Harver's Internet Speed Test is measuring your home internet speed and reliability. This is really important when you apply to a work-from-home position.

You can complete this module with your work-from-home computer or with your mobile device:

• If you are using your own laptop/computer, make sure you connect to your home internet (preferably wired or alternatively via WiFi).

• If you don't have your own laptop/computer to do the test with, you can use your mobile phone. In this case, make sure you connect to your home WiFi and not to your 3G/4G/5G network.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties during this module, please try the following troubleshooting:

1. Refresh your browser.

2. Log out and log back in.

3. Switch internet browsers; the preferred browser is Google Chrome.

4. Check to see if your browser has been updated to the latest version. If you need to update your browser, this Support Article will give you a step-by-step guide.

5. Empty your cache and cookies. Find out how to clear your cache Here.

6. Use a Private or Incognito window when logging into your application.

7. Make sure to check out the requirements for this module and check if your device is compatible (requirements can be found at the start page of this module).

FAQ

Can I try and run the test again?

The Internet Speed Test module allows you to retry the test up to 2x.

How can I improve my results?

This Support Article will give you a step-by-step guide on how to potentially improve your results.

Why are my speed test results lower than my paid plan’s promised speeds?

It is important to understand that this test does not measure the speed of the internet connection between your ISP’s server and your home, it measures the speed of the internet connection to a device within your home and a speed test server. Results are often lower than plan speeds due to various factors outside your internet provider’s control, including WiFi conditions and device capabilities. With that in mind, if you run a speed test from a device with an expected WiFi speed that is lower than your plan, the results will be limited to roughly your device’s expected WiFi speed.

You can also try the above-mentioned troubleshooting steps to improve your results.

Why am I getting different speeds between my computer and my phone?

Harver is measuring your real-time network connection, so tests taken within a few minutes of each other might vary a little based on network congestion and available bandwidth. If your internet speed test results are significantly different, make sure that you’re connected to the same network. When one device is on Wi-Fi and the other is not, you’re testing the speeds of different connections.

If your phone is connected to a 3G/4G/5G network, you are not measuring your home internet speed.

What can affect my home internet speed and WiFi strength?

Given your wireless network is broadcasting using radio waves, it can suffer from all of the same limitations that you’ll typically find with other types of radio signals. As such, your home wireless network may lack the proper strength or range because of the same issues that impact other forms of radio technology: obstacles that cause a reduction in signal strength, interference from other devices sending radio waves, weaker signals sent by older and less efficient wireless equipment, technical issues with the receiving device can make the signal appear weak, or a lack of power from the wireless router resulting in a weaker signal.

What do we measure exactly?

• Download speed - The rate that information travels from the internet to your device when you do things like looking at a web page or download a program or email. Most connections are designed to download much faster than they upload, since the majority of online activity, like loading web pages or streaming videos, consists of downloads.

• Upload speed - The rate that information travels from your device to the internet like when you send an email or file. A fast upload speed is helpful when sending large files via email, or in using video-chat to talk to someone else online (since you have to send your video feed to them).

• Latency (ping) - Latency is the reaction time of your connection – how quickly your device gets a response after you’ve sent out a request. A fast ping means a more responsive connection, especially in applications where timing is everything (like video calls). Ping is measured in milliseconds (ms).

• Jitter - Jitter frequency is a measure of the variability in ping over time. Jitter is not noticeable when reading text, but when streaming or video calling a high jitter can result in buffering and other interruptions. Technically, this is a measure of the average deviation from the mean. Jitter is measured in milliseconds (ms).

What is Mbps?

Mbps: Megabits per second. A megabit is 1 million bits of information. This is a standard measure of internet speed, not to be confused with megabytes (MB) which is a measure of size rather than bandwidth.