Install Speedtest Tracker with Docker Compose

Speedtest Tracker runs the Ookla speedtest on a schedule and stores the results, so you get a history graph of your connection instead of a number you read once and forget. It's how you settle the argument about whether the line got worse, with data.

What it is

A Laravel app that schedules speedtests against your own connection, records download, upload, ping, jitter and packet loss, and graphs them over time. Scheduled tests can be a several-times-a-day heartbeat or a weekly record.

Before you start

• Speedtest data caps are a real consideration on metered or mobile connections. Set the schedule accordingly, and know that a test can use several hundred megabytes.
• Measure at the router if you can. A test from a laptop on Wi-Fi measures Wi-Fi, not your line.
• The scheduled test container needs more than the web container. The image bundles both; the default compose starts them as a single service with an internal queue.

1 — Write the compose file

services:
  speedtest-tracker:
    image: alexjustesen/speedtest-tracker:latest
    container_name: speedtest-tracker
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "127.0.0.1:8000:8000"
    environment:
      APP_KEY: base64:CHANGE_ME_32_bytes_base64=
      APP_URL: https://speed.example.com
      DB_CONNECTION: sqlite
      QUEUE_CONNECTION: sync
      CACHE_DRIVER: file
      SCHEDULE_ENABLED: "true"
      SCHEDULE_INTERVAL: "0 */6 * * *"
      TZ: UTC
    volumes:
      - ./data:/var/www/html/storage/app
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD", "curl", "-fs", "http://localhost:8000"]
      interval: 60s
      timeout: 10s
      retries: 3

2 — Start it

mkdir -p ~/services/speedtest-tracker/data
cd ~/services/speedtest-tracker

# generate a real app key rather than pasting the placeholder
docker run --rm -e APP_KEY=base64:dummy alexjustesen/speedtest-tracker:latest \
  php artisan key:generate --show
# paste the output into APP_KEY above

3 — First-run setup

1. Create the admin account at https://speed.example.com after generating the app key. Without a valid APP_KEY sessions won't survive a page load.
2. Under Settings → Schedule, enable scheduled tests and set the cron expression. 0 */6 * * * is every six hours — plenty for a trend line without burning data.
3. Click Run test once manually and watch the first result land. If it errors, check outbound HTTPS from the container: docker exec speedtest-tracker curl -sI https://www.speedtest.net | head -1
4. Set retention in Settings. Rows accumulate slowly but there's no reason to keep years of samples for a home connection.
5. Compare against your ISP's advertised speed. Consistently 80–90% of advertised is normal; consistently under 50% is worth a phone call.

4 — Read the graph

# average the last 30 days straight from the database
docker exec speedtest-tracker sqlite3 /var/www/html/database/database.sqlite3 \
  "select date(created_at), round(avg(download_mbps),1), round(avg(ping),1)
   from speed_tests
   where created_at > date('now','-30 day')
   group by 1 order by 1 desc limit 10;"