Microsoft Research’s latest app, Network Speed Test, is a great diagnostic tool with a light and clean interface. It does just one thing, test a network’s download and upload speed, but it does so with elegance and efficiency. From time to time we’ve all used some kind of speed test when the network is acting up or you suspect that someone might be stealing your connection. There are sites and apps for other systems that do the same thing, but now Windows Phone 8 users have a great official tool from Microsoft that sports a refreshingly clear interface and does what it says.
Network Speed Test has three mini sections. The first is ‘Network’ where you initiate the network test once you’ve connected to the network you want to check. You simply tap ‘Start’ when you’re ready, and a nice green meter will display your current speed as the test progresses. Below the meter, you’ll see real-time stats for download, upload, max jitter, and packet loss as each test is completed in that order. Once the test is complete, you can view some very basic network information including connection type, network name, internet status, and host name. The last section has a great log of all past tests performed in case you want to compare networks or see how your own network has changed over time. The log does have several glaring flaws, including an inability to delete the log history and not showing the network name, only the connection type. Hopefully this is fixed soon as it makes the log much less useful than it could be.
Log issues aside, this is a helpful app, especially for WP8 users. Network Speed Test is available free at the Windows Phone Store, grab it if you need a speed test.
Source: Network Speed Test for Windows Phone
[Image Credit: Windows Phone Store]