Test servers

TL;DR

Ookla's Speedtest Server Network™ consists of sponsor-run test servers. There are over 15,000 test servers.

Each test server has at least a one gigabit per second (1 Gbps) internet connection.

The test server you choose usually has little to no effect on the test results (although this cannot be guaranteed). It is usually fine to use the test server suggested by Speedtest. Only if the measurement results seem to be structurally too low is it worth trying a different test server (although you can of course also try a different speed test).

 

Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. The Speedtest Server Network™
  3. Requirements
  4. Test servers
  5. Selecting a server
  6. Logging
 

Introduction

When we tested the Ookla Speedtest, we discovered something strange. The measured speeds are higher than expected on some test servers and not on other test servers.

In short, we are puzzled by Ookla. This prompted us to conduct an extensive analysis.

The main findings are:

  1. The location of the test server does not affect the download speed (but it does affect the latency)
  2. Test servers are not always consistent, very occasionally a significantly lower speed is measured
  3. The version of the server software is not important
  4. We suspect there is a configuration option on the test server to show a 1% higher speed

That's why we think it's important to know more about Ookla's Speedtest server network.

 

The Speedtest Server Network™

On the The Speedtest Server Network™ page, Ookla states that there are over 15,000 test servers for Ookla's Speedtest.net speed test.

Ookla states that hosting a test server offers the following benefits, among others:

  1. (...) View all test results run (...)
  2. (...) Gain name recognition and boost brand awareness (...)
  3. show (...) how good your service truly is (...)

It is therefore not surprising that there are so many sponsors who want to host a test server.

 

Requirements

Not everyone can host a test server. You need to meet a few requirements.

Each test server must meet the following requirements, among others:

  1. (...) Ensure that at least 1GB of disk is free for OoklaServer and future upgrades (...)
  2. (...) Memory size (...) 16GB minimum is recommended, 32GB to 64GB is more than sufficient to serve a large quantity of clients (...)
  3. (...) One gigabit per second (1 Gbps) of bandwidth is the minimum requirement to be a host on speedtest.net (...)
  4. (...) Ensure that OoklaServer auto-updates are enabled. We regularly publish performance improvements (...)

In the Speedtest Server Network Acceptance Policy there is the following extra requirement:

  1. (...) IPv4 and IPv6 functionality (for all servers in countries where IPv6 usage is higher than 30%) (...)

It is possible to test the test server with the Ookla Server Tester.

 

Test servers

Below you will find an alphabetical list of test servers near you. If you click "Hi!" you will get the version of the test server software. Hovering over the URL gives the ServerId as tooltip text.

Test servers nearby
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Please note that this list is dynamically generated based on your location, so we cannot verify that all links (read: test servers) are working properly.

A more complete (but exhaustive) list can be found at this Speedtest Server List.

 

Selecting a server

The way Speedtest selects a test server is pretty straightforward. From the above list of test servers, the latency of the 5 physically closest test servers is measured. The test server with the smallest latency is then selected as the test server.

If you manually select a speed test, you can manually specify a location or choose from the 10 closest test servers from the list above.

 

Logging and reporting

Sponsors providing a test server can view the log files.

(...) Two logging levels are available, Information and Error. (...) By default, the logging level is set to information. (...) If the logging level is left set to information, all server daemon activity is logged. This can cause lengthy log files (...)

In addition to the log files, it is also possible to view reports.

(...) Results can be filtered or searched by Test ID or IP Address within with the filters and fields at the top of the page. (...) The option to see tests from Web, iOS, and Android can also be used to isolate those results. (...) Your test results can be exported using the currently applied filters or search criteria (...).

As far as we know (based on the YouTube video Viewing and Analyzing Test Results), in the reports your IP address is shown as nnn.mmm.*.*.