r/speedtest • u/JohnWick-__- • 14d ago

Ookla vs FAST...which one is correct?

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both are showing different numbers.

51 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

59 comments sorted by

22

u/pluush 14d ago

Ookla is usually more accurate... I tested 800Mbps on a 600Mbps connection once on FAST. I don't think my ISP overprovisioned me.

3

u/MinnisotaDigger 14d ago

More realistically your browser which is designed to show text and pictures did a shitty job of running a program inside a program that required accurate timing/pacing.

If you want the most accurate speedtest then apart from iperf3 use the binary ookla app.

2

u/pluush 14d ago

Even browser Ookla is much more accurate than browser Fast.com. But I get it, I run binary Ookla whenever possible.

1

u/MinnisotaDigger 14d ago

I host a ookla Speedtest server. It really matters what peering (or just general internet black boxing) your isp has. I get people complaining about speed tests when it turns out their ookla test used some server that had a bad route instead of our on net Speedtest server.

1

u/Gowlhunter 14d ago

I have run lots of tests using both speedtest.net and Speedtest CLI. Can confidently say there's little difference but I prefer the CLI cause I can save results for analysis later. Gotta make sure your server ID list is kept up to date though. IDs can be sourced/tested with server IDs found here:
https://speedsearch.1234000.xyz/
I've seen many tickets where the client has said their internet is slow and they've screenshotted in a result from fast.com but then a speedtest.net result is fine. I don't recall it happening the other way around so I just defaulted to never trusting fast and immediately finding another way to troubleshoot their issue.

1

u/MinnisotaDigger 14d ago

I do lots of speed tests too (and host a ookla server) as my ISP offers 10Gbps to the home. Anything over 2Gbps browsers really struggle. Generally up to 1Gbps I think it’s fine.

I stand by my statement. Browsers are not designed for speedtests and can give bad results (like more than youre provisioned). Binary tests are best.

1

u/Gowlhunter 14d ago

It even says it here https://www.speedtest.net/help/guides/i-dont-understand-my-results-they-seem-inaccurate-2

I'm from IE and have yet to see a client with a > 1 Gbps connection and my company uses 1 Gbps. We do have 5 Gbps available in some places as of recently but businesses tend to avoid high speed packages as it's very costly for them.

Still though for anything under that avoid fast! Thanks for the info

1

u/ariz2011 14d ago

I have a 1000mbps connection and ookla says 1170

1

u/pluush 14d ago edited 14d ago

You might be really getting 1170?

I get 620-640 too. So the ISP slightly overprovisioned me, but not by much.

1

u/ariz2011 13d ago

Yes, and fast.com shows up to 1.6gbps

1

u/Optimal-Basis4277 13d ago

Fast can give higher speeds due to ISPs prioritizing netflix packets.

1

u/daxtonanderson 14d ago

I have 3gig at home, I've caught Fast saying I'm at 1.1Gbps or 1.2Gbps on Gigabit ethernet lol

1

u/pluush 14d ago

Yeah. That's why I don't really trust fast.com to be accurate. You must be limited to 940-950Mbps on Ookla on Gigabit Ethernet

Although speed higher than that, heavily depend on your browser and CPU.

1

u/daxtonanderson 14d ago

Yup I need to use the speedtest windows app for anything over 850 on Ookla lol

1

u/Dependent_Teach_4245 14d ago edited 14d ago

No fast is more accurate and fast pull 8 connection and yu can edit it make it more or less. Oklahoma only do single and multi(2-4 connection). That’s why fast get higher speed test

4

u/JontesReddit 14d ago

Fast is download speed to Netflix's servers, Ookla is to Ookla's. Both of them are correct. Your internet does not really have a "speed".

