Hosttest performs a speed test on your web hosting provider and shows the location of the server that is hosting your website.
Version 1.0 is available for free download (requires Vista or XP)
For those looking for a recommended provider we have performed the test at multiple locations and at various times to find ideal servers. We also took company history and user reviews into account to make sure our picks were reliable providers. .
Click here to see our current recommendations
How to use this program:
DNS lookup time:
This is the time it takes too look up the address your of DNS name (www.yourhost.com). It mainly exists to make sure your DNS lookup time is not much different than other websites. Compare it to other domain names and if your lookup time is consistently 2-3 times higher than other web sites, consider changing your dns registrar.
Ping response:
Ping is used to determine network latency or response time. Low ping scores are ideal in that they can provide the time it takes to send and receive a network packet. The farther geographically a server is from you the longer ping it will likely have, thus a distant server with a short ping is ideal since it is probably close to a major hub and will seem responsive to visitors at any location. Although ping score is useful when comparing two similar hosts, the speed test is more revealing.
Speed score:
This measures how fast a server can send files to you. While ping measures the initial response, our speed test measures the average rate that the server can send files over a period of time. Many factors can affect the speed score such as server hardware, network access and time of day. However a good server will score under 50 when measured from any major city at any time of day.
Notes on finding a fast server :
Hosttest also comes with a map of the major U.S. internet hubs to give you an idea as to what type of network access your host has. Being close to a major hub is important as the last few hops from a hub to local ISP can make a significant difference.
Hosttest also provides a map of the U.S. population to give you an idea as to how far geographically the average U.S. citizen is from your website. Although a fast west/east coast server can return good speed scores even from across the country, it is ideal to have a server in the central or central/eastern U.S. Choosing a host in Dallas or Chicago is a good idea since both cities are major hubs and both are not too far from either coast.
Because web host speed is often relative to the location of the tester, testing from multiple sites is ideal but not required if the location of server is known. This is because if a competing host is geographically farther from you than your host and returns a much higher score, it is likely that your website will seem more responsive to visitors from all locations.
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