Your Internet speed test only tells you part of the story. What a speed test measures is how long a certain amount of data takes to travel to the test server and back to your computer. Based on the size of the file and the time from which it leaves their server to get to your computer, the test calculates your download speed. The size of the file and the time it takes to leave your computer and get to their server determines your upload speed.
The service level of your Mohawk Networks, LLC account is based on a promised download speed when you first signed up, expressed in megabits per second (Mbps). A speed test verifies your download speed as well as other related data, including upload speed and network latency.
- Download Speed: How quickly Internet content is transferred to your computer or home network, measured in Mbps.
- Upload Speed: How quickly you are able to upload content to the Internet. This is important if you use your Internet to regularly share personal videos, music, and images.
- Ping (Latency): Ping reflects the amount of latency in a computer network, denoting the amount of time it takes data to travel from one computer to another on the network. It is normally expressed in milliseconds.
Although Mohawk Networks provides fast network speeds, there are many factors affecting your network speeds that may cause slow down, they include:
- Older network interface card (NIC) – Most computers and devices that come equipped with a 1 Gigabit NIC and have the ability to communicate at that speed. Some may be limited by the speed inside the computer.
- Out-of-date-hardware – The type of hardware you use, the age of the device, the operating system, the web browser, and the other applications running on your device all affect upload and download speeds.
- Slow connections between Mohawk Networks, LLC network and the websites you visit – Once your communication leaves our Fiber network, it might encounter segments of the Internet providing slower service—often due to heavy traffic or substantial rerouting delays—at any time.
- Peak usage times – Performance due to these external factors may be lower during peak usage times, which typically fall between 7pm and 11pm.
- Amount of users connected to your router – If the wireless router at your home has multiple users connected to it, the overall performance for all devices suffers.
Performing regular Internet speed tests gives you the basic amount of data to begin to diagnose any problems on your home network. Results will vary depending on numerous factors.