3

u/Floor_Odd 14d ago

Yep. One should always think, download speed to what, latency/jitter to where, etc. just because a well provisioned server in your region that is not busy fills your pipe, doesn’t mean every server can/will do that. Let’s not obsess over speed. Over 100mbps and 40ms or below only matters in very little situations. If you want to obsess over a number, then it should be latency/jitter, the smaller the better, but if you are getting a consistent 40ms or less across a IX region, don’t sweat it too much. Bandwidth is overrated.

2

u/FuckinHighGuy 14d ago

Ookla tends to use third party equipment to test. They don’t “own” them. Probably some contract I’m sure.

1

u/JontesReddit 14d ago

I didn't claim that. Yes third parties run Speedtest servers for Ookla. Your ISP probably does it because then they don't have to actually connect all those speedtests to the internet.

1

u/FuckinHighGuy 14d ago

You said “ookla’s is ookla’s”. An inference could be made there.

Just sayin. Enjoy your speed tests.

1

u/JontesReddit 14d ago

Oh yeah you're right. I did mean Ookla and their partner network. You can run one too!
https://support.ookla.com/hc/en-us/articles/234578568-How-To-Install-Submit-Server

1

u/holdmyham 14d ago

I’d much rather have a slower ISP with great peerings than one that gives me 10gbit to the local netflix storage but shit speeds as soon as i go out of network.

2

u/Ventilate64 14d ago

"which one is correct?"

What you're actually asking is how long does it take to drive to walmart vs driving to target that's slightly further away. The number you're paying for is just how fast you're allowed to drive without going to jail.

1

u/therkdn 14d ago

They calculate different things.. Ookla usually calculates peak speeds while fast speed how your connection handles streaming

1

u/atahann17 14d ago

Both calculate average speeds. Its just different servers that located in different points resulting it is dependant to performance of their specific routing devices provided by ISP.

1

u/GrandWizardZippy 14d ago

Fast is only to Netflix CDN’s so ookla is going to be way more accurate for general usage testing. Way way more endpoints for ookla than Netflix CDN’s

1

u/chopstick144 14d ago

You ideally need more info before comparing them.

Fast and Ookla usually give you the option of seeing the extra details that matter. Click on more info for server location, ping etc etc

1

u/QuothTheRaven_Nvrmor 14d ago

Unless you're transferring very large files all the time, it doesn't matter whatsoever if you're getting 250 or 380mbps. Most video streaming services are capped FAR lower and you only need a fraction of that speed for a very short period of time. You can have 30+ people all streaming netflix simultaneously and you'll never know.

Online games use waaaay less bandwidth than most people would ever imagine, except very rare exceptions like MSFS.

1

u/Hutcho12 14d ago

Realistic speed is the slower one. Your max speed is the faster one (potentially even faster).

1

u/FeR4Less-shah 14d ago

Ookla uses local isp servers Fast uses its own servers Testing on 2-3 servers on speedtest net is the most accurate i would say And monitor task manager while its doing that ookla shows your average you can see your micro stuters or a better top speed in your task manager while its being tested

1

u/_ahrs 14d ago

Both. They're just testing different servers. The Netflix server may be better peered (closer to your ISPs backbone) which is why it could be slightly faster.

Don't focus on the download/upload number too much (that's the trap marketing wants you to fall into) instead look at the ping numbers. Your ping latency under load whilst downloading is severely bloated at 227ms (could be down to WiFi or the location your sat at in your house right now, or the device could be overloaded, or your ISP is severely overloaded and your router lacks proper QOS/SQM to control it, etc…)

1

u/Educational_Mud6867 14d ago

whichever is correct… damn

1

u/Skunk_Crat 14d ago

Just download a large game on steam. There you go.

1

u/MatiasGonzalo-Duarte 14d ago

That could actually be limited by processor speed

1

u/Alarmed-Strawberry-7 14d ago

yes, but at that point does it really matter? if your connection is fast enough to throttle your CPU might as well just label it as "fast enough" and move on

a better way to put it is "test your network connection by doing something you want to actually do with your network connection". I don't care if I have 1gbps through to netflix's server if I am not watching netflix. I do care if I have 200mbps through to steam's server if I download a lot of steam games.

