speedtest.net
 

This site gives my speed at 20mb/s

I have tried 3 others and they give my speed at 57MB/s which is what I pay for.

So which one(s) are right?

Thanks

Re: speedtest.net
 

Well if one server shoes you 20, and another shows you 57, then the one thats showing less obviously isn't able to give you the bandwidth you need to max your connection out.

If you are getting 57 on another, then 57 is what you are getting. The best way to check is to go to gamershell.com and dowload 3 or 4 large files simultaneously, then add up the totals. If they come near to or over 6MB/s then everything is fine, just noticed you're on 60 not 50, so you should be getting close to around 7.5 (will be less with overheads)

Re: speedtest.net
 

Tried gamershell but it kept saying my authentication was not valid or something.

Why would downloading files tell em anything about speeds anwyay?

Re: speedtest.net
 

Its the most accurate way to find out your download speed.

Re: speedtest.net
 

No it isn't.

Re: speedtest.net
 

So how do I do this (other than gamershell)?

Re: speedtest.net
 

Thinkbroadband.com has 1GB test files to download over multi ports on servers.
Kick every body else of your BB and disconnect every other PC or other device.
Connect to Router (or super hub in modem mode) via Hardwired ethernet via lap top or desktop PC.
Select and download 3 files. one on each port then add up the values or use a bandwidth monitor on your OS to get the total average.

Re: speedtest.net
 

What do you mean add up the values? What values?

It'll be 3GB downloaded won't it?

Re: speedtest.net
 

What is then?

Re: speedtest.net
 

UDP test.

Re: speedtest.net
 

Why don't Virgin offer a speed test service? Surely that would be the most accurate way for people to test their connection.

The Virgin engineer I had at my home 3 weeks ago used the following to test my broadband speed:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/diagnostics

Re: speedtest.net
 

Quite the opposite, ISP provided tests are the least accurate.

After all, people get internet connections to access the internet and ISP tests test everything except the internet.

Re: speedtest.net
 

The speed values in MB/s of the 3 files.

Re: speedtest.net
 

speedtest.net will not show me correct speed from time to time

Re: speedtest.net
 

I, personally, would like a facility provided by Virgin where I can check my upload and download speeds. 3rd party sites can be very erratic. I pay Virgin to provide my services, and want to be able to check with them directly that my connection is working as I expect.

Re: speedtest.net
 

as has been mentioned, checking from within the network proves nothing

mentioned above that 3rd parts speed tests can be erratic mostly means theres congestion somewhere between you and speed test server

Re: speedtest.net
 

Exactly. I've said dozens of times, if you want to know what your local connection speed is, check your modem status page.

Re: speedtest.net
 

I find speedtest to be pretty much useless across all its servers.

The speeds just arent at all accurate. If you've got an out of date or dodgy version of flash, it throws the results off, if the servers are being used by others, it throws the result off.

It's just too variable to be used as an accurate measure. Not a single one of them can measure 100mb performance either (at least today).

Re: speedtest.net
 

Define useless?

just update flash?

And most of the servers are at least gigabit, some only 100mbit though

Its not 100% accurate, but it gives a very good picture, and they are all capable of 100mbit, thats one of the requirements to host a server

Re: speedtest.net
 

Which is a lot more than can be said for some VM peering links and a huge number of oversubscribed local areas.

If Speedtest.net (try more than one of their major servers) isn't showing you your headline speed on a wired connection with the Superhub in modem modem and either direct into a modern PC or through a reasonable quality router then the first suspect is probably VM. By all means try multiple file downloads from other sources but downloading from anything within the VM network eliminates peering which is probably to blame for as many problems as oversubscription IMO.

Re: speedtest.net
 

my point exactly

Re: speedtest.net
 

And my point exactly.

VM's own local network != the internet. You don't buy an internet connection to access VM's internal network.

Re: speedtest.net
 

The engineer from Virgin who installed my new router 3 weeks ago suggested speedtest.net isn't reliable as there isn't many hosts in the UK who host a server which supports up to up to 100mb. According to the engineer, Preston is the best server for people to use when testing their 100mb connection.

I'm just repeating what I was told. I have no idea if it's the truth. I'm not really an internet guy in these forums, I tend to post over in the TV section :)

Re: speedtest.net
 

Most UK servers can do well over 100mb fine.

Most VM connections can't. That's a problem with the VM connection not the speedtest server.

Preston is one of the worst servers for VM customers, even though it's hosted on VM's network.

Re: speedtest.net
 

This gives me 58MB - 60Mb every time I test. I like this one.

Speedtest.net still gives me around 20mb

Re: speedtest.net
 

You "like" a test because it gives you better results?

I "like" turning Kaspersky on and getting 250mbps results on a 50mb line. Doesn't make it any good though.

(Incidentally I get 10/20/46 on the BT test and 45 on Speedtest.net, just goes to show how good it is...)

Re: speedtest.net
 

:nono:

Re: speedtest.net
 

Back to my point - it IS unreliable.

