Purpose

This article provides information on how to run a speedtest and send the results to Sheakley.  Please watch the brief video below to see how to run the speedtest.

Important Information

Speed Test URL: Speedtest.Net

Send Results To:

speedtest@sheakley.com

Also include information about whether others will be using the same internet connection as you at the same time and what type of activity they will be doing, ie, gaming, working, casual use.

Speed Test Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I hardwire or use WIFI.

See next topic for more information on WIFI.  The recommendation is almost always to use hardwired connection if possible (especially for less tech savvy users) as it immediately eliminates a whole host of possible issues and in almost all cases provide the fastest and most trouble free connection.   If you can hard wire, then do so.  If you have a laptop, then you can use WIFI, as long as you understand the limitations and issues it can bring up.  Also, Sheakley IT when troubleshooting connection issues will ask you to hard wire to the router to eliminate WIFI setup and environmental issues.

Can I use Wifi?

Using Wifi is discouraged, except for those who can understand how WIFI works and why it might not work well all the time or on occasion. While WIFI is a perfectly capable method of connecting to your router and the internet it does come with its own set of problems that can make troubleshooting difficult and result in you achieving speeds slower than your internet provider is giving you.  Modern Wifi-Routers with Wifi 5 and 6 can deliver near Gigabit speeds for 20+ connected devices, while cheaper and older devices will result in much slower speeds.  Also, as we said troubleshooting problems with interference and speed can be very difficult without understanding the local environment.  Sheakley IT will not help you resolve local WIFI issues with your connection.

Can I use Cellular, 5G or hotspots?

This is strongly discouraged.  You should absolutely use a landline anytime you can.  While 5G and cellular may work MOST of the time, there are times where it will not and these can be random or not visible to you.  For instance we had a farmer plowing a field, throwing up huge amounts of dust that disrupted a persons cellular signal for almost the entire day and then it just fixed itself at night.  Sheakley IT will not troubleshoot connections on cellular networks.   

What If My Speeds are not Good?

In many cases you can get a free upgrade from your provider.  Especially if you have had the same provider / service for more than 3-4 years, it is likely you can get a free upgrade to a higher tier.  

You simply need to call your provider and tell them you will be working from home and that your speeds do not meet your company's minimum requirements.  You can use the table above to tell them what minimum speeds you need (Which would be the desired column).  If you will be having many users using your internet or multiple people working from home at same time, then you may want to go even higher.  It is very common for people today to get 100Mb download and 30-50Mb upload for the same cost they use to get a much lower tier of service.

Once the service is upgraded, you should run a speed test while the technician is there to confirm your upload and download speeds are what the provider said they should be.