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You are here: MacNN Forums > Enthusiast Zone > Networking > Only Speakeasy shows true internet speed?

Only Speakeasy shows true internet speed?
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jeff k
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Jan 25, 2016, 01:27 PM
 
I've used Speakeasy for years to test internet speed. I complained to ATT, and they directed me to their speed test and it was fine. I then tested many others, and they all tested fine and fast too. It seems only the Speakeasy site will show slower results 4pbs, 5mbs etc (which occur when my computer / internet is slow!)

Which leads me to believe that only the Speakeasy site is accurate. Anyone ever dealt with this? Thanks!
     
ibook_steve
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Jan 26, 2016, 08:03 PM
 
I use speedtest.net. It seems pretty reliable.

Steve
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Chongo
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Jan 26, 2016, 08:13 PM
 
DSL Reports is also good. It's HTML5 based so you can use it with an iPad.
Speed test - how fast is your internet? | DSLReports, ISP Information
45/47
     
jeff k  (op)
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Jan 26, 2016, 09:01 PM
 
Speedtest is part of Oookla, goes by several names, always shows me everything is fine and fast. I look at the other one...
     
ghporter
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Jan 31, 2016, 06:10 PM
 
Most speed testing sites/services are intended for "bragging rights", not diagnosing a possible connection issue. And technically speaking, if every other site/service says you're getting a good transfer speed, Speakeasy isn't necessarily giving you anything useful. The most effective use of such tests is to see what your "last mile" transfer speeds are, and if Ookla says you're getting something close to what your ISP promises, they are almost certainly correct.

All your ISP can do is ensure that the connection between them and you is going as fast as it should, NOT that somewhere between them and Memory Alpha or wherever isn't goofed up. If your slow-down issues were "last mile" problems, then every speed testing site/service would essentially agree and they'd show basically very similar numbers. Instead, you are probably seeing issues between your ISP's servers and routers and the distant end's connection to the Internet.

AT&T is probably CORRECT in that you are getting good speeds from more local servers - which means your slow-downs are not an AT&T problem but rather a problem "at the distant end" or somewhere in between. Bottom line: ask the people who run the servers you have the most problems with why you always have speed issues with THEM. You might be surprised at what their response is.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
jeff k  (op)
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Jan 31, 2016, 06:16 PM
 
G, man I only understood about 1/3 of that. Don't understand last mile etc.

But, I don't know --The internet is slow. Speakeasy says it's at 3mbs. The ATT plan is supposed to be at a minimum of 18 mbs.

All the other speed sites report fast speeds of 18 to 19 mbs.

Logic would say if the internet is slow and one site shows a slow result score, and all others show fast results, then only that one site is accurate. No?
     
ghporter
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Feb 1, 2016, 07:19 PM
 
"Last mile" is a term for the actual connection between your ISP and you, specifically the wire and final substation (or whatever the ISP calls it) that goes from their distribution system to you. It is usually also used to name the overall connection between your ISP and you. I have an Uverse connection with AT&T; it goes from a local "central office" to several smaller facilities and to my house on a copper wire pair. My use of "last mile" was the more general meaning - for you it would mean from an AT&T central office to your house.

If multiple speed test sites say you're getting a certain data rate, it indicates the rate between AT&T's facilities and you. Bottom line: that's all AT&T is really responsible for because that's all they can actually control.

What content are you having "slow" issues with? Have you tested this at different times of day? Is it all the time, or just annoyingly there when you want that content?

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
jeff k  (op)
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Feb 1, 2016, 10:09 PM
 
Thanks GH, it's intermittent, slowness which while streaming TV from the internet.

I'm not conversant on connections, though, I think that is interesting to know. I just click a button on a speed test sites to see a number come up.

I've noticed that with eight speed sites, when things are dead slow, everything comes up roses at 22mbs, except Speakeasy which shows the "true" speed of 3mbs. Any thoughts on that?
     
ghporter
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Feb 3, 2016, 08:53 PM
 
Note that Speakeasy gives you Download speed, Upload speed and Line speed; I'll bet that the Line speed displayed is pretty darn close to what all the other test sites give you. The other speeds depend on the testing model they use which is different from the other sites.

Other test sites like SpeedTest use a basic file transfer model. Instead, Speakeasy seems to use a model that mimics streaming and/or VOIP traffic. The difference is that basic file transfers can be interrupted, and they can have parts delivered out of order, and the protocol manages that just fine. But the same sorts of interruptions in a streaming connection will trigger a ton of retransmit requests, which slows down the traffic.

Again, it's the traffic, NOT the actual connection speed. AT&T can't do anything to fix that. And with this kind of data, you're likely to run into bottlenecks within the Internet because the whole connection, end-to-end, needs to be quick, while this is not always the case.

The real point here is that your connection itself isn't giving you problems, it's the kind of traffic you're getting that is responsible.

Hopefully that will make sense.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
jeff k  (op)
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Feb 3, 2016, 10:16 PM
 
G, in Speakeasy, when it's done, there are just two boxes: download and upload speed.
( Last edited by jeff k; Feb 3, 2016 at 10:16 PM. Reason: mistake)
     
ghporter
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Feb 8, 2016, 10:10 PM
 
Their site says otherwise...

