Windows is adding a one‑click “Perform speed test” option to the network menu — but it does the job by opening your browser and pointing to Bing’s online speed test rather than running a native, offline diagnostic inside the OS. (bing.com) (newsminimalist.com)
Microsoft has been steadily remaking Windows troubleshooting and diagnostics over the past few years, moving legacy troubleshooters off the old MSDT platform and into cloud‑backed experiences such as the Get Help app. That shift aims to deliver faster, more up‑to‑date diagnostics, but it also changes how and where tools run — often moving logic out of the OS and into web or cloud services. (windowscentral.com)
The latest user‑facing example of that direction: insider build discoveries show a new “Perform speed test” control surfaced in the Windows network indicator/menu. Instead of launching an in‑OS test, clicking the button appears to open a browser tab and run Bing’s speed testing widget (the same Bing tool that surfaces when you search “speed test” in the browser). Early reporting on the change comes from preview‑build sleuthing and technology news outlets; Microsoft has not yet published formal documentation about the UI change or distribution timeline. (newsminimalist.com)
Microsoft’s approach shows how Windows is increasingly steering diagnostics toward web‑aligned services: quick, consistent, and easy for the average user — but constrained for power users and offline scenarios. The new speed‑test button will be welcome as a convenience; it will stop being welcome if Microsoft locks the experience to a provider without giving users or admins a choice. The next weeks of Insider builds and any formal Microsoft announcements should reveal whether that choice will be offered before the feature reaches stable releases. (newsminimalist.com)
Source: xda-developers.com Microsoft is finally giving us a handy network diagnostics tool, but not in the way you want
Microsoft has been steadily remaking Windows troubleshooting and diagnostics over the past few years, moving legacy troubleshooters off the old MSDT platform and into cloud‑backed experiences such as the Get Help app. That shift aims to deliver faster, more up‑to‑date diagnostics, but it also changes how and where tools run — often moving logic out of the OS and into web or cloud services. (windowscentral.com)The latest user‑facing example of that direction: insider build discoveries show a new “Perform speed test” control surfaced in the Windows network indicator/menu. Instead of launching an in‑OS test, clicking the button appears to open a browser tab and run Bing’s speed testing widget (the same Bing tool that surfaces when you search “speed test” in the browser). Early reporting on the change comes from preview‑build sleuthing and technology news outlets; Microsoft has not yet published formal documentation about the UI change or distribution timeline. (newsminimalist.com)
What’s actually being added to Windows
Where you’ll see it
- The control is reported to appear in the network indicator — that is, the same menu you open from the system tray to manage Wi‑Fi or Ethernet connections. This makes the test logically accessible when you’re already checking network status. (newsminimalist.com)
How it runs
- The test does not appear to be a built‑in Windows engine. Instead, it opens the browser and runs Bing’s online speed test, which in turn uses an established speed‑test backend (Ookla’s Speedtest engine is embedded in Bing/Edge experiences). In short: button → browser → Bing speed test widget → test results. (bing.com)
Default service and customization
- Early builds show the button tied to Bing’s speed test with no obvious option to pick a different provider (for example, Ookla’s dedicated Speedtest site, Fast.com, TestMy.net, or your ISP’s own meter). That limitation is what many users will find the least desirable: Windows is making the check fast and visible, but it appears to push a single web provider rather than let you select one you trust. This behavior is reported from preview‑build research and is subject to change while the feature is under development. (newsminimalist.com)
Why this matters to users and IT pros
The upside — simpler, faster checks
- Convenience: A single click from the system tray removes friction for non‑technical users who previously had to open a browser, type a URL, or install an app to verify their ISP speeds.
- Consistency: If Microsoft standardizes the workflow, support teams can point users to the same test location, reducing back‑and‑forth during troubleshooting.
- Integration with existing UI: Putting the test alongside Wi‑Fi and adapter settings is a sensible UI decision: it keeps connectivity tools together.