Yes, the servers can support 100mbps, but only when its not busy.

As an example, I did a test on the maidenhead server. I got a 25mb result.
I did a test less than a minute later on another server (Manchester) and got my full 100mb.

I then did all the UK tests - not a single other one of them could get up to 100.

You're deluded if you actually think these tests give any form of accurate result, its simply not possible to do it when you've got umpty-dozen other people doing tests too.

Re: speedtest.net
 

No, they're perfectly accurate, you're just deluded in what you think they're supposed to measure.

It's your internet connection that cannot support 100mbps when it is busy, not the speedtest server.

Lancaster gives over 500mbps at peak times even with the umpty-dozen other tests it is doing. Manchester does over 350 and Maidenhead over 300.

Here's a list of nearby Speedtest.net servers that can do over 100, all tests were done at peak time.

Re: speedtest.net
 

Maybe I should have put a smiley on it.

An update:

wired via speedtest.net: 14MB Down, 2.7Up
wired via bbc: 63 MB Down
wired via playstation3: 18MB Down, 2.1 Up
wired via http://www.broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk/ : 40MB UP 2.6MB Down

These speedtests are a load of crunk.

Re: speedtest.net
 

Brilliant, VM have customers blaming speedtest.net for subpar peering.

Re: speedtest.net
 

One feature of congestion is wild speed variations over a short timescale. No doubt if you'd seen the same results all on the same speedtest server you would have blamed congestion at the server - the odds are strongly if favour of the congestion being within VM - especially as qas has tried many of them on a university connection which showed them well capable of delivering 100Mbps at any time.

Re: speedtest.net
 

So, are we stuck with congestion issues? Or are there plans in every area to improve it?

[sorry, I'm sure this has been discussed]

Re: speedtest.net
 

Id say were stuck with them, especially when all areas are "doubled"

Re: speedtest.net
 

Even if you buy a leased line the bandwidth you are guaranteed is only to your ISP's network. Once it's out on the internet it's all best efforts.

Virgin should offer this as their speeds are so quick that most speed tests do not keep up. Only usenet does for me.

Re: speedtest.net
 

On the contrary, when Speedtest.net servers hosted on VM's network deliver 25mbps to VM's own customers but over 200mbps to everyone else that suggests it's VM's own capacity that can't keep up.

Re: speedtest.net
 

Have you tried the Speedtest.net NAMESCO server in London? This performs very consistently for me at 100 miles. Not all servers work well despite what the numbers on the speed dial suggest.

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2012/05/31.png

Re: speedtest.net
 

That's oversimplification - you are ignoring the peering which will vary from ISP to ISP and VM's is a major bottleneck at times.

Obviously if the specific server you are trying to access is congested or on a poor link it doesn't matter how fast you ISP is but what is increasingly being reported is that many of the speedtest.net servers don't deliver high speeds to VM customers but do when tested from known good connections such as universities.

If you do succeed in getting good speeds from some sources then all that rules out is local congestion at that specific time and the peering to that specific source.

Re: speedtest.net
 

It's not an oversimplification, it's in the SLAs of Leased Line contracts.

Re: speedtest.net
 

Sorry but I don't have the faintest idea what you are getting at. Do you?

Re: speedtest.net
 

Given his reputation, probably not.

Re: speedtest.net
 

People who buy leased lines for hundreds, sometimes thousands of pounds a month only get bandwidth guaranteed to their ISP's network. So the point (as should be obvious from the post I was replying to!) is that if Virgin hosted their own speed test they could then offer more accurate speed tests.

I know speed test is rubbish for me. I get full bandwidth on torrents and usenet but not on speedtest.net. If I didn't have access to usenet/torrents I'd be moaning that I'm not getting the speed I paid for just like alot of VM users do.

Re: speedtest.net
 

however said isp's dont normally let their peering links just clog up. Its already been posted on here how small VM's linx capacity is eg. in comparison to other isp's.

Re: speedtest.net
 

VM have there own speed test, but this is only available to techs and folk on trials etc. It is at http://www.vmspeed.com/, but this link won't get you anywhere.

Really you don't need that test. This one is just as consistent.

http://www.speedtester.bt.com/beta/speedtest-remote.jsp

Re: speedtest.net
 

Many (most?) leased lines are point to point between different locations of the same big company.

Where the line is primarily for internet access then there will virtually certainly be something in the contract about peering - otherwise what's to stop them only having a 10Mbps VM line to access the internet? It won't happen. That is why I said you can't simply judge by the speed of your connection to your ISP - unless of course all you want to do is look at their billing pages etc.

Re: speedtest.net
 

The majority of the cost for a leased line is for the internet access part.

---------- Post added at 22:54 ---------- Previous post was at 22:49 ----------

True, however VM also operate their own backbones to other countries and peer there, they have 8x more capacity in Ams IX than BT do for example.

Unfortunately their own link to Amsterdam is horrendously slow so it doesn't help much...

Re: speedtest.net
 

the one via manchester is thats for sure.

Re: speedtest.net
 

Yep, that's the one.