Alternate Speed Test

If you do not have Java installed on your computer, you may be able to run a simple download speed test. To assist you with measuring your download speeds, we have created a 20 MB "test" file called DownloadSpeedTest.dat that you can safely download from Shaw's server to your local hard drive. By observing the transfer rate information provided by your Web browser download, you can get a fairly accurate measurement of your potential download speed.

To begin your download speed test, simply click the Start Speed Test button.

Once you have clicked the Start Speed Test button, do the following:

Select Save to Disk.
Select Desktop as the location to save the file.
Click OK.

Understanding the Results
As the file is downloaded to your computer, Internet Explorer (or other browsers) will display a transfer rate. By observing the transfer rate, you can determine the download potential of your connection. In the example below, the computer in question enjoyed a download speed of 2.85 MB/Sec.

Alternate Speedtest Results Screenshot

Understand What Can Affect Your Internet Speed
Many factors can affect Internet speed. These can include the any of the following:

Capacity of the server you are trying to access
Volume of users simultaneously accessing the server you are trying to access
The performance of your PC
The number of simultaneous programs you are running on your computer
The number of simultaneous downloads you are performing on your computer

Due to these and other factors, Shaw is unable to guarantee a minimum speed for Internet traffic.