How Yandex Internetometer measures speed

Yandex Internetometer runs the test in four stages: selecting servers, measuring download speed, measuring upload speed, and measuring latency. The stages run in sequence, and the connection quality score is calculated from their results. The method is the same in the browser and in the mobile apps.

Selecting servers

All tests run through Yandex CDN, which has servers across Russia and in other countries.

Servers are selected based on a combined analysis of the following parameters:

• network connectivity metrics derived from BGP data;
• internal ranking of locations;
• the user's IP address;
• current load on the CDN servers.

This produces a set of one to three servers, and all further measurements run through them.

The list of Yandex CDN networks (prefixes) used for the tests is published on the CDN prefixes page and updated regularly.

Test traffic runs over HTTPS, including secure WebSocket connections.

Download speed

Data is downloaded from the selected servers over several parallel streams, and the speed is calculated from the combined volume of those streams. That way the result is not capped by the throughput of a single stream.

Speed is measured continuously, and the reported value is an averaged estimate across the series of measurements — brief spikes and dips barely affect the result. The test is limited in duration and in the amount of data.

Upload speed

Data is sent to the same servers, also over several parallel streams. Only the data that was sent successfully counts toward the result, so retransmissions do not inflate it.

The reported value reflects the speed the transfer reaches after ramp-up. This test is also limited in duration and in the amount of data.

Latency

Latency is the time from sending a request to receiving the first byte of the server's response (TTFB).

Several small requests are sent to each of the selected servers, and the latency recorded during the download test is taken into account as well. The lowest of those values is reported: it is the least distorted by random network delays.

Connection quality

The score, on a five-point scale, is calculated from download speed and latency and shows what video quality is usually available at those levels; the top of the scale corresponds to 2K/4K. Upload speed does not affect the score. Speed guidelines for different tasks are listed in Interpreting the results.

What to know about the results

• The test measures speed across the entire path from the device to Yandex CDN servers, including the local network and the ISP's link. See Prepare your device for the speed test for what can lower the result.
• At high speeds, the result can be limited by what the device and its software can handle: the network adapter, CPU, browser, or app.
• Websites, services, and game servers are reached over different routes, so the speed to them may differ from the test result.
• Other speed test services use their own servers and methods, so their results may differ from the ones shown here too.
• The protocol — IPv4 or IPv6 — is chosen by the device when it connects to the servers. If two IP addresses are shown in the technical info, the result usually applies to one of them.
• Servers are selected again for each run, and connection speed changes over the course of the day, so repeat tests may produce different results.