Manage updates with the Download AppCNET Editors' review
We've seen plenty of Internet bandwidth speed tests, both the online and standalone kind. Download Speed Test from AB-Tools.com is a standalone freeware speed test, which means it tests your bandwidth from your PC instead of from a Web site. This approach has advantages, such as letting you choose any download for your speed test. Download Speed Test also lets you run continuous tests, yielding a better average score over time.
Download Speed Test's twin automotive-style gauges display the current and average download speed. A line graph beneath the dials displays download times graphically, and the lower panel shows a log file. We started by pasting a download link into the entry field and pressing Start. The needles on the speed dials stuck at our maximum speed, though the program also displayed our current download speed in kilobytes and our average speed in megabytes, each to two decimal places.
Next we selected the check box for continuous testing. Download Speed Test continuously downloaded our target address, displaying the time and speed in the graph window, while the log view showed start and stop times, downloads canceled and completed, amount of data transferred, the target site, and other data. To stop the test, we simply clicked Stop. There doesn't seem to be a provision for saving log files, though it's certainly easy enough to copy and paste logs into a text file or archive of your choice. Under the Extras menu, we found two language options, English and German, as well as a small but useful Options dialog giving options to write protocols to files, simulate user agents (browsers), and display traffic in bits instead of bytes. This simple-to-use program includes Help and About files and links to a forum.
We tried a variety of downloads with Download Speed Test, including its own download link. We think it's probably the most useful tool of its type we've tried.
Publisher's Description
From AB-Tools.com:
With this free download speed test it is very easy to measure the speed of your internet connection. As you may use any download link for testing you can also check the performance of a specific remote server.Features of Download Speed Test at a glance, Measure download speed, Choose any download link you want for testing, continuous download testing possible (for long-time tests), Integrated charts to visualize speed test results, and Logging functionality.
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All versions:
1.0 starsout of 2 votes
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Current version:
1.0 starsout of 2 votes
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My rating:
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"Editor gives rating of "spectacular"??? *** to that."
Version: Download Speed Test 1.4
Pros
There is no excuse for malware. The fact that this app is loaded with it makes discussing any pros a pointless endeavor -- not unlike discussing the pros of eating a turd.
Cons
Again, the only con that really matters is the fact that this app is tainted with enough adware to light up my antivirus like a Christmas tree. At first I thought it was a false positive after noticing the editor's flawless review, but to be safe I loaded it onto my sandbox machine first and whooooaaaa! Are you kidding me!? ESET wasn't playin' when it threw a fit during install!
Summary
I must say I'm disappointed with the editor on this review. For starters what objective critic gives ANYTHING 5/5? I don't care how great the app is and how much of a tolerance one may have for trojan adware, ANY app containing any measure of this stuff should get SOME kind of ding, ergo a 5/5 score should be out of the question. And the fact that no mention was made in the description or in the editor's review about the shameless adware component of this app is appalling! I think it may be a bit paranoid to suggest anyone is shilling for the developer of this app but it certainly doesn't look good. I don't mean to indict the editor because I don't fully understand the review process. Maybe he/she was somehow given an adware-free version to examine for the review; who knows. There's no point in speculating so I won't. I just hope sincerely that this is an isolated case.
I apologize for my review's title which contained a certain acronymic reference to a phrase which involves profanity. It didn't occur to me that implied profanity might be an issue but mostly it was force of habit.
Updated on May 26, 2012 -
"A waste of time"
Version: Download Speed Test 1.4
Pros
You got to be joking! 5 stars
Cons
Two installs full unwanted junk!
Summary
No Thanks.
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