Networking

Written by

Jason Perlow, Senior Technology Editor

Jason Perlow
Senior Technology Editor

Jason Perlow is a technologist with over two decades of experience integrating large heterogeneous multi-vendor computing environments in Fortune 500 companies. His expressed views do not necessarily represent those of his employer, The Linux Foundation.

Full Bio

While on vacation, I considered my response to Elon Musk buying Twitter and whether it would differ from the kneejerk analysis we already have. As a general rule, when I write about subjects related to technology, I try to take a different angle than what is already covered. So I’m not going to take the “Let’s all quit Twitter” viewpoint, or “Elon Musk should be prohibited from buying Twitter” standpoint, or even the “Twitter is going to hell in a neoconservative handbasket” perspective.But we should examine why we care about Twitter at all. It serves an important function, as an instantaneous publicly viewable broadcast message bus, for individuals, brands, governments, and everything in-between. But it also has many weaknesses, including that it is not a public good — it is a corporation, and if Elon Musk gets his way, it will be again a privately owned one.

Therefore, short of government policies limiting its powers, how Twitter is run, its overall technology vision and its enforced policies will always reflect its ownership and designated management. This is also true of Facebook and its various internet properties, although their basic functionality is different and much broader in scope than Twitter.If Twitter is to be owned by Elon Musk, there will be a change of leadership and potentially ethical direction in terms of what content and what influencing entities will be permitted on the platform. We can debate endlessly about what systemic changes will occur under Musk and whether they will be good or bad. But the world outside Twitter will always be in a state of flux, as governments and leaders come and go, as does what the public feels is ethically permissible to be broadcasted versus what is unethical or repugnant.This is why I believe that microblogging – the generic term for the type of service that Twitter is — needs to be a fundamental part of the Internet’s infrastructure, much in the same way that SMTP email, DNS, and the Web are. And in the same way that those services are standardized, from a protocol standpoint, via organizations such as the ISO, ANSI, Ecma, and IEC.I don’t know how many Twitter-like services we need, whether it is a dozen, a hundred, or a thousand. Or tens of thousands. But is clear that there are many types of voices on Twitter, all of which are competing to be heard and are subject to unknown algorithms that determine whose voices are surfaced and when. But suppose a community of voices is vocal enough or wants to amplify itself. In that case, it should be able to host its own microblogging platform if it is permitted in the country where it chooses to home itself and has the resources to do so. Also: Forget the algorithm: Here’s what really makes Twitter uniqueIt doesn’t matter whether it is a government entity, the academic and scientific community, a vertical industry, or any group of people that decides it wants its own platform — a reason to form a microblogging community requires a viewpoint, a common objective, what have you.Assume that we can create an international standard for a microblogging protocol and API, which determines client/server connectivity. Assume the open source community can create microblogging server infrastructure, clients, and APIs. How do we get them the needed visibility?I believe it is possible to have directory and federation services that would allow all of these to be registered, much like we have registrars for domains. This would allow microblogging clients or systems that can connect to the API to have unified “feeds” of these platforms, including exchanging posts and conversations, much like discussion threads that cross-post within USENET.This is not to say that all microblogging platforms will have an intelligent or thoughtful conversation — but rather, it would be easier to find the ones that do if they are federated under a common set of protocols. This would have the effect of, over time, evening out the “signal to noise ratio” as more and more microblogging platforms emerge and become discoverable. The quality of conversation would increase, while the insanity that often takes over Twitter would be reduced.This is a vision for how we can create a more decentralized (and therefore less susceptible to capture by any one entity, government, or otherwise) social media platform. A platform where people can voluntarily associate themselves with like-minded individuals.Blockchain technologies and other content provenance and authentication technologies, such as C2PA, could ensure transactional and referential integrity between systems and prove ownership of posted content. Various open authentication mechanisms, which have already been standardized on other platforms, such as Google ID, Microsoft ID, Facebook, and yes, Apple, Amazon, and Twitter, could be used for single sign-on. Accounts could be created and consolidated on these platforms, including allowing accounts from one system to participate in another via trust relationships. This is possible, but it requires a community of people who see value in decentralization. Who will build this? I don’t know. But if we don’t, somebody else will, and they may not have our best interests in mind.Also: No, Elon, Twitter will never be a platform for ‘Free Speech’Having a distributed network of dozens, thousands, and tens of thousands of microblogging platforms raises its own issues. How a platform or an individual gets “canceled” from another and which platforms continue to allow such objectionable content will be endlessly debated. A new form of politics will be involved when a specific group or account engages in behavior another community finds objectionable.Will offending accounts and platforms be suspended, with trust relationships severed? Will the platforms change their terms of service to disallow certain speech or behavior not in line with their values? If we don’t start down this path towards decentralization and alternative networks for communication, we will never find out.The benefits here outweigh the negatives, as again, we would not depend on the whims of a single entity as to how it adjudicates conflict. Nor are we limiting ourselves to a single nation, company, or even a single management philosophy. We take back control of the internet from those few who wish to manipulate us and hold the keys to our platforms. We would get to run our communities the way we want — and we will fail quickly when we create environments that do not provide the functionality, atmosphere, and value sets that its users want and succeed when we do.I believe that this is the next step in the evolution of the internet, and it starts with you. You can be part of the solution by helping to create these communities or platform providers. You can use your skills in software development, system administration, design, user experience, or business to make this happen.The time is now. Let’s build a better internet together.

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Do you find yourself constantly tweaking your thermostat to find a temperature that you’re comfortable at? Does the prospect of coming home to a sweltering house make you keep the air conditioner running all day long? Are you dreading your monthly energy bill because you know that you’re spending more than you need to be? There are lots of reasons to get a smart thermostat, from comfort to control to conservation. They are great tools for keeping your home at the ideal temperature for you and anyone else who occupies your home. They are also an ideal option to help cut down on your monthly energy bill by operating more efficiently and energy-saving. Take a look at your newsfeed, or just take a look outside, and you’ll notice that the weather is getting more and more extreme. Hotter summer days, colder winter nights, and lots of wild swings and waves of weather can throw your day and your thermostat for a loop. You can’t control the weather outside your walls, but you sure can manage how it feels inside. Smart thermostats make that possible. So what is the best smart thermostat for you? Well, that all depends on what kind of features you’re looking for, what kind of control you prefer, and what your smart home ecosystem already has. We’ve compiled some of the best smart thermostats on the market, and we’ll walk you through which will suit your home.

