Slow internet speeds can significantly affect our daily activities, whether a user is streaming videos, playing online games, or working from home. So, if a user is facing such issues, then the first thing that can be done is to check the internet speed. This will help the user to troubleshoot internet speed-related issues.
This will explore different ways to check internet speed via a terminal on Linux by discussing the mentioned outline:
- Using the Ookla Speed Test Tool
- Using the Fast Speed Test Tool
Method 1: Using the Ookla Speed Test Tool
There is a famous company named “Ookla” which is used to calculate and display the internet speed. You can use their application using a command line interface. To install Ookla on Linux, use the below command:
$ sudo apt install speedtest-cli #For Ubuntu
$ sudo dnf install speedtest-cli #For Fedora
$ sudo yum install speedtest-cli #For CentOS/RHEL
How to Use Ookla to Check Internet Speed?
The Ookla speed test can be utilized in a variety of manners, as listed below:
To Test Speed on Secure Network
This option should be used when the internet connection is being tested on a secure network:
$ speedtest-cli --secure
This command performs the speed test using a secure SSL/TLS connection.
Get the Specific Information
If you want the point information only, which includes the ping, download, and upload speed, then you can type the below command:
$ speedtest-cli --simple
The above command shows you the network ping and downloading and uploading speed.
Get the Standard Output of the Speed Test
To perform the speed test in the standard mode, which provides you with detailed information, then run the below command:
$ speedtest-cli
The above command displays the information that includes the ping time, download speed, and upload speed, as well as additional information such as the server ID and location.
Method 2: Using the Fast Speed Test Tool
Netflix also provides a similar service named “fast” to check the internet speed. But before that, you need to install its dependencies by running the command mentioned below:
$ sudo apt install npm #For Debian/Ubuntu
$ sudo dnf install npm #For Fedora
$ sudo yum install npm #For CentOS/RHEL
It is a network package manager which can be used to install the fast application by running the command mentioned below:
$ sudo npm install --global fast-cli
How to Use Fast Tool to Check Internet Speed?
Now, you can check the downloading and uploading speed simultaneously by writing the command mentioned below:
$ fast -u
The downloading speed at the moment is 33 Mbps, while the uploading speed is 16 Mbps.
Conclusion
Linux offers an Ookla speed test and fast utilities to check the internet speed via the terminal. The OOkla speed test offers a variety of options to check the download/upload speed, while the fast command will give you instant and less-detailed output.
This practice is quite necessary when you are having trouble with internet surfing and what to troubleshoot.
