This site allows you to test the download speed of your ZOL Internet connection.
Before starting the test click here to learn how the tests work and what they show.
For both tests we assume you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer. This is the standard web browser on Windows machines. IE is not a particularly good estimate of speed since it averages the download speed over the whole file and reports file download speed - not line speed. However, it is a good rough estimate. You need to watch the speed next to "Transfer Rate" when the file downloads. BUT, please remember that IE reports in bytes per second whilst line speed is quoted in bits per second. You need to multiply by 8 to get from IE's bytes to bits. It is standard to use a capital B to refer to Bytes and a small b to refer to bits.
Furthermore IE reports actual file data download speed. There is always an overhead of routing and packet header data that has uses up available bandwidth your line. This "non-useful" data typically takes up about 10% of the line. Therefore, the actual line speed is usually about 10% higher than what IE reports to you.
Please also remember that using a dial-up 56k line it is rare to get a connection higher than 45kb/s due to line quality issues. All dial-up lines are also half-duplex - meaning download and upload speeds are added together, unlike radio or leased lines (of 64kb/s and above) where there are separate channels for download and upload.
The table below gives examples assuming near perfect line quality:
|
Link Type and Actual Line Speed |
IE Average Reported Transfer Rate (bytes per second) | Effective Line Speed (bits per second) |
| Dial-up 9.6k (cell phone or bad quality line) | 1 kB/s | 8.6 kb/s |
| Dial-up 33.6k (regular phone connection) | 3.9 kB/s | 30 kb/s |
| Dial-up 56k (high-speed digital lines) | 5 kB/s | 41 kb/s |
| 64k permanent link (radio or leased line) | 7.2 kB/s | 58 kb/s |
| 128k permanent link (radio of leased line) | 14.4 kB/s | 115 kb/s |
The first thing to test is the speed of your link to ZOL in Harare. If there are problems with this link you will never get good download speeds. Click here to start a download from ZOL. If this test is slower than you expect from the table above, then there is no point in continuing to TEST 2. If you are on a dial-up line there is unfortunately not much ZOL can do to improve your speeds - perhaps check with TelOne to improve your line quality.
If you have a poor result and are on a permanent link with ZOL, please email ops-staff@zol.co.zw and will help you solve your problem.
Assuming a successful TEST 1, its time to move to testing ZOL's international links. This is where most ISPs fall down! Click here to start this test.
If you have a poor result here (and TEST 1 was fine), then we are probably experiencing a problem with one of our International links. Please try again in a few hours. If this test regularly performs badly, please email ops-staff@zol.co.zw and we will help solve your problem.