Ecobee SmartThermostat with Voice Control

Best smart themostat

Amazon

Specs: 3.5-inch full-color LCD touchscreen | Voice support (Alexa) | Works with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, IFTTT | It might not be the brand name or product that you most associate with smart thermostats, but there is no question that the Ecobee SmartThermostat with Voice Control is one of the best smart thermostats available. A big reason for that is the ease and simplicity with which this smart thermostat integrates into your home. Lots of smart thermostats offer some form of voice control through apps or other devices, but the Ecobee SmartThermostat with Voice Control offers it right out of the box and right from the thermostat itself. Amazon Alexa is built-in and equipped to handle all kinds of commands to adjust your heating and air conditioning. It can also handle commands for reading the news, playing music, or making calls. The Ecobee SmartThermostat with Voice Control can be a true hub of your home. Then there is the ability to manage your home’s environment, which is the most important aspect of any thermostat. Ecobee estimates that with energy-efficient features like its eco+ mode, along with the ability to schedule heating and cooling cycles, you’ll be able to save as much as 26% of your standard energy costs. This thermostat is also compatible with up to 32 smart sensors that can automatically gauge conditions around the house and tell if you’re home, and adjust the temperature based on that information. It would be nice if other voice control options like Apple’s Siri or Google Assistant were built into this smart speaker, but they are supported through app-based interfaces. You only get one sensor included with this thermostat, but that will be more than enough to get you started and save you money. Pros: Amazon Alexa built-inSmart scheduling featuresExpandable with sensorsCons:Only one sensor comes with the thermostatSupport for other voice assistants through app only

Google Nest Learning Thermostat

The best-known smart thermostat

Google

Specs: 3.3-inch full-color display | Voice support (Google Assistant) | Works with IFTTT, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThingsWithout question, the Google Nest is the most well-known smart thermostat. It’s not hard to see why. It has an unmistakable design that you would recognize anywhere and is easy to interact with. It’s one of the most essential tools of a smart home, and it more than gets the job done for most people.The latest offering, the Google Nest Learning Thermostat, goes heavy on the smart learning features to help you save money while controlling the temperature in your home. According to Google, the thermostat can pay for itself in under two years simply by tweaking the way that you heat and cool your house. That’s good, as it’s one of the more expensive smart thermostats in terms of up-front cost — but if you can swing it, you’ll get your money back on the back end.The Nest Learning thermostats offer some nice touches that make you both feel at home and in total control. It lights up when you walk into the room and gives you pertinent information about the current conditions. But it’s doing more than just greeting you — it’s learning your schedule. The Nest Learning Thermostat can start to automatically adapt to your life, knowing when you’re home and when you’re away and modifying the temperatures in the house based on the season. Google claims that after a week, it should be able to program itself to your personal schedule.You’ll be able to control your Google Nest Learning Thermostat from anywhere using the Nest app. You’ll also be able to integrate it into your smart home and communicate with it using voice commands by setting up the Google Home app. The lack of direct voice control is a bit disappointing, but the Google Nest’s interface is intuitive and easy to use. The fact that you can largely go hands-off in setting up a schedule as it learns your routine makes it even better.Pros:Intuitive controlsAutomatically learns your scheduleControl with Nest app or Google HomeCons:No direct voice control on the deviceExpensive up-front cost

Honeywell Home T5 Smart Thermostat

Best budget option

Amazon

Specs: 3.5-inch touchscreen display | Voice support (Siri) | Works with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, IFTTT | Smart thermostats have a reputation for being expensive. They don’t have to break your bank, though. The Honeywell Home T5 Smart Thermostat proves that. It’s a budget-friendly option, but it doesn’t skimp on the features that you would expect out of high-end smart thermostats.The Honeywell Home T5 Smart Thermostat integrates easily into basically any smart home platform. This means it will work with your favorite voice assistant, whether it is through a smart home app or a smart speaker. You’ll just have to set it up. It also can become a part of your routines. Do you have smart lights that turn on before you get in the door? The Honeywell Home T5 Smart Thermostat can be set to change the temperature before you arrive, as well.This smart thermostat isn’t quite as smart as others that learn your schedule — instead, you’ll have to set it up manually, though geofencing technology does know when you’re coming and going, so it can adjust based on what you tell it to do if you’re out of the house. You can also maintain control at all times over the device through your smart home app of choice. The Honeywell Home T5 Smart Thermostat is not the most stylish smart thermostat on the market and visually leaves a bit to be desired. But if you’re more interested in function than aesthetics and you’re on a budget, you won’t be disappointed by how well this smart thermostat gets the job done.Pros:Works with most smart home platformsGeofencing knows when you come and goAffordableCons:Doesn’t learn your scheduleIt is not the most visually appealing

Honeywell Home T9 Smart Thermostat

Best for total control

Amazon

Specs: 3.5-inch color touchscreen display | Voice support (Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Microsoft Cortana) | Works with Samsung SmartThings, Vera, Amazon Alexa, Google Home | Think of the Honeywell Home T9 Smart Thermostat as the smarter upgrade to the budget-friendly T5 model. It’s a bit more expensive, but it gets upgrades across the board when it comes to automation, function, and visual appeal.The Honeywell Home T9 Smart Thermostat extends its understanding of what is happening in your home by introducing sensors that you can place around your home. These sensors detect all kinds of information that help to inform the device. They can detect motion, temperature, and humidity. All the data that these sensors gather help to inform the thermostat, adjusting the temperature in your home and working to make sure that each room is set to the ideal conditions.In terms of integrating into your existing smart home ecosystem, the Honeywell Home T9 Smart Thermostat offers plenty of variety — though surprisingly less than the T5 provides. There is no Apple HomeKit support, so you won’t be able to use Siri or control this device through your Apple HomeKit app. But there is support for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, along with Microsoft Cortana.The Honeywell Home T9 Smart Thermostat still isn’t quite as smart as other thermostats on the market, as it doesn’t pick up on your schedule over time. But the sensors help, and it comes with one in the box to get you started. Pros:Expandable sensorsIntegrates into a smart homeGeofencing knows when you come and leaveCons:It doesn’t work with Apple HomeKitDoesn’t learn your schedule over time

Wyze Thermostat

Most intuitive option

Wyze

Specs: 2.5-inch display | Voice support (Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant) | Works with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, IFTTT |If simplicity is a priority for you, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more suitable option than the Wyze Thermostat. One of the newer devices on the market, this smart thermostat puts a premium on intuitive features while keeping much of the automated functionality you’d expect from a smart thermostat.The Wyze Thermostat features a built-in motion sensor that knows when you’re home and when you go, so it can adjust the temperature for you. On top of that, it’ll track your comings and goings and make recommendations in the accompanying Wyze app that will help you with energy-saving. While you can make changes from the app from anywhere, a simple dial on the device also lets you make immediate changes in the home.This thermostat also includes the ability to set a seven-day schedule, so each day reflects your day-to-day life. While it doesn’t necessarily do the kind of automating that other alternatives do, it does give you plenty of control that reflects your schedule. This smart thermostat integrates into smart homes, is compatible with Google Home and Amazon Alexa, and you’ll be able to use voice controls to manage your home that way. It lacks Apple HomeKit support, but if you use any other smart home ecosystem, you should be able to make it work.Pros:Simple designRecommendations for energy savingSeven-day schedulingCons:Light on automationNo Apple HomeKit support

What is the best smart thermostat?

