From Scripts to Speedtest Tracker: How I Monitor My Internet Like a Pro (2025 Edition)

If you've ever had to argue with your ISP about inconsistent speeds or outages, you know how hard it is to prove it—unless you're keeping your own logs.

Back in 2017, I built a Raspberry Pi project that ran speed tests every 15 minutes and logged the results to Google Sheets using IFTTT. It was effective, but required a patchwork of shell scripts, webhooks, and third-party services.

Fast-forward to 2025, and I've upgraded my setup to run in a Docker container on my Unraid server using the Speedtest Tracker project by Henry Whitaker. The difference is night and day.

This post walks through:

Then vs Now: How This Project Has Evolved

What I Did in 2017

I needed a simple way to log speeds when my ISP was unreliable. My solution:

It worked, but there were clear limitations:

What I'm Doing in 2025

Today I run Speedtest Tracker as a Docker container on my Unraid NAS.

This solution is faster, more reliable, easier to maintain, and fully local.

Speedtest Tracker includes:

How to Set Up Speedtest Tracker on Unraid

This assumes Docker is already configured in Unraid.

Step 1: Install the Container

1. Go to the Community Applications tab in Unraid

2. Search for "Speedtest Tracker"

3. Click Install and configure:

- Data storage path

- Port (default 80 or 8080)

- Database (SQLite for simplicity, PostgreSQL if preferred)

Set up any reverse proxy rules or custom DNS if using Nginx Proxy Manager.

Step 2: Access the Web Interface

Visit the container’s IP and port, for example:

http://192.168.1.100:8080

Create an admin account, choose your timezone and region, and you're ready to go.

Step 3: Configure Testing and Retention

Inside the dashboard:

You can also limit testing during peak hours or high usage times.

Be Mindful of Data Usage

Each speed test transfers a fair amount of data, especially at gigabit speeds.

Estimated usage per test:

If testing every 15 minutes:

If you're on a metered plan, test less frequently or during off-peak hours.

Bonus Features and Use Cases

This setup is more than a basic speed logger. Here are a few ways I use it:

You can also connect Speedtest Tracker’s database to Grafana if you want custom visualizations or long-term trend reporting.

Final Thoughts

What started as a personal workaround in 2017 has become a robust, hands-off monitoring solution in 2025. Speedtest Tracker running in Docker on Unraid gives me complete control, beautiful charts, and rock-solid logging with no cloud reliance.

Whether you're troubleshooting outages or just like having data to hold your ISP accountable, this setup is simple, powerful, and open source.

Have your own speed logging setup? Drop a comment or reach out—I'd love to compare notes.