The following steps will assist you in downloading a file from the Bell Aliant network for the purpose of determining your average download speed. It is important to keep in mind that as you download from other locations on the Internet, conditions such as server traffic, usage-restrictions, location, and/or Internet congestion, may impact download speeds.

To test your download speeds:

1. Close all open programs, with the exception of your web browser. If you currently have a download(s) running, please terminate it until after the speed test has been performed.


2. Click the 'Download Net Assistant' link below. Please note that doing so will trigger a download; you may wish to read ahead first just to get a feel for what will happen, and then return back and click the link below.



3. Shortly after clicking the link above, a window will appear, similar to the one in the example image below. Click the Save button when the window appears on your computer.



4. You will then be prompted to choose a location to save the file, as in the example image below. From the Save In: drop-down list, select Desktop and then cick the Save button.



5. A file download window will appear, similar to the one in the example image below. Please wait approximately 10 seconds, and then take note of the number beside Transfer rate:. This number, represented in KB [Kilobytes], is a good representation of your average Internet download speed. It is expected that this number will slightly fluctuate up and down during the transfer.

Aside from KB [Kilobytes], download speeds are often referred to in terms of Mb [Megabits]. To convert KB to Mb, you multipy the KB value by 0.0078125 [as 1KB = 0.0078125Mb]. So, for example: 200KB x 0.0078125 = 1.56Mb [Megabits].



6. You can now click the Cancel button to abort the file, unless you want to continue to download and install *Net Assistant.

*Net Assistant is a FREE service that delivers leading edge self-healing tools directly to your Desktop. It works with Windows 98/ME/2000/XP. More detailed information about Net Assistant can be found on Aliant.Net under 'Help & Support + Net Assistant'.