The trade‑offs — why many will bristle
- Browser dependency: A network diagnostic that requires a browser is only useful when the machine can open web pages. If a user is experiencing DNS failures, captive portal failures, or issues that prevent a browser from loading, the button’s utility drops to zero.
- Single‑provider lock‑in: The early behaviour ties the test to Bing’s widget. Many users prefer alternative speed‑test tools (including Ookla’s Speedtest.net, which powers many ISP and device tests) and will resent a default that can’t be changed. Early reporting indicates no UI to pick a different provider. (bing.com)
- Accuracy and comparability: Browser‑based tests can give reasonable numbers but are influenced by browser networking stacks, open tabs and background activity, VPNs, or browser extensions. Some coverage of Edge’s sidebar speed test (which routes to Bing) has already called out that results may differ slightly from running tests directly on a provider’s native site or a dedicated app. That variability matters when using tests as evidence in ISP disputes. (waredata.com)
Technical verification and cross‑checking
These are the key claims and how they were validated:- Bing offers a browser speed test — verified by Bing’s own tools page and the interactive widget that runs when users query “speed test” in Bing. The official tool provides download, upload, and latency measurements. (bing.com)
- Edge and Bing route to the same test experience — the Edge browser includes a toolbox/sidebar speed‑test shortcut that opens Bing’s test, and reporting indicates Edge’s toolbox delegates to the Bing widget (rather than running a separate in‑process engine). Multiple independent outlets reported the Edge/Sidebar behavior and its reliance on Bing/embedded Ookla technology. (waredata.com)
- Bing’s speed test uses established speed‑test technology — Bing’s embedded test leverages the same underlying Speedtest infrastructure used widely on the web (Speedtest by Ookla), and third‑party reporting from multiple outlets has noted Ongla/Ookla integration into Bing’s search speed test experience. That makes the test broadly comparable to other Speedtest results, though server selection and browser differences still alter numbers. (technewsvision.com)
- The new Windows UI element is a preview‑build find — discovery stems from inspection of Dev/Beta builds and reporting by tech news sites that monitor preview builds, rather than an announcement from Microsoft. Because the feature is in progress, the implementation details and controls may change before public release. This is not an official release note; treat the finding as work‑in‑progress evidence. This particular claim about preview builds is not yet formally verified by Microsoft’s product documentation. (newsminimalist.com)
Practical guide: how the button will (likely) behave — and what to do instead
If you click the new “Perform speed test” button
- The network menu opens.
- Click Perform speed test.
- Your default browser launches a new tab and loads Bing’s speed test widget.
- Click Start in the widget to run the download/upload/ping measurements.
- The test results appear in the browser window.
Local or built‑in alternatives (when browser‑based tests fail)
- Use the classic Windows Network Troubleshooter / Get Help app flow to run diagnostic APIs and adapter resets. Microsoft is modernizing that experience, moving some diagnostics into the cloud‑backed Get Help app — a change worth noting for IT teams. For offline cases, the older local troubleshooters and netsh tools remain useful until Microsoft fully replaces MSDT. (windowscentral.com)
- Run command‑line or local tools:
- netsh wlan show wlanreport produces a wireless diagnostic HTML report you can view locally.
- Use ipconfig, ping, tracert, and PowerShell network cmdlets for deeper, offline troubleshooting.
- Consider third‑party local utilities and taskbar meters that continuously show real‑time throughput without opening a browser (useful for spotting transient bandwidth spikes): apps such as Net Speed Meter or taskbar network indicators provide real‑time monitoring and sometimes include on‑demand tests that don’t open a browser. (netspeedm.com)
Security, privacy, and enterprise considerations
Privacy and telemetry
- Because the test is run via Bing in a browser, it will follow Bing/Edge privacy rules and could involve server selection and logs outside your machine. Organizations concerned about telemetry should evaluate what that entails and consider if an internal or offline test is preferable. The browser may include cookies or cached settings that affect test routing. (bing.com)
Managed devices and policy controls
- Devices managed by IT (through MDM, Group Policy, or Autopatch) may not see the same UI changes; enterprise build configurations and policies typically block pre‑release features or prevent web‑based tools from running without explicit allowances. Microsoft’s migration away from legacy offline troubleshooters to cloud‑backed Get Help also affects how corporate troubleshooting is performed and governed. IT admins should confirm what’s allowed in their environment before relying on these tests for user support. (windowscentral.com)
Strengths of Microsoft’s approach — and notable weaknesses
Strengths
- User discoverability: Putting a speed test where users already look for connectivity helps non‑technical users validate problems quickly.
