VSPing — Internet Speed Test for VS Code

VSPing is a free VS Code extension that shows your internet speed in the editor status bar. Check download speed, upload speed, and ping without leaving VS Code or opening fast.com in a browser. Results appear bottom-right as ↓ 19 Mbps ↑ 27 Mbps 6 ms, update automatically, and use the same Netflix CDN as fast.com for download tests developers already trust.

Why VSPing
Features
How to check internet speed in VS Code
Settings
How it works
FAQ
Compare alternatives
Development
Privacy
License

Why VSPing

Developers constantly context-switch to speed-test sites when video calls lag, downloads stall, or CI feels slow. VSPing puts a live bandwidth monitor in the VS Code status bar so you can verify connectivity while you code. One glance tells you if the problem is your network or your build.

Features

Status bar speed test — download, upload, and ping always visible bottom-right
fast.com-aligned download — Netflix CDN, 5 parallel streams, sustained sampling
Auto refresh — configurable interval (default every 60 seconds)
Click to retest — run a full speed test from the status bar
Rich tooltip — last test time, bytes transferred, Mbps breakdown
Pause auto tests — command palette: VSPing: Toggle Auto Tests
Zero UI clutter — no panels, no popups, no browser tabs

How to check internet speed in VS Code

Install VSPing from the VS Code Marketplace (RazaRaheem.vsping).
Reload VS Code — the extension activates on startup.
Look at the bottom-right status bar for Testing… then live speeds.
Click the status item anytime to run a new test.
Hover for details or open Settings → search vsping to tune interval and duration.

From the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P):

Command	ID
VSPing: Run Speed Test Now	`vsping.refresh`
VSPing: Toggle Auto Tests	`vsping.togglePause`

Settings

Setting	Default	Description
`vsping.enabled`	`true`	Enable automatic speed tests
`vsping.intervalSeconds`	`60`	Seconds between auto tests (min 15)
`vsping.measureSeconds`	`20`	Download/upload test duration
`vsping.reportPercentile`	`0.3`	Speed percentile (matches fast.com closely)
`vsping.warmupBytes`	`5242880`	Upload warmup before sampling (5 MB)
`vsping.uploadBytes`	`3145728`	Upload chunk size (3 MB)
`vsping.downloadBytes`	`52428800`	Download buffer cap (50 MB)
`vsping.showOnStartup`	`true`	Run a test when VS Code starts

How it works

Metric	Method
Ping	Median of 3 requests to Cloudflare trace endpoint
Download	fast.com API → Netflix `nflxvideo.net` servers, 5 parallel streams, 20s sustained sampling, 30th-percentile reporting
Upload	Cloudflare speed-test upload endpoint with the same percentile logic

A full test takes about 40 seconds (20s download + 20s upload) for accurate, stable readings — not instant burst numbers.

FAQ

What is VSPing?

VSPing is a VS Code extension that monitors internet speed from inside the editor. It displays download Mbps, upload Mbps, and ping latency in the status bar so developers can check network health without switching to a browser speed test.

Does VSPing match fast.com results?

Download tests use the same Netflix CDN infrastructure as fast.com, with parallel streams and percentile-based reporting designed to align with fast.com’s displayed download speed. Upload still uses Cloudflare’s endpoint, so upload numbers may differ slightly from fast.com.

Is VSPing free?

Yes. VSPing is open source under the MIT License. No account, API key, or subscription is required.

Does VSPing work in VS Code on the web (vscode.dev)?

Desktop VS Code is the primary target. Browser-based VS Code may block or throttle outbound speed-test traffic.

How much bandwidth does VSPing use?

Each full test transfers roughly tens of megabytes (configurable). Increase vsping.intervalSeconds or disable vsping.enabled on metered connections.

Can I hide or pause the speed test?

Run VSPing: Toggle Auto Tests from the Command Palette, or set vsping.enabled to false in settings.

Compare alternatives

Approach	Leave VS Code?	Live in editor?	fast.com-like download?
Open fast.com in browser	Yes	No	Yes
OS network widget	Yes	No	No
Terminal `speedtest-cli`	No (terminal)	No	Depends on server
VSPing	No	Yes — status bar	Yes

Development

npm install
npm run compile

Press F5 to launch the Extension Development Host.

npm run watch    # rebuild on save
npm run package  # create .vsix for manual install

Privacy

VSPing runs speed tests directly from your machine to public CDN endpoints (Netflix/fast.com and Cloudflare). No analytics, accounts, or telemetry are collected by the extension. Test traffic does not pass through VSPing servers.

License

MIT — see LICENSE.

VSPing — Internet Speed Test in Status Bar

Raza Raheem