Maybe everyone else gets wonderful service 24/7, but my telephone company manages to bugger up my DSL connection fairly often. When they do, I run a simple online test before I call, and armed with that data, all stupid arguments stop and serious conversation and tests immediately start.
This one seems to be the best and most respected right now: http://www.bandwidthplace.com/
and this one runs a close second: http://www.2wire.com/bandwidth/initialmeter.php
btw, my ISP is Earthlink, and I call them with all connection problems because when THEY call the telco and report a problem it is immediately acted on and solved. :evil:

 

Giganews.com has a test too. I've been using it for years.

 

My provider covers themselves by only specifying a maximum figure of 8Mb.
My usual figure is around 6Mb and the test results (just this minute) from Bandwidthplace.com show 5.878Mb.

Is this good / average / bad ??.

Tweakie.

 

Tweakie, you're kidding, right? I'd love to have those speeds. My provider is proud of himself providing 756k.

Oh well, the downside of living in 'paradise'.

 

I'm getting the following reported from Bandwidthplace.
Download Speed: 15782 kbps (1972.8 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 1456 kbps (182 KB/sec transfer rate)

My ISP is ATT, they are pretty dependable so far.

 

I wish I had the connection speeds we get at work:
Download Speed: 16073 kbps (2009.1 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 3425 kbps (428.1 KB/sec transfer rate)
Monday, June 14, 2010 10:02:54 AM


From Home, Last Result:
Download Speed: 428 kbps (53.5 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 425 kbps (53.1 KB/sec transfer rate)
Monday, June 14, 2010 10:02:54 AM

 

I ran an interesting experiment at work -
I ran the http://www.bandwidthplace.com/ test using Firefox 3.6.3 and then ran it using M$IE 8 (M$IE 9 is not approved for our corporate use yet)
The throughput rates with Firefox were almost exactly TWICE that of M$IE

I posted the results to our I.T. department and asked why - I got no answer but was told they were referring the issue to the experts within their ranks. hmmmm!

 

This bears out my (admittedly anecdotal) experience. I use a web-based classroom tool daily and I always use Firefox because it downloads and renders the pages much faster than IE. Whenever my students have trouble posting assignments, my first question is "are you using IE? Try Firefox instead."

 

I've gotten no "official" response, but I notice this morning the speed on M$IE is nearly as fast as Firefox. Maybe they found the bottleneck.

 

I have a sneaky feeling that because total throughput is perhaps a constant anyone who questions their speed gets an increase at the expense of someone else. Perhaps it pays to question your speed on a regular basis

Tweakie.

 

Internet speed have increased so much, you can't count on those test sites for your max speed. That's because you're maxing out their upload speed. And also have to account for, bottle necks somewhere on the internet. For example from bandwidthplace, I get this. That's the fastest I have gotten from them. When I saw this thread and check previously, it was like 8000 kbps each time.

Download Speed: 10301 kbps (1287.6 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 3856 kbps (482 KB/sec transfer rate)
Tuesday, June 15, 2010 3:20:04 PM

But I know I can get something like 2.2 MB/sec (probably like 18,500 kbps) any time of day and all day. Well I think that's the speed. The units are always confusing, so I don't pay much attention. All I got to do is open up a few downloads and I can max out at any time.

Ok, here is one from http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/ and I was able to choose a local source (ie Wash, DC):
Download Speed: 16948 kbps (2118.5 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 4499 kbps (562.4 KB/sec transfer rate)

Another problem why your internet speed, in working order, can be slow; is because of unscrupulous isps (like COMCAST) that will throttle your speed. Even depending on what application or what type of download or upload. When I had them, I even recieved a letter saying I was using too much of my unlimited internet. And that I should stop. I remember that raised a huge stink, at the time. I guess they do it by throttling now. Glad I have been rid of them for a few years, now.

-Kwok

 

Wow, Mark, do you have a business or normal internet package? Of course, I think you have comcast and they have been advertising speed boost for an long time. And that could mean that the tested speed is fake? I got the next higher internet service from the basic one, from Verizon Fios. I'm get this now from the DC server, slower than before.

Attached files

 

DSL connection troubles are gone! I switched to a .Comcast cable modem. Now to cancel Earthlink and have the xtra phone line disconnected and the net cost will be less than zero$
Last Result:
Download Speed: 21667 kbps (2708.4 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 3916 kbps (489.5 KB/sec transfer rate)
Friday, June 25, 2010 12:51:10 PM

:ugeek: Attached files

 

I would be curious if Comcast would let you download a huge file, like 4.5gig, at those speeds. If you try it, please let us know the results. I can do it with Fios.