How to Check VPS Network Download Speed

When managing a VPS (Virtual Private Server), it’s crucial to understand its network performance. One of the most common tasks a webmaster or server administrator might want to perform is checking the download speed of their VPS. This can help in diagnosing network-related issues, finding the best VPS server, or simply ensuring that you’re getting the bandwidth you’re paying for.

There are various tools available for this purpose, but one of the simplest and most widely available is wget. Originally designed as a free utility for non-interactive downloading of files from the web, wget can also be used to test the download speed of your server by downloading a test file.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of using wget to check the download speed of your VPS.

Prerequisites

• A VPS or dedicated server.
• `wget` installed on your server. Most Linux distributions come with ‘wget’ pre-installed. If not, you can easily install it using the package manager of your distribution.

Log in to Your VPS

First, you need to access your VPS. You can do this using SSH (Secure Shell). Once logged in, you’ll be presented with the command line interface of your server.

Choose a Test File

For accurate results, it’s essential to download a file from a reliable source. Many organizations provide large test files specifically for this purpose.

Test 1: 100MB File on the CentOS VPS located at North Carolina, USA

Command Used:

# wget -O /dev/null - http://cachefly.cachefly.net/100mb.test

Result:

--2012-04-19 17:40:00--  http://cachefly.cachefly.net/100mb.test
Resolving cachefly.cachefly.net... 205.234.175.175
Connecting to cachefly.cachefly.net|205.234.175.175|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Length: 104857600 (100M) [application/octet-stream]
Saving to: '/dev/null'

100%[=======================================================>] 104,857,600 11.1M/s   in 9.1s

2012-04-19 17:40:09 (11.0 MB/s) - '/dev/null' saved [104857600/104857600]

FINISHED --2012-04-19 17:40:09--
Downloaded: 1 files, 100M in 9.1s (11.0 MB/s)

The VPS located in North Carolina, USA, achieved a download speed of 11.0 MB/s when downloading a 100MB test file from Cachefly.

• The file was sourced from cachefly.cachefly.net, which resolved to the IP address 205.234.175.175.
• The file size was 100MB.
• The download was directed to /dev/null, meaning the file was not saved on the server but was used to measure the download speed.
• The file was downloaded at an average speed of 11.0 MB/s.
• The entire 100MB file was downloaded in 9.1 seconds.

Test 2: 1GB File on the CentOS VPS located at New York City, USA

Command Used:

# wget -O /dev/null - http://speedtest.nyc.solvps.com/1GB.zip

Result:

--2015-03-08 03:43:25--  http://speedtest.nyc.solvps.com/1GB.zip
Resolving speedtest.nyc.solvps.com... 104.128.230.11
Connecting to speedtest.nyc.solvps.com|104.128.230.11|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Length: 1073741824 (1.0G) [application/zip]
Saving to: '/dev/null'

100%[====================================>] 1,073,741,824 33.1M/s   in 37s

2015-03-08 03:44:02 (27.8 MB/s) - â/dev/nullâ

FINISHED --2015-03-08 03:44:02--
Downloaded: 1 files, 1.0G in 37s (27.8 MB/s)

The VPS located in New York City, USA, achieved a download speed of 27.8 MB/s when downloading a 1GB test file from SolVPS’s New York City server.

• The file was sourced from speedtest.nyc.solvps.com, which resolved to the IP address 104.128.230.11.
• The file size was 1GB.
• The download was directed to /dev/null, meaning the file was not saved on the server but was used to measure the download speed.
• The file was downloaded at an average speed of 27.8 MB/s.
• The entire 1GB file was downloaded in 37 seconds.

Overall Analysis:

Both tests were successful in measuring the download speeds of the respective VPS locations. The VPS in New York City demonstrated a faster download speed compared to the VPS in North Carolina. Such differences in speed can be attributed to various factors, including the physical location of the server, network congestion, server load, and the proximity to the source of the test file. It’s always a good practice to conduct multiple tests at different times to get a more comprehensive understanding of the network performance.

Commands Mentioned

• wget -O /dev/null [URL] – Downloads the specified URL and discards the data, effectively testing the download speed.

FAQ

1. Why use wget instead of other tools?

   `wget` is a versatile tool that comes pre-installed on many Linux distributions. Its simplicity and wide availability make it a popular choice for various tasks, including checking download speeds.

2. How can I install wget on my server?

   You can install `wget` using the package manager of your Linux distribution. For Debian/Ubuntu, use `sudo apt-get install wget`. For CentOS, use `sudo yum install wget`.

3. Is the download speed the only metric to consider for server performance?

   No, while download speed is crucial, other factors like CPU performance, RAM availability, disk I/O, and latency also play significant roles in server performance.

4. Why is my VPS download speed slower than expected?

   Several factors can influence VPS download speed, including network congestion, server load, and the physical distance between the server and the test file’s location.

5. Can I use wget to test upload speeds?

   `wget` is primarily designed for downloading. To test upload speeds, other tools like `speedtest-cli` or `iperf` are more suitable.

Conclusion

Checking the network download speed of your VPS is a straightforward task when using wget. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can quickly gauge the network performance of your server.

Remember, while download speed is an essential metric, it’s just one of many factors that determine the overall performance of your VPS. Always consider the bigger picture, including the type of hosting you’re using.

Choosing the right server software, be it Apache, Nginx, or LiteSpeed can influence the overall performance of your website.

Regularly monitoring and optimizing your server ensures that your websites and applications run smoothly, providing the best experience for your users.