Every spring, when final exam season hits, a plethora of test-taking tips abound. Things like working with a study group, getting plenty of sleep, having your lucky breakfast that morning … hmm, maybe that last one was just me.

As it happens, planning ahead also helps for speed tests – like the one PC Mag offers that helps it rank the fastest internet providers in the nation each year. NextLight has repeatedly ranked among the leaders thanks to all of your tests, and enough A+ performances this year could put Longmont at the front of the line.

So how do you ace a speed test? Try these tips:

• Make sure you’ve tuned up your connection so that it’s ready to give you its best performance, using the suggestions you’ll find in the link.
• If you can, use a “wired” computer that’s directly connected to your router by an Ethernet cable, so that you get the most accurate results.
• If you do go wireless, try using a newer device for your speed test. Different phones, tablets and other devices can have widely different Wi-fi and cell capabilities and produce different speeds, even when using the same internet provider. Routers can make a difference, too – a high-speed WiFi 6 router like the one available from NextLight can capture more of your fiber speed.
• Try not to use your internet for anything else during the speed test. If you’ve got a TV program streaming, or a video chat going or a download in progress, that takes up bandwidth and slows your results.
• Put your antivirus on pause during the test and turn off any VPNs you may be using since this can also affect performance. (But PLEASE remember to turn the antivirus back on when you’re done!)
• Experiment with different browsers when you take the test. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge and so on can all produce different results, especially with a high-speed connection like NextLight’s.

With all that advice in mind, have fun. Test well.

And if you decide to have your lucky breakfast too, it probably couldn’t hurt.