TekSavvy → Speed Tests: What steps do YOU take to ensure accuracy?

I'm just curious what steps everyone takes to ensure they are getting accurate Speed Test results if test results are below expectations. I'm always up for some new tricks and information. With Speed Test results being very common in the forum it may benefit all of us.

I'll start with my usual steps, it has been a while since I have bothered though due to a 9+ month DSL issue in my area regardless of ISP.

Cable:
1: Remove any extra connections in the coax
2: Connect direct to modem(Power-cycle and Factory Reset)

DSL:
1: Disconnect all devices from POTS except modem direct to jack with a phone cable less than 6ft.
2: Connect direct to modem(Power-cycle).

Common:
3: Boot to Safe Mode with Networking(not sure of the Mac equivalent)
4: netstat -ab / kill any processes necessary from this result and reconfirm with the same command
5: Speed Test (Always same server)

Really just removing as many variables as possible(router, connections, signal on my end of things, etc.). It seemed a bit excessive at times but it usually saved me wasting as long or longer in queue with whichever ISP I was with at the time. Cable almost always ended up being node/line issues due to weather, tampering or technician incompetence which resulted in having to call anyways.

Anyone else?

I go to speedtest.net and click nexicom. If the speeds are good, nothing further is required.

Haha, Yea I sort of assumed on that one. *corrected*

Basically, I do what Guspaz said! I also make sure no torrents or streaming are running. Sometimes, when I go "What the heck is slowing me down?", and I quickly run a test, I do forget that streaming music playing in the background, or that video that is buried 5 windows down on the desktop that I'm not really watching, but still listening too.

I also do not use speedtest.net (flash-based) using CHROME. A few of us have SOMETIMES gotten a very 'CHOPPY', abnormal speed graph, and IMPOSSIBLY HIGH DL figures with that test combination. YMMV.

Caneris's flash test seems OK under Chrome, but I constantly get slower DL results with that one. The test peaks up in the normal DL range, but the final result is usually way low. I don't really trust that test.

If anything looks 'abnormal' (too low, or suspiciously high), I usually also verify with a java test at »speedtest.cogeco.net/ or »speedtest.teksavvy.com/.

The other standard fix usually works too; wait an hour, or until the next morning, and retest. Obviously, if you have a problem at the same time of day every day, that is a clue also.

I wonder how many speedtests TSI customers (especially cable) have run the last 6 months!

I plug my laptop directly into the modem and I do a fresh restart of my laptop, then I do a teksavvy speedtest. I do this a few times week.

I am on the very top teir --25Mbps unlimited

During the period from 9 am to 5 pm -- i get 24,395 Mbps stable
Between 5 pm and 9 am I get between 3 and 6 Mbps.
Constantly. predictably.

go to speedtest.net, click begin. there are at least 8 different internet data pulling devices (2 skype phones, 2 ip radiothermostat ct80s, 2 chumbys, 1 squeezebox, 1 axis cam) on all the time but they consume negligible bandwidth so its ok.

The number one thing about doing a speed test is not to use a speed test. Use Real Life (tm) downloading mediums such as downloading from Microsoft or Usenet or something along those lines.

its worth noting that people keep using the speedtest.net app for mobile speed tests, and its not very accurate.

The in-browser (w/flash) app is better (provided you can change user agent)

I usually download winxp sp3 from microsoft and measure with the 'networkspeed' app

What do you do when the speed test site itself is not up to par?

Trick question!