Getting what you pay for?

[xxxxsh4d0wxxxx]

Hi everyone, I have SBC Internet Services and I am paying $30.00 for 3.0Mbps (3000Kbps) download, and 512Kbps upload speeds.

 

However, when tested on speedtest.net, using the closest server, I am only achieving this..

 

 

Is this good or should I be getting more?

 

Edit: I tested again today at 1:00PM and here are my results.

 

[davey]

Hi everyone, I have SBC Internet Services and I am paying $30.00 for 3.0Mbps (3000Kbps) download, and 512Kbps upload speeds.

 

However, when tested on speedtest.net, using the closest server, I am only achieving this..

 

 

Is this good or should I be getting more?

Hello xxx's,

Looks good to me but I don't pay the bill. I am not sure what we are supposed to be getting.

Last time I tested I got 3800 download ,this latest time like 2800.It may also have a lot to with time of day etc. .Wait til you get more tests. Different time,day of the week,etc.

Would be nice to know what people are paying for different hookups and performance.

When I download programs, I get 300 - 350 KBs.I am soooooo.............. happy with that compared to 3 - 25 kbs before on my dial-up 56 kbs modem.

davey

[YoKenny]

xxxx, the TCP/IP protocol is quite chatty with quite a bit of packet acknowledgment going back and forth so the figures you are getting are OK.

 

I'm paying $54.14 with taxes for 6MB connection and you can see my results here:

http://forum.piriform.com/index.php?s=&amp...st&p=100904

[tomcatonnet99]

is SBC a wireless network? If so you'd probably see a great deal of variation; apart from the peak / off-peak variation that we all go thru...

 

try changing your TCP window size : 1460*44 * 2 or 4 or 8( 8 probably not ) , MTU / MSS values 1500/1460

 

check the TOS value to be 80, and reset Host priority settings in the registry.... might help in a miniscule way; won't exactly increase the speed as much as quickly unpack the packets of info and help in that way ...

[xxxxsh4d0wxxxx]

Isn't there a TCP/IP Optimizer tool that you can download somewhere?

 

I haven't heard much about if they work or not, but I'd be willing to give it a shot if it would boost my speed closer to the advertised speed.

[larry39]

I'm paying $42.95/mo for 3 Mbps download and 384Kbps upload. I just tested with speedtest and got 3021 Kbps download and 320 Kbps upload.

 

But, as Davey mentioned, there are a lot of variables. Best to get an average for a true picture. The SBC service sounds like a good deal though. Its cheaper than mine and similar speeds. Is that a normal or an introductory rate from SBC?

[xxxxsh4d0wxxxx]

It is a normal rate.

[Andavari]

Isn't there a TCP/IP Optimizer tool that you can download somewhere?

There's one called TCP Optimizer (freeware), and one is included in TweakNow WinSecret Pro (freeware).

 

However they don't seem to do anything with broadband connections, i.e.; no real improvements, for users of dial-up they may however work.

 

Edit:

If you're using ISP software any so-called tweaks to the TCP may be overrided!!!

[xxxxsh4d0wxxxx]

Sweet, thanks Andavari!

 

I'll check that tool out.

 

As for ISP software, that is a definite no.

 

[Andavari]

I think, well in my case anyways that the technical jargon ISP's use to advertise their speed in Mbps is what confuses some end-users.

 

I wish they'd just state you'll be able to download at a rate up to ### KBPS (such as 159 KBPS), upload at ### KBPS (such as 500 KBPS), and be done with it.

[davey]

I think, well in my case anyways that the technical jargon ISP's use to advertise their speed in Mbps is what confuses some end-users.

 

I wish they'd just state you'll be able to download at a rate up to ### KBPS (such as 159 KBPS), upload at ### KBPS (such as 500 KBPS), and be done with it.

I never had to keep track of it before but I think I will.

Are the test results stored in my PC like HDTune or only by Speedtest.

 

As far as truth in advetising,they are always going to publish longer numbers or bigger values.

Like you, I just want to How many BYTES per second am I going to get into my PC.

Thousands of kilo bits don't mean a thing to the average user but the long numbers are sure impressive!!! They no one thing, it looks like they are going to get a lot more of something.

Advetisers will always use the longest numbers they can. 650 cc sells better than .65 liters or heaven forbid 6.5 deciliters.

davey

[hazelnut]

Nice little video here when explains things and also shows a really quick way to do the conversion (without having to use your brain!)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sgEKScKKMA

[Andavari]

Nice little video here when explains things and also shows a really quick way to do the conversion (without having to use your brain!)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sgEKScKKMA

Indeed it does explain things!

[Coronagold]

I'm now going to PM Andavari about personal assistance. Let's see what happens...

[Andavari]

I'm now going to PM Andavari about personal assistance. Let's see what happens...

You'll probably get ignored. I have pissed off a few people that didn't heed that red bolded text.

[Coronagold]

I just had to check.

[YoKenny]

Nice little video here when explains things and also shows a really quick way to do the conversion (without having to use your brain!)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sgEKScKKMA

I can only reply with:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIlKiRPSNGA

[DennisD]

Here's some advice from personal experience.

 

You can lose a lot of bandwidth before it even gets to your pc. Check your phone cables and connections, and make sure they are the best they can be.

 

My pc is in my back bedroom, and the main junction box for the phone is downstairs in the hall. (The front passage for common folk).

 

When I first moved the pc upstairs I used a "temporary" phone extension on a reel. You know what I mean. This was plugged into a two way adapter in the kitchen, which is the nearest phone socket to the bedroom.

 

Internet worked fine, and I had a steady 2.2mbps bandwidth.

 

Since replacing the temp extension cable with a cable correctly wired into the main socket in the hall, (also dispensing with the two way adapter in the kitchen), my bandwidth instantly jumped to 5mbps.

 

I lost over half my bandwidth through second rate connections and cable before it reached my pc.

 

I learned the right way to connect things up from good old Google.

[Robbie]

my readings at the moment:

 

 

The maximum advertised speed I can get on my ADSL broadband package is 8MB download speed and that is only possible where all conditions are perfect - the person lives close to (within half a mile of) the local telephone exchange and the broadband connection is at the main junction box in the house plus all cabling etc is perfect. I happen to live within half a mile of the exchange but I use an extension cable which degrades the download speed - the main junction box for the house is upstairs and I have an extension running downstairs to a secondary junction box (extension point for telephone etc) and then have a lengthy cable running from that box to my computer (ethernet connection). I reckon if I used my computer upstairs I'd probably get an extra MB or so of speed. The length of cabling all together in my house is probably in excess of 40 feet (I make that over 12 meters) (ie from the main junction point to the back of my computer there is about 40ft of cabling involved). My broadband package is ?17.99 per month ($35.70) but I'm on a long-term customer discount. The proper price is normally ?20.99 ($41.65).

 

My sister is on the same telephone exchange as myself but a mile away from where I live and her max speed is usually about 3000kbps. She too is on the advertised 8MB package but can never get anywhere near that due to the distance from the telephone exchange.

 

That reading I have, above, is probably one of the best I've had, it's usually about 6000kbps to 6500kbps, although it can drop in peak hours. My upload speed, nearly always between 375kbps to 382kbps, is far too slow but is standard for my ISP.