Internet Tech: speed test confusion

Cut the cord!

 

In my last house in the US I had had TDS FTTP for the six years before I moved. It was awesome - best home ISP I've had. So, for a gauge on RAS, I don't think you need to worry.

If the only service you're having problems with is Sling, the issue could be on their end, or it could be a routing/node problem between you and them.

As others have noted, "speedtest" websites are generally useless, and anyway, 13mbps is sufficient to stream all but the most demanding media, IF you don't have other connection issues. Bandwidth, line quality, and lack of routing issues are more important for video streaming than circuit bit rate ("speed"). There are a number of tests that will tell you if you have problems in these areas (traceroute, ping tests, jitter measurements, etc.), but you have to know how to judge the results.

The first thing anyone knowledgeable is going to tell you, and I'm going to tell you this too - don't use Wifi if you want reliable streaming. Anyone with troubleshooting skills will tell you that you need to eliminate the Wifi variable if you want to successfully troubleshoot connection problems.

 

Would the DNS server impact the routing to the actual site or just resolve the address and pass it along? For example my router is using a Comcast DNS server. If I change to Open DNS do I avoid traffic restrictions set by ISP?

 

no.

 

No cord! I’m 5 miles by sea from the antenna, it’s cellular. I can pay for up to 6 mbps, but it’s salty...

 

You have a modem, not an Optical Network Terminal (ONT)? If so, something to keep in mind:

FTTP (Fiber To The Premises) uses an ONT, and FTTP (even PON) typical delivers at, or close to, advertised speed and bandwidth. FTTN/FTTC (Fiber To The Node/Fiber To The Curb) typically uses VDSL with a VDSL modem. VDSL frequently does not deliver advertised speed and bandwidth. Performance is based on your distance from the Node or Curb connection.

Here in the Fatherland I had a choice between cable-based internet and FTTN VDSL. I absolutely despise cable internet, especially in densely populated areas where other bandwidth-sucking pigs are competing with my bandwidth sucking, but the closest Fiber Node is too far away to give me the bandwidth I need, and most of my usage is during the day when everyone else in my neighborhood is gone, so I went with cable.

Nevertheless, if the VDSL link is properly set up, you should expect consistently better performance than you would get over a cellular data network. If you are on FTTN VDSL from TDS, you should ask them what level of real-world performance you can expect based on your distance from the node. You might need to ask the regional engineer at your local TDS office, instead of the people on the phone support line, as they probably won't have any idea.

And one more time - don't use wireless for streaming video! Wireless is half-duplex, and is easily interfered with. You can get major performance degradation just by someone in your house using a cordless phone, or a neighbor using a baby monitor, or any number of other interference points.

 

When things are working well. I get identical results from https://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/ compared to the Comcast test results.
Yes in many cases the Comcast show some great numbers but everything else sucks.
When I talk with support and give results from tracert to several sites they start checking.
I'm paying for 75 mb,, just tested and got "12/6/2018 3:23:32 PM 184.25 Mbps download 11.97 Mbps upload

 

Comcast is the worst ISP I've ever encountered. Everything about them sucks. I could tell stories for days. I'd suffer with a 3mbps DSL link before I ever gave Comcast another dime.

 

Before I switched to Verizon from optimum at the time, the speed test would come back at like 2-3 mbps, or even less during peak times, but be ok after peak, which is most cable network systems.

I said I'm supposed to be getting 50 mbps, and the customer service agent was like we said UP to 50 mbps. I was like WTF, and they were like for $20 or $30 we can get you to a higher minimum. I was like nah bruh, imme get that Old Ma Bell joint.

Been happy every since, well except the price, but I have no issues with it.

 

I'll get back here this evening to read all the replies in detail. I'm burning daylight now. But I did call SlingTV and they suggested the issue was the Roku device I use and sure enough Roku devices can have buffering issues. So I'm trying an old Apple TV now.

 

Speed tests are the bane of my existence (well, one of them). Lots of good responses above, I'll just add: don't even think about using IE browser for testing, use Chrome or Firefox.

 

My first thought upon reading this is the difference between Mbps and MBps. Since 1B=8b, if the one speed test was giving results in MegaBytes and the others were in Megabits, that would account for the difference as 100 Mb is 12.5 MB, which would round up to 13.

Or maybe I'm just making shit up. Again.

 

At those speeds, a crayon map is about all you'll be able to get accomplished.

 

Man, I will never forget when I got my first 256k ISDN link at home. It was awesome - a huge upgrade from a 56k dial-up modem. It no longer took 6 hours and multiple retries to download a 30-second low-res porn clip. It downloaded in one try, and only took about 90 minutes! Bliss!

 

You guys say don't use wireless but how can you when a Firestick, for example, is wireless...

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

Firestick runs on wireless from a local (wired) modem.

Fixed Wireless is a completely different thing.

 

Get the Ethernet adapter and wire it up

 

Charter/Spectrum Cable agrees to record $174M settlement for misleading customers on internet speed: AG's office

"knowingly delivered since 2012 slower internet speed to customers than promised"

 

Typical...we over charged people for the last 6 years to the tune of 45 or so bucks a month but giving them back 75 bucks should cover it.

 

Would they not be biased?