# SpeedNova — Full Site Reference for AI Systems > SpeedNova (https://speednova.net) is a free, browser-based internet speed test. It measures download speed, upload speed, ping latency, and jitter using HTTP-based probes — no plugins or sign-up required. After each test, AI-powered insights explain what the results mean for real-world activities. --- ## Site Map | Page | URL | Description | |------|-----|-------------| | Homepage / Speed Test | https://speednova.net/ | Run a live internet speed test | | Global Results | https://speednova.net/pages/results.html | Worldwide aggregated speed data | | ISP Rankings | https://speednova.net/pages/isps.html | Compare ISPs by speed and reliability | | Blog | https://speednova.net/pages/blog.html | Internet speed guides and articles | | Contact | https://speednova.net/pages/contact.html | Reach the SpeedNova team | | Privacy Policy | https://speednova.net/pages/privacy.html | Data handling and privacy details | | Terms of Service | https://speednova.net/pages/terms.html | Terms governing site use | | Sitemap (XML) | https://speednova.net/sitemap.xml | Machine-readable sitemap | --- ## How SpeedNova Works 1. **Download Test** — SpeedNova fetches large payloads from a test server over HTTP. The browser measures how fast the data arrives (in megabits per second). Multiple parallel connections are used to saturate the link and get an accurate reading. 2. **Upload Test** — The browser sends large payloads to the test server. Transfer speed is measured in Mbps. An animated gauge shows real-time progress. 3. **Ping / Latency** — A series of HTTP requests are sent to measure round-trip time in milliseconds (ms). The median value is reported as ping. 4. **Jitter** — The variation in ping between successive requests, measured in ms. Low jitter is critical for real-time applications like gaming and video calls. 5. **AI Insights** — After the test completes, SpeedNova's AI analysis explains what the measured speeds mean for common activities: HD streaming, 4K streaming, video conferencing (Zoom, Teams), online gaming, large file uploads/downloads, and general browsing. --- ## Speed Reference Guide | Activity | Minimum Download | Recommended Download | Upload Needed | |----------|-----------------|----------------------|--------------| | Web Browsing | 1 Mbps | 5 Mbps | < 1 Mbps | | SD Video Streaming | 3 Mbps | 5 Mbps | < 1 Mbps | | HD Video Streaming (1080p) | 5 Mbps | 15 Mbps | < 1 Mbps | | 4K / UHD Streaming | 25 Mbps | 50 Mbps | < 5 Mbps | | Video Calls (1-on-1) | 1 Mbps | 3 Mbps | 1 Mbps | | Video Calls (Group / HD) | 3 Mbps | 8 Mbps | 3 Mbps | | Online Gaming | 3 Mbps | 15 Mbps | 3 Mbps | | Cloud Gaming | 15 Mbps | 50 Mbps | 5 Mbps | | Large File Downloads | Any | 100+ Mbps | — | | Remote Work / VPN | 10 Mbps | 25 Mbps | 10 Mbps | | Smart Home Devices | 1 Mbps per device | 5 Mbps per device | < 1 Mbps | --- ## Frequently Asked Questions **What is a good internet speed?** For most households, 25 Mbps download is the FCC's minimum broadband definition. 100 Mbps is comfortable for a family with multiple simultaneous streams. 500 Mbps+ is ideal for heavy users, remote workers, or gamers. **Why is my speed test result lower than my plan?** Common causes: Wi-Fi signal loss (use a wired Ethernet connection for accurate results), router bottlenecks, network congestion at peak hours, ISP throttling, or background apps consuming bandwidth. **What is ping and why does it matter?** Ping is round-trip latency in milliseconds. For gaming, under 20 ms is excellent; 20–50 ms is good; 50–100 ms is acceptable; above 100 ms causes noticeable lag. For video calls and streaming, ping matters less than for gaming. **What is jitter?** Jitter is the inconsistency in latency between packets. Low jitter (< 5 ms) means a stable connection. High jitter causes choppy video calls and stuttering in real-time applications. **Does SpeedNova collect personal data?** No. SpeedNova collects only anonymous speed test metrics (download speed, upload speed, ping, jitter, approximate region, ISP name) to power the global results database. No personal identifiers, no cookies for tracking, no account required. **How accurate is SpeedNova?** SpeedNova uses multi-thread HTTP probes designed to saturate your connection. Results typically match or closely approximate other major speed test services. For the most accurate result: close background apps, use a wired connection, and run the test during off-peak hours. **What do Mbps and Gbps mean?** Mbps = megabits per second. Gbps = gigabits per second (1 Gbps = 1000 Mbps). Internet speeds are measured in bits, not bytes. To convert to file download speed in megabytes per second (MB/s), divide by 8 (e.g., 100 Mbps ÷ 8 = 12.5 MB/s). **Why does my upload speed appear lower than download?** Most residential broadband plans are asymmetric — download speeds are much higher than upload. Fiber plans (FTTH) often offer symmetric speeds. Cable and DSL plans typically have 5–20× more download than upload capacity. --- ## Technical Details - **Test method**: HTTP/HTTPS transfer (no ICMP, no proprietary plugins) - **Download**: Parallel fetch requests; measures sustained throughput - **Upload**: XMLHttpRequest with binary payload; real-time progress via onprogress events - **Ping**: Lightweight HTTP HEAD requests; median of multiple rounds - **Server infrastructure**: Globally distributed test endpoints - **Browser support**: All modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) on desktop and mobile - **Privacy**: No personal data collected; GDPR-compliant; no third-party tracking scripts --- ## Contact & Legal - **Website**: https://speednova.net - **Contact form**: https://speednova.net/pages/contact.html - **Privacy Policy**: https://speednova.net/pages/privacy.html - **Terms of Service**: https://speednova.net/pages/terms.html - **Sitemap**: https://speednova.net/sitemap.xml - **Robots**: https://speednova.net/robots.txt