The Ecobee SmartThermostat with Voice Control is the best smart thermostat due to its voice compatibility, usability, and features.

How to pick the best smart thermostat for you?

Picking the best smart thermostat for you is going to depend on what you need in your home. If you’d like to go hands-off and let the thermostat learn your routine and automate the heating and cooling situation, go with a solution like the Google Nest Learning Thermostat or the Ecobee SmartThermostat with Voice Control. If automation is less important than total control, then you may be better off going with a simpler smart thermostat. A solution like the Wyze Thermostat or the Honeywell Home T5 Smart Thermostat lets you maintain total control over your home environment, even when you’re away from home.If you want control over every element of your home, consider the Honeywell Home T9 Smart Thermostat. With its expandable sensor system, including one that comes with the device, it gives you even more information about your home and lets you control every element of it in nearly every room.

Is a smart thermostat worth the price?

Yes, in most situations, a smart thermostat is worth the price. While the upfront investment can feel steep, even the most basic automation features will often end up saving you a considerable amount of money in the long run. It will pay for itself over time by reducing energy costs.

What is the difference between a smart thermostat and a Wi-Fi thermostat?

A smart thermostat has automation features that help you manage your energy consumption, typically by reducing your energy usage when you are away. A Wi-Fi thermostat is internet-connected and may give you the ability to control it from your phone, but it often lacks automated tools and can’t always be controlled when you are away from home.

Can I install a smart thermostat in my home?

Most home heating and cooling systems are compatible with smart thermostats. In some cases, you may have to purchase an adapter or kit to install it. This is especially true of older homes. Check the compatibility of the thermostat to make sure it will work with your home before you purchase it.

Are there alternatives worth considering?

There are many smart thermostats on the market, so there is almost certainly one that will work best for your home. Consider these alternatives:

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When cord-cutting became a thing, it was all about saving money. Now, cord-cutting costs are catching up with cable.  Just Disney Plus is $13 a month with its must-watch package of Marvel Universe, Star Wars, and Disney films. Netflix is $13 a month, too. Plus, with internet TV streaming services such as AT&T TV Now, which costs $55 a month, your streaming bill can quickly get up to $80 or more, which is within spitting distance of a cable TV bill. You can save some money by going with an inexpensive TV-bundling service like Philo TV. At $20 a month for up to five simultaneous streams of 58 popular channels — including AMC, Comedy Central, Food Network, IFC, Nickelodeon, Science, and The History Channel — it’s a steal.  There are currently 11 good free services to try, and good old-fashioned over-the-air (OTA) antenna TV. Yes, you do have to put up with commercials on all of these — and there’s not a DVR features to be seen —  but they are free. With so many selections to choose from, I can guarantee you’ll find something to watch that won’t hurt your pocketbook by even a single penny.

Antennas: Cord-cutting the old fashioned way

There’s a lot of good TV flying over the airwaves.

CNET

Of course, the cheapest way of all to get TV is with an old-school antenna for Over-The-Air (OTA) TV. If you’ve been using cable or satellite for the last few years, you may have missed that there are more OTA channels than ever.Today, most OTA TV stations actually offer two or three different “channels.” In addition, most stations broadcast at least their network programs in HDTV. In most places to use OTA, you still need antennas. If you’re lucky you can still get a decent selection of channels with good old rabbit-ears. If not, towers and antennas are still available.To find out what’s available OTA in your neighborhood, start by going to a site like AntennaWeb or AntennaPoint. With their interactive tools, you can see what OTA channels are available to you. These sites will also guide you to the best antennas for your area. Before buying one, though, you should know there’s no such thing as an HDTV antenna. An antenna is an antenna is an antenna. Now there are differences between antennas. There is no one-size-fits-all antenna — nor is there one antenna type that’s better than any other. You need to look at what signals you can expect to get in your location and then look for the antenna that best fits your needs. For reviews see, CNET, AntennaWeb, and TechHive. In my experience, I’ve done well with Channel Master and Winegard antennas.

Roku: Cord-cutting on the cheap

A Roku gives you more than any other streaming hardware.

Roku

To access most of these streaming services, you’ll need an up-to-date Roku streaming device. A big reason why I recommend Roku is it gives you access to more online streaming services than any of the others. To find these, check out the Roku Channel Store. For example, if you can’t put up a TV antenna for OTA shows, many stations have their own local news Roku apps. These include FOX25 Boston, WSB Atlanta, and WGN Chicago.In addition, there are literally hundreds of more obscure channels. Want to stream stuff for your cat? Your dog? Want to watch 50s TV shows? Practice yoga? Follow technology news with CNET? It’s all there — and it’s all free.There are also private Roku channels, which are not listed on the Roku Channel Store. To add these, you must manually enter their channel access codes. The best of these lets you watch The Internet Archive’s public domain videos. The best known of the private channels had been Nowhere TV with a hodgepodge of content, but it’s no longer available.While private channels can be fun, be wary of them. Roku doesn’t support or vet these networks. Some content may be pirated, or they may disappear from one day to another. Still, it’s fun just to explore, and you can find some great stuff you’ll never see anywhere else. 

Tubi TV

Best free streaming service

Tubi TV is one of the better free VoD services. It comes with perhaps the biggest video library of any of the free services, with over 20,000 titles. That’s thanks to its access to Lionsgate, MGM, Paramount Pictures, and Starz Digital’s libraries. Recent selections include Cloud Atlas, All the Pretty Horses, and FoxCatcher. If you register, which I recommend you do, you can resume play from where you stopped to let in the cat. For a free service, where you often don’t have control over the stream, that’s a nice benefit.

Crackle

Crackle mostly offers older, mainstream TV shows and movies.

Crackle is perhaps the best-known free streaming TV and movie service. Crackle boasts TV shows and movies from the 80s through the 00s. Some recent selections include Bewitched, My Favorite Martian, and What’s Happening. You’ll also find newer films on it sometimes. It also has a bit of original content such as StartUp, a dark show about technology companies. Call it organized crime 2.0. It’s a hidden gem of a show with actors such as Martin Freedman, Ronald Perlman, and Adam Brody. Give Crackle and StartUp a try.