- Single workflow for support: If Microsoft standardizes the web test and documents it, help desks can instruct users to take the same steps and share results consistently.
- Leverages mature engines: By pointing to Bing’s speed test (which uses recognized speed‑testing infrastructure), Microsoft avoids reinventing a component that has to correctly select servers and handle edge cases.
Weaknesses / Risks
- Not a true native diagnostic: The main complaint is that the test is not integrated into the OS’s diagnostic engine; it’s a shortcut to a web tool. That reduces the test’s usefulness in offline or DNS‑broken scenarios.
- Limited user choice: Forcing Bing as the default test provider (with no obvious UI to change it) risks alienating users who prefer other tools or who don’t trust Bing for reasons of privacy or regional availability.
- Potential variance in results: Browser‑based and server‑selected tests can produce different numbers than dedicated apps. When consumers use these numbers to argue with ISPs, those differences can complicate resolution. Early reporting already flagged that Edge/Bing versions return numbers that sometimes differ from running a provider’s native test. (waredata.com)
How Microsoft could improve the feature (what to watch for)
- Add an explicit setting to select the default speed‑test provider (allowing Speedtest.net, Fast.com, TestMy.net, ISP pages, or a local diagnostic).
- Offer an offline mode that runs a built‑in micro‑benchmark to measure local adapter throughput and basic packet loss without opening a browser — useful when DNS or HTTP is broken.
- Expose server selection and test details (server IP, test methodology) in the results so advanced users can reproduce or compare tests reliably.
- Provide a way for organizations to disable the web launch or route speed tests through enterprise‑approved diagnostic endpoints.
What remains unverified
- The claim that PhantomOfEarth (a known Insider build researcher) directly discovered the feature inside Dev/Beta builds is based on community reporting and pre‑release leaks; Microsoft has not formally documented the UI change in public release notes. Treat build‑discovery reports as provisional until Microsoft publishes official documentation or the feature ships in a public update. This means behavior, naming, and settings could change before general availability. (newsminimalist.com)
Bottom line for Windows users
Microsoft’s new Perform speed test button is a small but meaningful UX improvement for quick ISP checks: it reduces friction and puts a diagnostic action in a sensible place. The catch is that it’s a web‑launch to Bing’s speed test rather than a native Windows diagnostic — so it’s best for quick verification but not a replacement for local network troubleshooting or enterprise diagnosis. Users who need offline, reproducible, or privacy‑controlled tests will want to keep their existing tools and processes. (bing.com)Quick recommendations
- If you want fast verification and trust Bing/Edge, use the new button to get an immediate, browser‑based reading.
- If you need repeatable, defendable test results for ISP escalation, run a dedicated service such as Speedtest.net or your ISP’s own test and record multiple runs over time.
- If you require always‑on monitoring or local, persistent throughput stats, install a lightweight taskbar/network meter or a local monitoring agent rather than relying solely on a one‑off web test. (en.wikipedia.org)
Microsoft’s approach shows how Windows is increasingly steering diagnostics toward web‑aligned services: quick, consistent, and easy for the average user — but constrained for power users and offline scenarios. The new speed‑test button will be welcome as a convenience; it will stop being welcome if Microsoft locks the experience to a provider without giving users or admins a choice. The next weeks of Insider builds and any formal Microsoft announcements should reveal whether that choice will be offered before the feature reaches stable releases. (newsminimalist.com)
Source: xda-developers.com Microsoft is finally giving us a handy network diagnostics tool, but not in the way you want