speedtest, especially the **Ookla-hosted ones**, is often a **terrible** way to measure real-world performance. Yes, you heard me. **Your favourite Speedtest might be lying to you.** 👀 Let’s break down **why Speedtest is not the holy grail of troubleshooting** and what you should be using instead. --- ## **🎭 The Problem with Ookla Speedtest** Most people just fire up **speedtest.net**, hit “Go,” and think they’re getting the full picture. **Nope.** Here’s why: ### **1️⃣ ISP-Hosted Servers are a Conflict of Interest** ISPs **self-host** their own Speedtest servers. This means when you run a Speedtest, there’s a good chance you’re **not actually testing your real-world Internet performance**—you’re just testing how fast you can talk to your ISP’s own equipment. 🤦 🔴 **What’s wrong with this?** * The test **never leaves** the ISP’s network, so congestion, routing issues, and peering problems are **completely ignored**. * ISPs often **prioritise traffic** to their own Speedtest servers, meaning you might get **better speeds than in real-world use.** * Many of these servers are hosted on **dodgy, old hardware**, meaning the results are **wildly inconsistent**. Think of it like running a 100m race **on a treadmill in a controlled room**—sure, you might be fast, but can you sprint in a thunderstorm? ⛈️ --- ### **2️⃣ Speedtest Ignores Fairness** Speedtest runs a **single TCP stream** (or a few) to saturate your connection. **But that’s not how real-world traffic works!** 🔴 **Real traffic includes:** * Multiple users/devices at once (your phone, laptop, smart TV all competing for bandwidth) * Applications with **different priority levels** (Zoom calls, gaming, Netflix, etc.) * **Jitter and packet loss**, which affect voice/video more than just raw speed Speedtest **doesn’t care about any of this.** It just throws **as much data as possible down the pipe** for a few seconds and calls it a day. That’s **not** how the Internet actually works. --- ### **3️⃣ Latency? What Latency?** Speedtest **hides latency issues** by running tests in a way that makes everything seem smooth. **Real networks experience jitter, congestion, and buffering**, but Speedtest only shows you a basic **ping** (which is often misleading). 🔴 **What’s wrong with this?** * It doesn’t show real-world **bufferbloat** (high latency when your connection is under load) * It doesn’t expose **peering problems** (bad routing between ISPs) * It doesn’t reflect the **latency-sensitive nature** of apps like video calls or gaming 🎮 You can have a **500 Mbps Speedtest result but still have terrible Zoom calls and laggy gaming.** Speedtest won’t tell you why. --- ## **🎯 The Best Speedtest Server in SA? Afrihost!** Not all Speedtest servers are created equal. If you must use **Ookla’s Speedtest**, make sure you select **Afrihost’s** server manually. Why? ✅ **Afrihost’s server is well-connected and has stable results** ✅ **It’s not hosted by an ISP trying to game the numbers** ✅ **It gives a more realistic view of your Internet performance** But let’s be real—**Ookla’s Speedtest is still not ideal**. --- ## **🚀 The REAL Way to Test Your Internet | MyBroadband Speedtest** If you want the **most accurate and fair** Speedtest in South Africa, **forget Ookla**. Instead, head over to [**https://speedtest.mybroadband.co.za/**](https://speedtest.mybroadband.co.za/). Why? Because **this server is hosted by Teraco, on the NAPAfrica backbone**—meaning: ✅ **You’re testing real-world performance, not ISP-optimised nonsense** ✅ **You get a neutral test across multiple ISPs** ✅ **It’s hosted in SA’s biggest peering exchange, making it the best overall benchmark** This is the **gold standard** of bandwidth testing in SA. Anything else is just guessing. --- ## **💡 Wrapping Up with the Bottom Line** Speedtest **isn’t the magic bullet** for troubleshooting. Most tests are: 🚩 **Unfair** – They ignore congestion, fairness, and real-world conditions 🚩 **Misleading** – ISP-hosted tests prioritise their own networks 🚩 **Incomplete** – They ignore key factors like packet loss and latency If you want a **real measure** of your Internet performance, **ditch random ISP-hosted Speedtests** and use **MyBroadband’s Speedtest** instead. 👉 **Your Internet is more than just a number. Test wisely.** 💡 %[https://bsky.app/profile/mastelek.bsky.social/post/3lqzd57x2vs2y]