IMDb TV

IMDb offers a wide variety of older TV shows and movies.

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Everyone knows about Amazon Prime Video. It’s a great add-on if you’re already an Amazon Prime customer. But did you know Amazon also offers a commercial-driven free video service? Well, now you do. It’s IMDb TV. This is a video-on-demand (VoD) service. It features older TV shows such as Boston Legal, Malcolm in the Middle, and Little House on the Prairie. And, since the M stands for movies, it also includes films such as Paddington, Spider-Man (the 2002 version), and Elf.IMDb TV is only available in the US. It’s also the only free channel not available on Roku. You can either watch it on your computer or with an Amazon Fire TV device.

Pluto TV

Large collection of obscure networks, plus mainstream VoD selections.

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You may already know about Pluto TV. It offers access to dozens of other streaming networks with a single interface. Some of these “channels” aren’t that interesting, but then there are others, like the classic Dr. Who, Mystery Science Theater 3000 (classic MST3K shows), and RiffTrax, which bring a smile to my face. Since ViacomCBS bought Pluto, it also includes live TV shows such as CBS News and CNET. (ViacomCBS is the parent company of Pluto TV, CNET, and ZDNet). It also now includes free on-demand movies and TV shows. As of June 2020, these include Shaft (2019), Flashdance, and The Last Action Show. Give it a look. Odds are you’ll find something you like.

The Roku Channel

Roku now offers its own mix of free TV shows and movies.

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Roku is also offering its own network now: The Roku Channel. It borrows free movies and TV shows from other streaming networks and its own free content. It offers a mix of older and current TV shows and films. Some recent selections include Growing Pains, Trouble with the Curve, and The Beverly Hillbillies. One interesting twist is you can watch these not only with your Roku but on the web via The Roku Channel for the web.

Plex

Stream selections from your own video library and online shows.

Last, but not least, Plex is best known for its software, Plex Media Server. You can use this partially open-source program to stream movies and TV shows from your own home video library.  But, starting in 2019, you can now use its internet service, without installing a thing, to stream TV shows and movies from its site. It’s still putting together its video library, but thanks to a partnership with Crackle and others, it now offers a good collection of TV shows and movies from that service and others. As a longtime Plex user, I welcome this ability to both stream movies from the net and my own video collection.

What is the best free streaming service?

The best free streaming service is Tubi TV, due to its large selection of TV shows and movies.

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Discover the best 4G mobile broadband service providers with our in-depth reviews of four of the most highly rated and common carriers in the country. We looked at AT&T, Cricket, T-Mobile, and Verizon and ranked them on four main criteria: price, speeds, data caps, and customer service. The results reveal several options regardless of what’s important to you in your 4G mobile plan and mobile internet service.  

See at Verizon

Verizon

Best 4G mobile network

Provider score: 5/5Verizon performs strongly across the board, securing our No. 1 spot for 4G mobile broadband service. It offers unlimited data with the option for premium data during high traffic periods, which is ideal for customers requiring large data usage.Its lowest-ranking category was pricing compared to the competition, although Verizon does have a range of options for different budgets. Best for:  Heavy data usersNot for:  Tight budgetsPricing4th place: Plans start at $35 per month, but go up to $55 for one line, which is about average compared to its competitors.Download/Upload Speeds2nd place: Verizon download speeds start at five Mbps and go up from there. While you won’t be able to stream 4K, you’ll definitely meet the three Mbps required for regularly streaming.Data Cap1st place: The highest plan comes with unlimited data, plus 75GB of premium data gets you faster speeds during peak traffic hours.Customer Service2nd place: Verizon ties for second place with a four out of five rating from J.D. Power.

See at AT&T

AT&T

Best Variety

Provider score: 2/5With the exception of low 4G plan prices, AT&T ranks at a mediocre level in the other categories. Download speeds start at the cusp of streaming capabilities and while data caps are unlimited, you’ll notice a slowing between 50GB and 100GB (depending on your plan).While providing lower-priced plans can appeal to customers, the potential for slower download speeds and negative customer service rankings may be off-putting for some.Best for: Budget-friendly options Not for: Exceptional servicePricing2nd place: Plans range from $35 to $50, making AT&T a lowered-priced option for consumers in need of low-budget plans.Download/Upload Speeds4th place: 4G uploads go up to a maximum of 7.1Mbps, although you’ll experience faster speeds if you upgrade to the 4G LTE network.Data Cap4th place: Unlimited data is great, but users in need of constant and high-performing speeds can find the data caps frustrating.  Customer Service4th place: AT&T has one of the lowest customer service scores from J.D. Power, so if you’re unhappy with your plan, you may not receive a lot of help in solving your issues.

T-Mobile

Fastest Speeds

Provider score: 4/5T-Mobile ranks first in three categories: price, speed, and customer service. The downside is its data caps, which can slow data speeds down after 50GB of use. As long as you pay attention to how much data you’re using, you’ll benefit from exceptional speeds for both downloading and uploading.Best for: Fast speeds Not for: Constant data usePricing1st place: At a minimum, you can spend just $30 on a T-Mobile plan with 4G. On the high end for a single line, the cost only jumps to $50.Download/Upload Speeds1st place:  Download speeds start at 9 Mbps and go up to 47Mbps — enough to stream in 4K.Data Cap5th place:  T-Mobile users get a max of uninterrupted 50GB of data included in plans, and while it does include hours of streaming video and music, your data prioritization could slow down speeds. Customer Service1st place:  J.D. Power ranks T-Mobile first among full-service carriers for service. If you have an issue with your account, you’ll be confident in the resolution process from T-Mobile.

Cricket

Best Flexible Plans

Cricket

Provider score: 3/5Cricket’s third-place ranking is strong, considering it’s the only no-contract carrier on our list. In addition to taking advantage of quality customer service and a high data cap, Cricket customers can sign up for month-to-month plans, which helps customers not interested in long-term plans.Best for: No-contract data plans Not for: Fast speeds Pricing3rd place: Cricket plans start at $30 per month and max out at $60 for unlimited data and a mobile hotspot. This range provides cheaper alternatives for unlimited data than other well-known carriers. Download/Upload Speeds5th place: Download speeds range between just one and 4Mbps, so you’ll only be able to stream video at the upper end of that range, likely outside of peak hours.Data Cap2nd place: Cricket offers unlimited data, so even though you may not be able to stream all the time simply based on speed, you at least don’t have to worry about your data running out.Customer Service1st place: Cricket ties for first in our customer service ranking and is J.D. Power’s top-rated carrier with no contracts. Knowing you have a reputable company providing solid customer service is a plus for new customers.