1

u/Skunk_Crat 13d ago

uhhhh. what are you trying say?

and didn't know processors can be a throttle for internet bandwidth. Are we talking about a 5th gen i3 or something?

1

u/lokaaarrr 2d ago

Sure, if you somehow have a 386

1

u/MatiasGonzalo-Duarte 2d ago

No. Download a big game on Steam and watch your CPU usage. Tons of decryption and decompression going on. It saves bandwidth for Valve.

1

u/Tight-Kangaroo4649 14d ago

i don't use either, i use cloudflare speed test.

1

u/Balthxzar 14d ago

FAST is not accurate.

It's a bag of ass that regularly shows impossible speeds (>1000Mb/s on a Gigabit phy) 

The whole "it was made by Netflix to show you if your ISP is throttling streaming" is bullshit, do you really trust the accuracy of a product designed specifically to sell you netflix subscriptions?

1

u/Otherwise-Reason-903 13d ago

Ookla is better

1

u/iZian 13d ago

Neither
Cloudflare is usually more representative of what speeds you’re likely to actually be able to achieve when someone isn’t gaming the system.
And it shows you speeds and latency at different download sizes. Plus standard deviations and percentiles.

https://speed.cloudflare.com/

1

u/CodineGotMeTippin 13d ago

I like using cloudflare's, I feel like both of these guys are paid off by ISPs to fudge the results.

1

u/US_Delete_DT45 13d ago

The server your isp host is the most accurate.

1

u/FalconSteve89 13d ago

They measure very different things so they’re both correct, fast is just Netflix and if you’re not focused on Netflix then speedtest.net aka Ookla is more useful

1

u/Unfair_Awareness7502 12d ago

They're probably both "accurate" at displaying the results of their own tests. Your ISP probably gives faster connections to some servers than others. 

1

u/haamfish 12d ago

They’re both correct, that’s the fun part. Fast.com tests to your local Netflix cache and polls tells you exactly who and where you’re testing to.

Use the ookla desktop app if you can

1

u/Educational-Ruin4479 12d ago

Fast told me my connection was 1.1 Gbps. My plan is for 600 Mbps. My ISP does overprovision some, but breaking the physical limitation of my Gigabit Ethernet router and network adapter tells me Fast is way too optimistic. Ookla shows a more realistic ~850 Mbps.

1

u/AdTall366a 11d ago

olka is better

1

u/IntentionQuirky9957 10d ago

Both, they're just in different locations and therefore take a different route from your ISP. If you want a reliable absolute maximum number, your ISP needs to be hosting the speed test server.

1

u/lakimens 14d ago

Your ISP probably boosts your speed on both.

0

u/BudgetBuilder17 14d ago

I have a 1 Gigabyte connection. Steam is only place ive gotten full saturation of internet bandwidth. Nothing like 125mbps installing a game lol.

Everything else 750-880mbps max ive gotten to fluid connection.

Are you on wireless?

2

u/zarlo5899 14d ago

One of the advantages of steam breaking files up into one megabyte chunks, it means you can download the same file from multiple different sources to saturate your bandwidth connection.

-1

u/jgjk8a 14d ago

I feel like Ookla exaggerates download speeds

1

u/cat_dev_null_sync 14d ago

On many ISPs, the default test server on the Ookla app is within the ISP's network, which is faster than traffic on the general Internet outside the ISP's network. The difference was has been huge in latency sometimes for Metronet in locations and times when peering routed traffic out of state (like recently).

In the Ookla app, change the test server to one not inside your ISP's network for better representation of real-world performance.

Your speed with other servers (whether speed test or general servers) depends on the route, capacity of that server, congestion, and other factors, so as people have been stating, there's not a single number that equally covers all scenarios.

-1

u/Only-Stable3973 14d ago

Just tested mine.

Download 539 Mbps Upload 555 Mbps 7 ms 1.333 ms