Anyway, since their speed testing model uses a streaming-like algorithm, and their numbers are consistent with your experience with streaming-type content then you have your answer. As I said, AT&T can't do anything about the kind of traffic you use, nor about network issues outside their part of the Internet, and it appears (from all the other testing services) that your connection itself is doing fine. The problem is not that the other tests are "lying" to you, but rather that they aren't simulating the kind of traffic you're interested in. Likewise, Speakeasy isn't "more correct" than the others, but rather its model more accurately matches your usage.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
jeff k  (op)
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Feb 9, 2016, 08:19 PM
 
Thanks G, ok starting to understand. In a crude nutshell form you are saying, all those other 7-8 sites are accurate ( even the monoply ones ATT, Time Warner), but only Speakeasy uses other local metrics.

That said, if I understand correctly, Speakeasy is very unique. Hence it's the only one...

But apart from that, in a way, you are all then saying ATT is off the hook, if I experience grueling slowness of 3 or 5mpbs, in short, then the true connection provided by them is the 18-22 mpbs that their and all other sites say?
     
ghporter
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Feb 9, 2016, 09:38 PM
 
Pretty much. The "true end-to-end" connection speed is better modeled by Speakeasy, while the other tests ONLY measure your direct connection to the ISP and one or two hops beyond, and ONLY with file transfer type traffic. So really Speakeasy isn't measuring your end-to-end speed, just how that kind of traffic is handled in the same number of hops all the other tests use.

You probably ARE getting 18-22 Mbps in the ISP-to-you connection, but the traffic you want doesn't tolerate the network switching needed to support that speed with simple file transfers. The Internet data transfer protocols were never intended for high density, high speed streaming data, so the very strength of the system at times gets in the way of streaming high quality content.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
jeff k  (op)
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Feb 9, 2016, 10:43 PM
 
It's mostly watching TV, you tube, Hulu, and bam, it slows down, very annoying. But in sum; Speakeasy it the only one that will show the full truth.
     
ghporter
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Feb 12, 2016, 01:34 PM
 
The "full truth" with that specific traffic. I'll bet you can download OS updates pretty darn quick. I'd further bet that the slowness is at "peak viewing times" for the demographic of the programming you're watching too. You're not alone in watching Hulu...and you're having to share their servers with everybody else.

Just as a lark, try watching a show on Hulu at a "not-peak" time, like right after you get up in the morning. I'd put money on NO lags or slow downs at such less-used times.

I hope we've helped you sort out what's really happening.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
jeff k  (op)
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Feb 12, 2016, 02:03 PM
 
Thanks G, I'll try to remember that. I'm just throwing out Hulu, but could be MSNCB website or who knows... I usually watch at 3-4 pm PST.

But it ATT promises 18mpbs and it's 3mbps ( only Speakeasy will verify this, is ATT off the hook because the world got busy at that time?)
     
ghporter
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Feb 13, 2016, 05:04 PM
 
The raw data rate is what AT&T promises, and they are probably getting you that. The throughput rate for streaming is not as fast as you want, but again, that's beyond AT&T's control.

Trust me, if I thought AT&T was messing you over, I'd get you phone numbers and urge you to complain. But it's NOT your Uverse connection that's at fault, it's the Internet itself clogging with so many others trying to get the same content.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
jeff k  (op)
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Feb 13, 2016, 08:54 PM
 
I will try to remember that G! But then, how do you ever know if they are not giving you the 18mbs, ; I guess trust then those other tests?
     
ghporter
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Feb 13, 2016, 10:34 PM
 
Yes, trust the other tests that all agree with each other. Using the scientific method, if one of five tests looks odd but the other four agree with each other, you don't doubt the four that tell you something you don't want to hear, you doubt the one that's different. Then you dig in to find out why it's different.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
jeff k  (op)
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Feb 13, 2016, 10:57 PM
 
Well this help me to remember that it then not ATTs fault....

I did get a huge improvement though by having them come and install all corded Ethernet connections instead of using wifi. But still as you say, you get interference.
     
panjandrum
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Feb 26, 2016, 08:43 PM
 
It's also possible that AT&T in your area may be throttling certain types of traffic, regardless of what they tell you.

Comcast certainly does this with their upstream speeds, for example. In my area I can use every speed-test under the sun on any number of ISPs (well, not any number, there are 3 in my area, Comcast, AT&T, and Charter). Of those 3, the throughput shown on Speakeasy (or Ookla whatever, or any of several other ones) actually matches real-world upstream throughput on both Charter and AT&T (AT&T is slow as heck, but delivers what they advertise. Charter actually exceeds advertised speed in both directions pretty much all of the time). Comcast, on the other hand, delivers upstream real-world speeds of between 1/2 and 1/3 of the benchmark results, even though those benchmarks are third-party. And this happens all the time. I first noticed it when clients on Comcast had terrible performance with screen-sharing apps such as VNC and ARD, despite Comcast's advertised upload speeds. Then I started testing it with functions such as file-transfers via ARD and even setup some tests using AFP and FTP, or basic file-uploads in web-browsers. Sure enough, in every one of these cases Comcast delivered upstream speeds and the BEST 1/2 what they tested at various speed-test sites and frequently only 1/3 the tested performance. Note that is is also 1/2 to 1/3 Comcast's advertised upstream performance. Perform these exact same tests with clients on Charter or AT&T, and guess what? Everything matches up just fine.

The only valid theory I can come up with is that Comcast is "smart" (i.e. crooked) enough to provide full upstream throughput to all major sites that test internet speeds, but throttles it for all other traffic.

Not saying for sure that this is your issue, but considering how shady AT&T is about other business practices, it wouldn't surprise me if they are trying out "fake speeds" in certain areas to see if people catch on...
     
ghporter
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Feb 26, 2016, 09:25 PM
 
My experience with AT&T implies that they aren't devious/smart enough to do this. Comcast however seems to have spent plenty of time working out the skulduggery of officially sanctioned throttleing downloads.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
   
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