Guide to Mobile BroadbandBefore you pick a provider and a plan, it’s imperative to learn the differences between each type of mobile broadband service.3G vs. 4GGenerations of mobile data technology have progressed successively recently and the generational window may shrink even faster as technology improves. Simply put, the higher the number connection (3G vs. 4G), the faster and stronger you can expect your mobile data connection to be.As new mobile data networks emerge, older ones become obsolete. Today, 3G networks are rarely used and most new mobiles only provide 4G. Although no longer the fastest iteration, 4G networks are still common nationwide.LTELTE is the acronym for “long-term evolution.” It’s a version of 4G that is much faster than 3G, particularly when downloading media on your phone. While many networks carry LTE, it’s not as fast as pure 4G.5G5G mobile broadband is the latest network available — and consequently, the fastest. However, it hasn’t made its way into every locale yet. Verizon currently offers 5G in 31 cities in the U.S. and T-Mobile has extensive coverage nationwide, but it’s still not comprehensive. Consider fiber or cableFor fast data speeds and streaming capabilities at home from wireless internet providers, consider fiber or cable internet. You can still connect your smartphone to your home wi-fi network to use data from your internet plan rather than your mobile plan. While there may be geographic limitations in some rural areas, most places in the U.S. have internet service providers to compare.

How Did We Choose the Best?

 We looked at each carrier’s 4G mobile broadband offerings in terms of price, speed, data caps, and J.D. Power customer service rankings. Next, we ranked the carriers in each category and averaged the numbers.

What is the best 4G network?

Verizon is the best 4G network provider, with the highest overall scores for data limits, price, speeds, and customer service.

Will my 5G phone work on 4G/3G networks?

 Your 5G phone should automatically select the best signal according to your network, including 4G or 3G networks. 5G-capable phones are not strictly limited to the 5G signal. Your phone will automatically select a network according to what signal is available. If signals overlap, your phone will grasp the best signal and automatically change to the next best signal if the device travels beyond the network area.

How does 5G coverage compare to 4G?

 5G is still in its infancy, although the United States has installed numerous 5G towers over the last year. That being so, the coverage is still just a portion of the 4G coverage that currently exists. Metropolitan areas and their neighboring cities will likely be the first areas targeted, as was the case for 4G when it was first implemented.

Will 5G cost more than 4G?

 At this point, 5G will not cost more than a 4G plan. 5G is simply a more powerful, efficient radio transmission. What this means is more information can be broadcasted through 5G signals without interfering with other broadband signals. Ultimately, however, down the road, your network provider may adjust rates according to their infrastructure or signal quality.

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Written by

Tiernan Ray, Contributing Writer

Tiernan Ray
Contributing Writer

Tiernan Ray has been covering technology and business for 27 years. He was most recently technology editor for Barron’s where he wrote daily market coverage for the Tech Trader blog and wrote the weekly print column of that name.

Full Bio

Computer science classes “drove me crazy,” said Perlman. “Mathematical thinking is always very clear.”
Tiernan Ray for ZDNet
The computer network on which you’re working and playing functions because Radia Perlman figured out how to prevent computer network disasters. She did it in one afternoon.Nearly 40 ago, Perlman’s boss at Digital Equipment Corporation, then a titan of the computer world, challenged her to find a way that computer networks could scale across multiple network segments spanning offices, cities, and regions.

“He asked me on a Friday, and right before he was going away on vacation for a week, so he would be unavailable, just to make it extra challenging,” recalled Perlman. Undaunted, Perlman hit upon a solution later the same day. “I realized that night, ‘Oh, my god, it’s trivial,'” said Perlman, who has a disarming way of turning complex achievements into no big deal. “Yeah, you just think about it the right way; I knew just how to do it.”By Tuesday, Perlman had finished writing up the technical details of the spec for what would come to be known as spanning tree protocol, or STP, a key “layer two” technology for local area networks. “I spent the remainder of the week working on the poem that goes along with it,” she said.Perlman put her ode to spanning tree, “Algorhyme” (which deftly reconstitutes Joyce Kilmer’s “Trees” in exact meter) on the front page of her spec:I think that I shall never seeA graph more lovely than a tree.A tree whose crucial propertyIs loop-free connectivity.A tree which must be sure to spanSo packets can reach every LAN.First the Root must be selected.By ID it is elected.Least cost paths from Root are traced.In the tree these paths are placed.A mesh is made by folks like meThen bridges find a spanning tree.Perlman recited the poem by heart to a group of reporters and admirers Thursday night in New York’s Meat Packing District, where she was honored as the subject of a multi-part series, “Hidden Heroes,” exploring the unsung innovators of computer technology. Published by the software development consultancy Netguru, the series is being compiled this year by noted technology reporter Steven Johnson, author of books such as Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer and How We Got to Now. Johnson interviewed Perlman onstage. Johnson paid special thanks to the staff of Netguru, many of whom came to New York City this week from the company’s headquarters in Poznań, Poland. Netguru’s CEO, Marek Talarczyk, thanked the hidden heroes back home contending with the effects of Russia’s war in Ukraine, especially those who are helping over two million Ukrainian refugees who have entered Poland.Talarczyk explained the inspiration for Hidden Heroes as giving credit where credit is due. He related his own experience growing up enchanted by technologies that made the internet possible.”We honor business leaders such as Elon Musk, but we don’t always pay attention to those who started those technologies,” said Talarczyk.”Because innovation has generated such vast fortunes, when we think about world-changing ideas, our attention is drawn to the shiny objects of wealthy people,” said technology writer Steven Johnson. 
Tiernan Ray for ZDNet
“It’s high time we pay tribute to those software pioneers.”Johnson echoed the sentiment and said, “Because innovation has generated such vast fortunes, when we think about world-changing ideas, our attention is drawn to the shiny objects of wealthy people.” “Sometimes innovation happens at a lower level,” added Johnson, referencing a realm of almost invisible technology that “just works,” such as networking protocols underlying the internet. “We want to make those invisible breakthroughs visible, that’s the ambition.”  Perlman, who studied under AI pioneer Seymour Papert at MIT, first earning an undergraduate degree and later a PhD, is an unlikely computer science hero. “You hear about these engineers who grow up taking things apart, but I was never like that,” Perlman told the audience. “I never took anything apart because I was afraid I would break it.””But I was always the best in math and science,” she recalled. Perlman’s strategy early on was to take on the hardest science problems, starting with physics. “I got as far as quantum mechanics, and then I was out of there,” switching to mathematics and later to computer science. “That’s the usual path people take: physics, math, computer science, and then humanities.””[I had} no idea what I wanted to do, I was interested, kind of, in anything,” she said, “as long as it didn’t involve computers!””We honor business leaders such as Elon Musk, but we don’t always pay attention to those who started those technologies,” said Netguru CEO Marek Talarczyk.
Tiernan Ray for ZDNet
Mathematics thinking was “clear,” she said, but computer science classes never made any sense. “They would drive me crazy,” she said. “A professor would wax rhapsodic about object-oriented programming, and I didn’t understand, and then at some point, I’d realize, ‘Oh! You’re just saying the program should have a library!'”Perlman was drafted into programming by a teaching assistant at MIT who was eager to help a young person learn the art, given that an unskilled draftee would be cheaper to employ for programming tasks than a trained programmer. She was one of only a handful of women in the MIT dorms in an era of a one-to-fifteen gender ratio.”The school was full of these incredibly shy, awkward, sensitive boys who had never talked to a girl before,” said Perlman. “You would just say hello, and they would get all excited — “a girl talked to me” — and think they were going to get married. I felt so incredibly bad about that!”

