Hi Ron
Before you even start considering download (or upload) speeds, it's worth running a ping test, which effectively checks the quality of your phone line. Click 'Begin test' here:
http://www.pingtest.net/
Check your grade on the results page and then click on 'Learn more about grades' to see what it actually means to you.
Then try a speed test here:
http://www.speedtest.net/
The box which appears in the top left corner will give you a useful interpretation of what the download speed means. (i.e. it will show you how long certain types of file will take to download). It will also show you a comparison with the average download speed that other people using the same ISP have obtained from that site.
Then click on 'View upload speed' to see the same information for your uploads.
Chris
PS: I've got a grade 'A' ping, with a current download speed of 5.84Mbps (which is slightly above what others with the same ISP have been obtaining) and an upload speed of 0.38Mbps (which is only about one quarter of what others with the same ISP obtain on average, but that's probably because my ISP is geared towards business users with dedicated lines for their internet connections).
Chris