Some speed test sites give similar up to download speeds

Hello all, I've just joined this forum. Be gentle with me!

I check my Broadband speed every few days. Over the last few weeks some sites are giving an upload speed in the same region as download. Anyone else find this or have any idea why?

For example just now:
Which? 51.84Mbps download /41.19 upload /61mS ping
broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk 55.06/58.74/48mS

against:
thinkbroadband.com 50.5/9.2/40mS
ookla 51.5/9.53/13mS

This is only happening recently. Normally the upload speed would be less that 10Mbps

BTBB Infinity1

The which broadband speedtest appears to be the same as the broadbandspeedchecker.

This might sound daft, but have you recently changed your anti-virus/firewall software?

Ah! Yes. I ditched MSE and installed AVG.
Thanks, I'll check if the change co-incides.
Why would AVG upset the speed test?

A few such systems have been known to buffer the downstream while they check it, causing ridiculously high readings when they release the buffer. To be honest I've never seen any reports of it happening on the upstream, but let's see if your dates coincide .

Due to visitors and outings I didn't do any speed tests in the days before I installed AVG on the 18th August.
Every speedtest after that gave upload close to download using broadbandchecker. After a week I started looking for other speed checkers.

So, luckily, this site's speed checker and ookla are 'accurate'. Assuming the upload to be around 10Mbps!

So, tomorrow I'll stop AVG and re-install MSE (as I was using that before) and check out this theory.

Wonder how many other folk using AVG are being fooled into thinking they've got a huge upload speed?!

Thank you for your prompt answer and goodnight!

EDIT: last test before 18th was the 1st Aug

50.78/9.15/63mS broadbandspeedchecker

57.45/11.99/46mS Which?

Edited by deleted (Sat 03-Sep-16 22:07:55)

Easier, (perhaps - but it's what I do to check things like this), is your AVG will have turned off Windows Firewall.

I go to Windows Security and turn the Windows firewall back on. (That assumes my IS, that's Internet Security, system hasn't taken so much control it won't let me - more about that later). Having turned Windows firewall on I completely disable my IS and run my speed test. Then re-enable my IS and turn off Windows firewall if the re-enabling of my IS hasn't turned it off. Running two software firewalls is a bad idea.

If it won't let me I usually disconnect from the internet then disable my IS, at which point I expect to be able to turn on Windows firewall, the reconnect. Continue as above.

Don't forget your router is almost certainly already running a "hardware" firewall anyway, which doesn't need turning off. But not having any firewall on your computer is also not recommended.

Firstly thank you for all your help. Very much appreciated.

After much testing, the short answer is that indeed you were right. AVG was the culprit. I tried combinations of AVG and Windows Firewall on and off and always got upload speeds almost as large as downloads with the Which? and Broadbandspeedchecker checkers. Ookla and thinkBB's own checkers always gave the much lower upload speed I'd expect.

So I uninstalled AVG, which didn't want to go, it took a while to uninstall it! I've installed Microsoft Security Essentials and all speed tests give the expected results.

So what is AVG doing to skew the upload figures, and what could be done to correct it? I've added a comment to the uninstall review to that. Opinion is that MSE is not as good as AVG, which is why I installed AVG.

Edited by deleted (Sun 04-Sep-16 12:21:55)

When you turned on Windows firewall, did you disable all AVG? I tried to say that was what I intended, as I wouldn't expect it to interfere is not "supposed" to be doing anything .

Turning on Windows firewall was just to keep you as safe as possible with AVG disabled.

Yes, I only had AVG free and there was only one disable switch in it's settings.

I understood about keeping safe, and admit to disabling both for a few minutes!