As a reluctant computer programmer, Perlman nevertheless discovered an ability to cut through the complexity and find foundational solutions to computer science problems. “My superpower is that I have no memory,” she explained. “I have to understand things so deeply that I can figure them out from a couple of concepts, and I get rid of all irrelevant details.” Most programmers, she observed, would do something like the opposite; they’d just start coding, working out details first.Perlman, who wrote one of the foundational textbooks that is required reading in networking, observes the discipline with dry wit. At Digital Equipment, for example, the networking technology she helped create (DECNet) was deemed “boring” by customers.”I said, ‘I’ll put knobs on it to make it more exciting, and if you touch them, nothing bad happens because all the knobs have the same setting!'” Her impulse, she said, was always to simplify. “I hate gadgets,” said Perlman. “I want to design things for people like me; I wanted you to be able to just plug it together and it works.” In many of the emerging settings for technology among DEC’s customers, she noted, ordinary people had to be able to depend on the network. “When you have a network in a hospital, doctors shouldn’t have to be network people,” she said.”I’m proud of making networks much more self-configuring so you don’t have to worry about them.”Her crowning achievement, the spanning tree protocol, was an exercise in elegance, a distillation of the problem down to a single, eidetic concept. The problem was that early computer networks consisted of individual machines with no knowledge of how they were all connected to one another. To pass a message from one machine to another, all the machines in between the two would forward on the message. Sometimes, because they didn’t know much, a computer along the way would mistakenly re-direct the message back to its originator. That could happen repeatedly, resulting in a never-ending loop of data transmission that could bring down the network.A spanning tree is a form that takes shape inside a mesh, touching each vertex of the mesh only once.
David Eppstein
To end the loops, Perlman came up with the idea for a few computers along the way to have more knowledge about the total structure of the network. They could forward the message to certain computers that were best placed not to send the message back to its originator. The smarter software in practice made the network a structure with no loops, just a tree shape, a branching form leading ever outward. In mathematics, a single path that connects all the points in space of a grid once and only once is called a spanning tree, hence, the name.The software rules written by a programmer set up a grid, but it’s the software operating in real-time that identifies the smartest path within that grid. Hence, Perlman’s final stanza of her poem recapitulates the spirit of Kilmer’s final stanza:A mesh is made by folks like meThen bridges find a spanning tree.Perlman is a realist about the evolution of computer technology. Many times, the best approaches to a problem don’t win out, she said. “Spanning tree was not ideal by any means,” she told ZDNet following the onstage interview. And neither was the Internet Protocol technology that became the heart of the internet, she said. Perlman believes the computing standard called Connectionless-mode Network Protocol (CLNP) which she was championing in the early 1990s, was the best option. But it lost out to IP version 6. The two technologies were promoted by competing technology standards organizations, and that made all the difference, she explained.”A lot of the time, we like to think that standards bodies are composed of very smart people who are thinking about the best approach to deep technical problems,” Perlman told ZDNet. “In fact, they’re a lot more like drunken sports fans.”

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An artist rendering of a NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite in orbit. 
Image: NASA
NASA has awarded deals to Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellite company and SpaceX’s Starlink as part of $287.5 million in funding for commercial operators to deliver the space agency’s future satellite communications. The funds were awarded to six satellite firms as part of NASA’s Communication Services Project (CSP), which looks to tap the private sector for near-Earth SATCOM replacements for its soon-to-be-decommissioned Tracking and Dara Relay Satellite (TDRS). 

Innovation

NASA awarded Amazon’s Kuiper Government Solutions $67 million for a “commercial optical low-Earth orbiting relay network for high- and low-rate SATCOM services to spacecraft in low-Earth orbit for routine missions, contingency operations, and early operations phase communications.”SEE: NASA will test this ‘SpinLaunch’ system that hurls satellites into spaceSpaceX landed $69.5 million for a a commercial optical low-Earth orbiting relay network for high-rate SATCOM services to spacecraft in low-Earth orbit for routine missions, contingency operations, launch and ascent, and early-operations phase communications. Other winners of the program included Inmarsat, Viasat, Telecast, and SES.         SpaceX has launched about 2,000 broadband-beaming Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit (LEO), while Amazon has yet to launch any of its proposed satellite constellation. However, Amazon announced earlier this month that Project Kuiper had secured 83 launches from Arianespace, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, and United Launch Alliance (ULA), which have enough capacity to carry the majority of its proposed 3,236 satellites. Amazon says it has more than 1,000 people working on the Project Kuiper. The companies have until 2025 to demonstrate their technology can deliver new high-rate and high-capacity two-way communications. NASA wants multiple long-term deals with firms for near-Earth SATCOM operations by 2030, while it phases out its own systems.Eli Naffah, the head of NASA’s Communications Services Project (CSP), told Reuters the goal was to get industry to develop capabilities for customers that are “not just NASA, but other space-based customers as well, hopefully bringing down our costs.”As NASA explains, it envisages CSP services will be used by other government agencies and commercial space flight companies to support their own mission requirements. It also looks to change data transmissions from predominantly being from space to Earth towards higher capacity, two-way communications. 

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It seems self-evident that public data on a website is, well, public. But, that’s never stopped people from arguing that scraping–copying data from public websites–is somehow illegal. Now, the  U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in the hiQ Labs, Inc. v. LinkedIn Corp. that LinkedIn can’t stop its competitor, hiQ Labs, from scraping LinkedIn users’ publicly available data. 

