Fed Up with slow speeds? This works for me...

[lucevans]

I've been debating whether to post this as 1)VM may not be aware that a few of us are doing this and may shut it down, and 2)not sure if it really is responsible for improving my connection speed...but it seems to work for me, so if you're having problems, maybe try it?
Remember those transparent proxies that were supposedly all switched off a couple of months ago? Well my local ones appear to be alive and well, and just look at the difference in download speed when I manually specify one of them as a web proxy;
First, without the proxy:
Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:04:09 UTC

Test 1: 1024K took 1141 ms = 897.5 KB/sec, approx 7395 Kbps, 7.22 Mbps
Test 2: 1024K took 1812 ms = 565.1 KB/sec, approx 4656 Kbps, 4.55 Mbps
Test 3: 1024K took 3047 ms = 336.1 KB/sec, approx 2769 Kbps, 2.7 Mbps
Test 4: 2048K took 5016 ms = 408.3 KB/sec, approx 3364 Kbps, 3.29 Mbps

Overall Average Speed = approx 4546 Kbps, 4.44 Mbps


Then with it:
Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:04:58 UTC

Test 1: 1024K took 610 ms = 1678.7 KB/sec, approx 13832 Kbps, 13.51 Mbps
Test 2: 1024K took 515 ms = 1988.3 KB/sec, approx 16384 Kbps, 16 Mbps
Test 3: 1024K took 469 ms = 2183.4 KB/sec, approx 17991 Kbps, 17.57 Mbps
Test 4: 2048K took 1922 ms = 1065.6 KB/sec, approx 8781 Kbps, 8.58 Mbps

Overall Average Speed = approx 14247 Kbps, 13.92 Mbps

Okay, the speed still isn't exactly stellar, but trying the "with then without" comparison on several different speed tests, large file downloads and general web browsing does seem to suggest that at peak times, the proxy wins hands-down.

Is anyone else using this trick?

Bob

[the-cable-guy]

? wotz the proxy for sheffield then ?

[lucevans]

? wotz the proxy for sheffield then ?

Take a look here; http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/97/

There aren't any listed for Sheffield, but you could try one in the list geographically close to you....maybe one of the Leeds ones?

[the-cable-guy]

thanks mate but im new to using proxys so how do i do it then ? im usin windows xp pro sp 2

---------- Post added at 23:35 ---------- Previous post was at 23:11 ----------

none of em work mate

[BloodyL]

Some have been turned off, some are still active.

[lucevans]

thanks mate but im new to using proxys so how do i do it then ? im usin windows xp pro sp 2

---------- Post added at 23:35 ---------- Previous post was at 23:11 ----------

none of em work mate

Sorry to hear that. Maybe this only works in the few areas where the proxies are yet to be turned off. I'm in an ex-Cable & wireless (ex-NTL) area and as I write this I'm still getting served by Pete-cache-5 (but I do now have to specify it manually) Maybe that'll be gone soon?

Bob

[jcw00]

Telewest's proxies are still working:
webcache.blueyonder.co.uk or webcache.virginmedia.com which is part of a cluster of servers.

[Rik]

Sorry to hear that. Maybe this only works in the few areas where the proxies are yet to be turned off. I'm in an ex-Cable & wireless (ex-NTL) area and as I write this I'm still getting served by Pete-cache-5 (but I do now have to specify it manually) Maybe that'll be gone soon?

Bob

Thanks for the heads up on that proxy, I thought they had all been switched off, and the webcache ones that work are sooo slooooooow.

I can now get full 20MB HTTP speeds, until they turn those proxies off! :Yikes: