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Test your internet speed
Topic Started: Aug 21 2008, 11:52 AM (168 Views)
Bitsy
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Geez, we are so far behind, third world status almost angry054

http://www.speedmatters.org/pages/state.html
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Delphi51
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These speed check sites require no Flash versions or anything else:
http://reviews.cnet.com/7004-7254_7-0.html
http://us.mcafee.com/root/speedometer/default.asp

I get 1500 on the first one and 2000 on the second. That is a lot faster than I had a couple of months ago. I had a conversation with the phone company and they said I could have double the speed for $5 a month less, so I said I would take it.

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Trotsky
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Big City Boy
Delphi,

I'm in the opposite boat...I just blew a gasket screetching at my phone company yesterday. I pay for "UP TO 3 Mbps" but they deliver half that. I pinned down one doof on when is FIOS coming the best promise I couold get was "by December, 2009," not NEARLY good enough.

Almost ALL tests show me as a 1.5 Mbps download as does your McAfee link, but the CNET shows me at 1134.9 Kbps.


The best I could do yesterday was have the phone company send me the most modern modem/router because she told me my Westell 2200 was outmoded. I think she was just pulling my wang about an expected improvement kust to keep me from saying the magic words: "shut me off." I await the modem (and a good package offer from Comcast.)

If I cannot get close to the 3.0 Mbps I need for the ROKU box, I'm going to switch to cable....God, I HATE the thought.


Bitsy I didn't use your link because in order to get the report I'd need to give them my e-mail address...that's just ASKING for more SPAM. I don't do those kind of "free" offers anymore. Those state by state comparisons look inflated to me.
Edited by Trotsky, Aug 22 2008, 12:07 AM.
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Bitsy
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Trotsky
Aug 22 2008, 12:02 AM
Bitsy I didn't use your link because in order to get the report I'd need to give them my e-mail address...
All I did was type in my zip, I didn't put in my email address.
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Delphi51
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If I cannot get close to the 3.0 Mbps I need for the ROKU box, I'm going to switch to cable

Cable speed depends on how many of your neighbours use it. Check with a neighbor and see how fast it is.

Actually 1.5 mbps is pretty good.

If you aren't already blocking ads in your browser, that would make a substantial improvement for websites.
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Trotsky
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Big City Boy
bitsy,

Yep,
I tried your link again, yep it worked fine 1530 Kbps...right on target. I first thought that without the e-mail they wouldn't TELL me the results.

Delphi,
A DSL line is usually independent of neighborly use...that's the way CABLE internet usually works, not sure about T-lines. I have no problems with the 1.5 Mbps DSL connection that NEVER goes out, nor does it ever slow down, EXCEPT that I cannot use a ROKU box to transmit streaming free movies from NETFLIX to the TV set in good definition. That needs 3.0Mbps. The box sells for $95 one-time purchase and I am SALIVATING for it.

Now I need OPINIONS:

I called Verizon yesterday and blew my top over both NO FIOS in my complex (til Dec. 2009) AND my paying for "up to 3.0 Mbps" but getting 1.5...they always use the boilerplate that I'm too far from the switching station (except that I have TWO main stations within 5,000 FEET.)
Quote:
 
You must live within a certain distance from an Ameritech switching station--generally, within 22,000 feet, with the best speed available within 12,000 feet.



Anyhoo,
When I said, to about the FOURTH person, "What do I do when I cancel this god-f**king awful service...should I stick this modem in the garbage, find an available orifice, or do you want it back?"
So then she said "We'd be happy to send you the new spiffy model moodem/router that might give you a lot faster speed...your Westell 2200 is way outmoded." She told me just to the Westell was mine to keep or dispose of.

I fell for it...the NEW modem is in the mail. "We shall see what we shall see."<from the PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE>
Am I wasting my time believing more guff just to keep a long-time customer or do you think she was telling me the truth?

All opinions very welcome.
Edited by Trotsky, Aug 23 2008, 02:48 AM.
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Delphi51
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I think it is worth a try, Trotsky. I signed up for faster DSL service here and it actually fried my old modem gradually over 3 months. A neighbour did the same and fried his the same day! It makes sense that you need a new modem to handle new speeds, and the phone company really should put it in the mail without any discussion at all.

However, I suspect you will have to pay for a faster service (up to 5 mbps?) in order to actually get 3 mbps. My son says he actually has 10 but he pays a big price for it. I read somewhere that some serious gamers actually get TWO DSL services and run them into a pair of NICs. I don't know if they need special software or if the internet protocol just uses both pipes automatically.

There was something in the news a couple of months ago about how those streaming programs achieve their high speed by running up to 10 TCP/IP sessions simultaneously - effectively stealing bandwidth from everyone else using the internet. The article argued that people complaining about ISPs limiting their downloading were in fact clamping down on this practise to make service more fair to all their customers.
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Trotsky
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Big City Boy
Thanks Delphi.

That "up to 5 Mbps" is not available to me without FIOS (which Verizon provides at about 15 Mbps down and 2 Mbps UP at the same price I'm paying...see why I'm pissed!)
With copper wire I am stuck with 2 choices: "up to 3 Mbps" which comes in at 1.5 for most people for $29.95, and "up top 750 Kbps" which comes in at about 500Kbps for most people at $17.99.
OTHER parts of my city, the POOR parts have had the FIOS for months, but the "luxury downtown/waterfront apartment complexes" get only turd service for maybe another year.

They had my wireless/wired modem delivered in 24 HOURS...must have cost them a fortune to have it run over by private jet. It's a snazzy Verizon GT704WG (4 ethernet outputs +wireless, talk about overkill...I could run an office with this thing.)

Advice?
No instructions except how to encode the wireless, which I have no use for.
Do you think I can just replace the phone connection, power supply, and my ethernet out and go from there. I presume all my account data and network connection numbers all remain the same?

Does that sound right.

(I swear, If I go through all this agita and still get only 1.5 Mbps, I'm gonna SCREAM so loud you'll all hear me. I remember back in the old days of computing I WELCOMED change...I HATE it now. :sigh: )

I have ONE thing going for me...when I call Verizon I need only say COMCAST and they jump through hoops....when I call Comcast, I drop the phrase "I cannot WAIT until I get FIOS so I can say goodbye to you people." I guess the loss of a customer FOREVER strikes fear into the hardened little hearts of these corporations.
Edited by Trotsky, Aug 24 2008, 02:05 AM.
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Delphi51
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Quote:
 
Do you think I can just replace the phone connection, power supply, and my ethernet out and go from there. I presume all my account data and network connection numbers all remain the same?


If it is like our DSL, it will just work. If it is like our DSL last year, as soon as you use your browser, it will ask for your username and password and then just work.

You have one of the new combination modem/router boxes - very nice. Routers are a good security device, probably making it unnecessary to run a firewall on your computer, and you get one for no cost, not even an extra power cord to plug in. At one time, the MAC address of the router had to be registered with the ISP, or you could tell the router to copy the MAC address off your computer which is already registered. The instructions you have for setting up the wireless probably get you to the router's setup page where you have all sorts of options including "cloning the MAC address". You will have to decide if you want to disable the wireless or put a password on it so your neighbors can't use it. Also, a good idea to put a password on accessing that router setup, especially if you have practical joking friends who can get their hands on your computer.

It will be interesting to see if you get a speed improvement.
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Bitsy
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Trotsky
Aug 24 2008, 01:55 AM
I have ONE thing going for me...when I call Verizon I need only say COMCAST and they jump through hoops....when I call Comcast, I drop the phrase "I cannot WAIT until I get FIOS so I can say goodbye to you people." I guess the loss of a customer FOREVER strikes fear into the hardened little hearts of these corporations.
I received great pleasure in cancelling my cable subscription with Time Warner. I allowed them to opportunity to talk me out of FIOS for almost 30 minutes, and each attempt became lamer and lamer. I actually think that Time Warner is going to divest itself of the market where I live, at least that is what one of their techs told me. They have steadily been losing market shares here, between satellite and FIOS there are very few cable subscriber left in the neighborhood. Verizon has bet the farm on FIOS, I hope it is a sound business decision for them.
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Trotsky
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Big City Boy
Addendum:

Well, with my old outmoded Westell modem I got 1.5 Mbps download almost precisely BUT with my snazzy new Actiontec router/wireless/modem I get 1500 Kbps. Gee, how's THAT for an improvement AND I had the joy of a 2 hour resetup of my account and e-mail forwarding to OE.
<Muttering below my breath!>
Edited by Trotsky, Sep 25 2008, 01:06 PM.
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