This case has been dragging on for almost five years. LinkedIn demanded in 2017 that hiQ cease and desist from scraping LinkedIn data. LinkedIn also began blocking hiQ’s access and its ability to scrape data from public LinkedIn profiles. LinkedIn argued that hiQ’s actions violated several laws, most notably the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and LinkedIn’s terms of use. Initially, the courts ruled that LinkedIn couldn’t block HiQ. This was followed up by the Ninth Circuit in 2019 with a decision repeating that LinkedIn couldn’t stop the startup from data scraping. As Circuit Judge Marsha Berzon ruled at the time, “there is little evidence that LinkedIn users who choose to make their profiles public maintain an expectation of privacy with respect to the information that they post publicly, and it is doubtful that they do.” LinkedIn, however, wasn’t done. The company took the case to the US Supreme Court. The high ruled that since its 2021 decision in Van Buren v. United States showed that the federal computer crime law doesn’t criminalize scraping publicly available internet information, the LinkedIn case needed another look. So, SCOTUS sent the case back to the Ninth Circuit. The Van Buren case used a “gates-up-or-down” analogy. Either data is open and the gate is up, or it’s not open, and the gate is down. HiQ argued that –on a publicly available website — that there is no gate to begin with, or at the very least, the gate is up. The Ninth Circuit agreed, ruling that “the concept of ‘without authorization does not apply to public websites.”This is a win for academics, archivists, journalists, researchers, and companies like hiQ that use data that’s been made publicly available. Or, at least, it’s a win for now. LinkedIn has no intention of letting the case go. In a statement, LinkedIn spokesperson Greg Snapper said, “We’re disappointed in the court’s decision. This is a preliminary ruling and the case is far from over.” LinkedIn argued, “We will continue to fight to protect our members’ ability to control the information they make available on LinkedIn. When your data is taken without permission and used in ways you haven’t agreed to, that’s not OK. On LinkedIn, our members trust us with their information, which is why we prohibit unauthorized scraping on our platform.”In an amicus brief on the case filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)  and the Internet Archive, the EFF and Internet Archive argued that while “LinkedIn is right to recognize the threat to individual privacy posed by actors who obtain personally-identifying information and misuse it to harm people,” they missed the boat by using the CFAA, which is meant to stop hackers. Following that logic, you end up with such nonsense as the Republican Missouri Governor Mike Parson who argued that a journalist who found a website that had revealed teachers’ social-security numbers was a hacker. Instead, the EFF argues, LinkedIn should join the EFF in “pushing Congress and state legislatures to adopt consumer and biometric privacy laws that would prohibit services from collecting people’s sensitive information without their consent.”Related Stories: More

Working from home has become a new norm for many. Enterprises are now embarking on hybrid working arrangements and that means home internet connections remain critical for people who need to hop on a or Zoom video call while the kids are attending virtual classes, playing , or watching . Home broadband connections were put to the test during the initial COVID-19 phase of pandemic lockdowns around the globe as employees logged in, en masse, from managed and BYOD devices to their needed business applications, Microsoft 365, and Google Workspace over VPNs. Also: Internet slow? Here are 7 possible reasons why and how to fix themHere are five broadband speed tests that ZDNet considers trustworthy. To get a true picture of your broadband speed, you’ll likely need to run the tests multiple times and check results across different devices throughout the day. It may also be worth running these tests on multiple devices on your home network. If one device produces a vastly slowly or faster result, you may be dealing with a problem at the LAN or Wi-Fi level, rather than with your broadband provider’s network. 

Ookla’s Speedtest

Best internet speed test

Speedtest from Ookla, which also owns outage site, Downdetector, was one of the first broadband speed tests and offers a snapshot of download and upload speeds to an ISP via its website or a lightweight app for Windows 10 or macOS. It’s also available in 17 languages, and if you set up an account, you can keep track of your speeds over time. The service displays the current download and upload speeds and measurements for ‘ping’, ‘jitter’, and packet loss. There are also options to change the local server that the ISP speed test is conducted with — a configuration option that most other tests lack. Plus, results can be shared on social media.   Ookla has some helpful explanatory notes for people who aren’t familiar with the ping test. It’s a latency test. Ookla says that less than 59 milliseconds (MS) ping is very good for online games. The FCC wants satellite broadband providers to deliver latency of below 100 ms to bid for a slice of its Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF). SpaceX says its Starlink satellites will provide a latency of 20ms to 40ms.   Its website is useful for those who are curious enough to learn why a test on a mobile device returns a different result to a laptop or a device that’s physically connected to a router.  Each test taken with Speedtest uses Ookla’s server network of over 14,000 servers and reports back on key network health metrics, Nick Turner, a technical trainer at Ookla, tells ZDNet. “There are Speedtest servers in virtually every country and major population center worldwide,” Turner said.  He argues that Ookla’s distributed server network makes it more accurate than many other tests. “This enables us to more easily select ‘nearby’ servers or combinations of servers that are capable of delivering the sufficient bandwidth necessary to discover the most accurate maximum speeds to the device in question. Since our founding in 2006, an unparalleled total of more than 35 billion tests have been taken with Speedtest.”Pros:   It’s a general purpose broadband speed test in use since 2006   It’s not from an ISP or a service provider    Users can select the host server from which to test their ISP’s speed test Cons:   The site uses tech-lingo that some people might not understand    It’s full of ads and ad trackers 

Netflix’s Fast.com

Best for Netflix

Like other entries on this list, Netflix’s Fast.com broadband speed is run by a company that has an interest in its customers having a fast enough connection to stream its content. That means there are none of the lingering questions about potential bias from speed tests run by ISPs. Plus, the tests are international, using servers where Netflix has installed appliances for its giant content delivery network (CDN).  Netflix has a vast CDN called Netflix Open Connect, which relies on Open Connect appliances installed within ISPs that peer with Netflix. That CDN is built around the principle of moving content closer to users and is how it delivers a fast streaming experience. Hence, the Fast.com test is designed to test the connection between a person’s device and Netflix’s CDN servers. That means the results are specific to Netflix’s own network, which makes sense for the company but also means it looks at speeds from a particular perspective.   The Fast.com website keeps things simple by only showing the download speed. In my tests, it reported slower speeds than Oookla’s Speedtest. And it produced wildly different results between wifi tests on a 2017 macOS MacBook Pro (160Mbps) and an iPhone 12 (330 Mbps), with both on a modern router’s 5GHz frequency.But on Fast.com, you don’t even need to click ‘Go’; just opening the site in a browser tab starts the test. There’s also a “Show more” option, which provides latency speeds and upload speeds, as well as where the servers used in the test are located.  Pros:   It’s designed to test the speed of your connection to Netflix’s servers   There are no ads    It’s relevant to your connection wherever you’re streaming Netflix from Cons:   It’s not really designed to test your ISP’s connection speed    Results are specific to Netflix infrastructure    Only provides download speeds

