If you have internet access, you are probably interested in having the best internet speed available.  In order to have this, it is important to get a good internet bandwidth and internet speed.  Your internet connection will make a big difference in your life, whether you are using your internet connection at home or for a business.  In order to get the best internet connection speed, there are some things to consider.  Once you are aware of this, it will be easy to find the right Internet Service Provider for you.   The first thing to know is that there are two elements that determine your internet connection speed. These include the download rate, and the upload rate of data measured in bits per seconds. Usually, it is expressed in Kilobits per second.  A bit is the smallest piece of data that can be stored in a computer. The bit can be either "0" or "1". The byte is eight bits. Example of a byte and bits are the following: a bit= 0 or 1 and a byte=8 bit.  A 1 byte=10011101.  A single character needs one byte or eight bits to be stored in a computer. So, when the data rate is 1 byte/sec, which means one character per second is the rate at which data is transferred through your connection.

This is very slow, and only intended for an example. In order to browse the internet, you must have at least a dial up access with a 56kb/s modem, in order to get a meaningful and practical result. Some people dont know that there are different types of internet connections. First was the dialup connection using your phone line, then the broadband was developed. The broadband internet connections are DSL, Cable, or Satellite internet services. They are widely used and expanding due to the high bandwith.

When you get an internet service, your provider states that your speed will be a certain numbers. One thing that you can do to facilitate your plight is to download free software from the internet, and watch the result box with the result that show the size of the file and how many seconds it tool to download. 

Then, when you are done recording the download speed, upload a file of a specific size (1 Mb, 2 Mb), and time your watch when you start. When the file is uploaded, check your watch and record the time it took for the task. Next, you just divide your file size by the seconds it took.

 If you file was 2 Mb. that took 5 minutes to upload, then your upload speed is 2 Mb./300 sec. or 6.826 Kbits/sec.

You can run the above test couple times, and then take the average for a better result.

 If you are wanting to do the automated test at a third party service, you are actually getting to a website where the test is done for you. It is done using a script installed on their server, and letting you download and upload to their server a test file.  Then, the result is displayed on their webpage. You just have to register for free using your email. It is free.