How reliable is the “speed test” for internet?

[Analogous]

@Analogous

Try clearing Amazon Prime app cache to see if it helps.

The only way to clear the cache on the TV (LG CX) is by switching it on and off at the power outlet. This is what I do once or twice a day.
I read online that it’s possible to access a list of running programs by long pressing the home button and select the app to close. However this list does not appear when I long press the home button.

 

[skroderider]

Thank you so much. This is helpful.
So is there a more reliable method to check the quality of Internet services that we pay for?

To continue: How come I am facing this lag/ freeze only with Amazon and not Netflix, Apple TV etc?

Ultimately, the "speed" at which you can connect to a website (or more accurately its server) is determined by the network between your home and that server. If the server is somewhere thousands of kilometers away, your speed checker has to traverse multiple transit points and possibly undersea cables.

If you run a test on https://www.speedtest.net/ , choose a far away server, say on the other side of the world and see how the results differ compared to when you don't choose anything. Not choosing anything chooses a default server which is usually in the same city as yours, resulting in higher reported speeds.

Content providers use "edge" points-of-presence (POP) - servers which are closer to you in terms of latency - to improve speed and thus your viewing experience. The app will automatically choose the closest POP.

I am not familiar with Amazon's network, but my hunch is that Amazon Prime might not have a good edge presence compared to Netflix et al which might be affecting your viewing.

 

[keith_correa]

What's the model of your router?

 

[keith_correa]

Don't blindly use Google DNS - it's fast albeit not the fastest. You may find Cloudflarenet or ControlD DNS servers faster from your location. Best is to run a benchmark using: https://www.grc.com/dns/benchmark.htm

 

[jsmithe]

How does this work? How accurate is this?
I find drop outs and freezes (only with Amazon Prime) happening occasionally over WiFi and immediately afterwards starting the Speedtest shows decent up and download speeds…
I can think of an explanation. Grateful for help and guidance on this

Bufferbloat and Internet Speed Test - Waveform

Is bufferbloat causing issues with your internet connection? Run this test to find out.

www.waveform.com

Try the bufferbloat test above. The test is at the extreme and may not be representative of your usage, however a low rating would give you something to look into.

 

[Analogous]

Thanks

 

[vishalrao]

Probably simplest would be to use speedtest.net and pick different servers in different locations across the globe AND also select single connection instead of multi, to see how your connection performs. Rerun at different times of the days and different days of the week, perhaps your ISP capacity is being over utilised at different times.

Also if your connection is copper coaxial that could also explain inconsistent results due to signal interference from things like power lines or perhaps radio waves etc.

BTW your location says US but isn't BT/openreach in the UK?

 

[Analogous]

I just now discovered this !
In the same way, there are two units commonly used to measure internet speed: Mbps and MBps. That little b or capital B makes all the difference. Mbps means megabits per second, and MBps means megabytes per second. To convert MBps to Mbps, you just multiply by 8, so 1MBps equals 8Mbps.

My 60 Mbps shown on the speed test is actually 1/8 in terms of MBps…. Quite slow.
Never even noticed the capitalised B and small b in the reading displayed or knew that it mattered.

 

[Analogous]

 

[Nitin K]

View attachment 86649

This Calvin cartoon is so true & apt for today's times. With the onset of AI, expectations will be at another level and one will have even lesser time in the future.
The irony is that when such conveniences did not exist, there was more leisure time and life was less stressful.

 

[kawaiiitakko]

Speed tests (fast.com and speedtest.net) are mostly a scam IMO haha.

I too face amazon (prime and music) stalls/hangs sometimes quite regularly, but very less with other services like NF, YT etc.

My hunch (I'm a software developer) is that amazon apps are not handling the occasional "drop outs" from our internet connections properly... It needs to retry your current operation (like starting a movie/song, or moving to next one, or fast-forward/rewind/seeking etc) and also have a smaller "time out" - meaning if the internet does not respond then the app needs to retry the connection quickly without waiting too long for the current one to complete or fail, etc.

It's a sad state of affairs that even though we supposedly have top-notch "optical fiber" internet connectivity these days in terms of speed and responsiveness, reading experiences and guidance on https://xfinity-prepaid.pissedconsumer.com/customer-service.html shows that your internet connection is often not as fast or reliable as your internet provider claims, highlighting the importance of troubleshooting and optimizing your setup for the best experience.

edit: Feel free to ask more questions and I (or others here) can try to explain further...

Speed tests measure maximum bandwidth at a moment in time but don’t account for stability, latency, or packet loss, which affect streaming. Dropouts and freezes on Amazon Prime can happen due to WiFi interference, network congestion, or temporary server issues, even if your speed test shows good results. Using a wired connection, optimizing your WiFi band, or checking other devices can help improve streaming stability.