The Google speed test for Stadia online gaming

Best for a specific web application

The Google Stadia online gaming platform has hit a few bumps since launching in 2019, but it is a massive platform, and the company knows that consumer broadband speeds are critical for adoption.Google recommends a download speed of no less than 10 Mbps to stream games on Stadia but recommends faster speeds for displays with a resolution higher than 720p HD. It teamed up with open source project Measurement Lab or M-Lab to run its speed test. The project is led by teams at Code for Science & Society and Google. The Google Stadia web interface is pretty simple — literally a one-click task at Google’s Projectstream website from the “Check Now” button. It’s focused on Stadia users, and so, for accuracy, it recommends people use the device and network where they want to play and have a strong wi-fi or Ethernet connection. It also recommends halting current downloads and file-sharing and closing tabs that are streaming video. The measurement takes less than 30 seconds to complete and returns similar results to Ookla. At the least, it confirms whether you’ll have a decent experience when gaming on Stadia.However, as Google notes, the test only provides a general indication of the quality of a connection and does not guarantee Stadia will work. Other factors include the device, ISP, and other activities that are consuming bandwidth.Pros:   It’s a general purpose broadband speed test based on a platform in use since 2006   It’s not from an ISP or a service provider    Users can select the host server from which to test their ISP’s speed test Cons:   It’s primarily focused on Stadia, despite offering useful measurements for all 

Comcast’s Xfinity xFi speed test

Can you trust your ISP’s speed test?

As a top US contender in the gigabit internet market, Comcast’s Xfinity xFi broadband speed test is a popular choice for Americans. The speed test itself operates similarly to Google’s speed test, but the site has some pointers for customers wanting to explore why the speed results might not match the user’s plan. These are helpful, but I feel defensive as if they were written to help reduce customer support calls for why a broadband isn’t as fast as advertised.    On the other hand, it provides more context about factors that can affect the home connection, such as an old home gateway lowering available bandwidth. The result also explains what the device being tested can do, such as streaming 4K video. The site prioritizes download speeds but does have a “Show more” option to see upload speeds, latency, the internet protocol, and where the host server is located.    Results may vary depending on where you’re located, and the test is designed purely for American internet users.   For those worried about bias in Comcast’s results, it’s worth noting that our testing showed the site to produce results in line with or in excess of advertised speeds for Comcast’s direct competitor, Verizon FiOS. Pros:   The results are consistent with other speed tests   It’s dead simple to use, and there are no ads    Test servers are located in the US Cons:   It is a test operated by an ISP    The information it provides appears geared towards reducing support calls

The FCC’s Speed Test app

Best speed test app

The FCC in April launched the FCC Speed Test app. It’s available as an Android app in the Google Play Store and an iOS app in Apple’s App Store. That means you can’t run the test from your desktop, but you are taking part in an important project for the commission to get a clearer picture of broadband quality across America. The test produces results once you press the button to start the test in the mobile app. The data collected is used to help the FCC improve its broadband maps. Under the Trump administration, Microsoft argued the FCC was severely overestimating how many residents had access to fast broadband. Microsoft’s data suggested almost half of America’s population did not have access to speeds of at least 25 Mpbs rather than the 24 million estimated in the FCC’s maps. Data is shared with the FCC’s Measuring Broadband America research program, an important national project that will help determine where funding is allocated in years to come. It’s a case where broadband speed tests aren’t just about your own connection speed but the state of broadband across the nation. “To close the gap between digital haves and have nots, we are working to build a comprehensive, user-friendly dataset on broadband availability,” said FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel. “Expanding the base of consumers who use the FCC Speed Test app will enable us to provide improved coverage information to the public and add to the measurement tools we’re developing to show where broadband is truly available throughout the United States.”ProsIt helps a project to improve fast broadband access across the USThere are no ads or direct commercial interestsThe FCC under the Biden Administration seems keen to look at the consumer rather than carrier interests  Cons It requires an app download, there is no web-based versionThere’s no way to test broadband speeds from a desktop or Ethernet-connected PC

Why do you need to check your internet speed?

Speed tests are useful to remote workers who might need to figure out whether a poor connection is due to the ISP or something else, such as a problematic home router, a Wi-Fi interference issue, or even the device they’re testing from — be it a laptop, desktop or a smartphone. The tests can also be handy when disputing an ISP’s claimed speeds for a subscription, and just generally making sure you’re receiving the service level you’re paying for. 

What is the best internet speed test?

We found the best internet speed test is Ookla Speedtest. This broadband speed test is extremely user friendly and reliable with a total of more than 40 billion consumer-initiated tests conducted.

Are some internet speed tests more reliable or trustworthy than others?

Results can vary widely between broadband speed tests and day-to-day due to changing network conditions. ZDNet considers the five five broadband speed tests above to be reliable and trustworthy. But to get a true picture of your broadband speeds, try running multiple tests across multiple devices and at least two or three of the speed tests listed here. Taking an average of all of the results from these tests should produce the most accurate measurement possible for most home users. 

For internet speed, how fast is fast enough?

The FCC currently considers 25Mbps to be a fast enough service for more than four users on a network, but many people will find this insufficient. Netflix considers 25Mbps adequate to stream a 4K video to a single device for what it’s worth. However, most home networks have at least a few, if not numerous devices running at any given time. This means that if another user is eating into that 25Mbps speed, your streaming video quality will likely degrade. For more information, tools like BroadbandNow and advice from our sister site CNet can be helpful resources. 

How did we choose these internet speed tests?

ZDNet doesn’t vouch for one test over another. As explained, there are multiple broadband speed tests and people should use at least a few of them to get the most holistic picture of their network’s peformance. Some of them are designed to test a connection for a particular online service, such as Netflix or Stadia, while others can help customer dispute speed claims with ISPs, and the FCC’s speed test might help fill broadband gaps in the community. All in all, the tests listed here are some of the most widely available and well-respected options on the Web. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t better solutions for your individual needs, but these five represent an excellent cross-section of choices for the widest possible array of users. 

Are there other internet speed tests worth considering?

OpenSignal for cellular networks

OpenSignal, which Speedtest.net operator Ookla recently acquired, started out with mobile speed tests and regularly produces reports about 4G and 5G speed results around the world. It crowdsources its results and now also returns results for wifi speeds, but its focus is squarely on the mobile experience. 

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