Speedtest Results
 

How accurate are speed test results from speedtest.net using a local server for the test?

I'm on a 20mb connection and constantly get results like this

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2008/08/6.png

The download is amazing but is the upload OK?

Re: Speedtest Results
 

If you are a Virgin Media customer then the best speedtest is from the link below which is from a dedicated server within the Virgin Media network, hence the is no www. before the address.

Have you tried going to this link to check your speeds http://gamefiles.virginmedia.com/

click on blueyondergames>demos>then click on at least 2 large files and save them to your desktop, and then wait a couple of minutes then write down the transfer rates on the files that are running> times them by 8 and you will get a truer download speed.

Re: Speedtest Results
 

Quick note - www in front of the server name doesn't mean it's inside or outside the Virgin Media network, it's just a commonly used naming convention for... World Wide Web be it on port 80 or port 443.

Can I suggest that a better test of the speeds is to use ftp://gamefiles.virginmedia.com/ rather than http, ftp is a more efficient file transfer protocol, amd it stands for file transfer protocol.

As far as speed tests go, while Virgin Media would have you use a test inside their network I would consider using http://www.speedtest.bbmax.co.uk it has in my experience always been spot on and is not on the Virgin Media network so will give a better idea of real world speeds incase you might want to access something outside the VM network, it also measures upstream which a download from the ex-Telewest FTP server will not. speedtest.net is a bit wobbly partly due to the variable quality of the servers it runs on and partly due to the interface it uses.

Re: Speedtest Results
 

The subdomain GAMEFILES is just a simple way of specifying that the files on this section of the domain are gamefiles, it has nothing to do with the location of the server. Using CNAME you can point any subdomain (not just the WWW default) to your servers, using an A record you can also point a subdomain to another IP and away from the main IP of the domain.

Although incorrect in that statement the downloading a few files simultaneously from http://gamefiles.virginmedia.com/ and then adding up the speeds will give you a better figure than Speedtest which can eaily give you greatly inaccurate speeds due to proxies/caches.. BUT you must do all the files at the same time (virgin recommend 4 from two different servers) otherwise you could again fall foul of cached files

Re: Speedtest Results
 

Gamefiles is still the only speedtest that Virgin will accept, so were exactly it is from doe not really matter.

Re: Speedtest Results
 

Maybe you could suggest Virgin get a real bidirectional speedtest on a server on their network rather than this half-backsided method of having a customer starting however many downloads it takes to give the wanted result.

Here: http://www.dslreports.com/speedtest

That's a free one and you even report stats back to the largest broadband-oriented news/community website in the world.

Also calm down, he was just pointing out that your comment on the www prefix was not accurate. :)

Re: Speedtest Results
 

I mentioned the OTHER server as VM used to suggest 4 simulatanious test files (two from gamesfiles and two from I think Zen)

Re: Speedtest Results
 

Most staff just use gamefiles as it is easier to guide customers to just one site.

Re: Speedtest Results
 

I'd have thought getting a real speedtest and guiding people to http://speedtest.virginmedia.com would be ideal :)

Re: Speedtest Results
 

Again though it is only a single connection and not always capable of maxing out a link.. But just tried one of the UK ones and got on my 10Mb line

[img]Download Failed (1)[/img]

Re: Speedtest Results
 

I do try most speed tests just to see the difference if any in the results, but I know in work I can only use gamefiles with a customer.

Re: Speedtest Results
 

Agreed but on the other hand though Kymmy most of what Joe Average customer does is on a single TCP stream, and if they struggle to max out on a single stream it points to them needing to optimise their TCP receive window, easily doable either via a Virgin Media optimisation page which I can't remember or http://www.dslreports.com/tweaks which I can.

Re: Speedtest Results
 

yes I agree with that, but that then also means that those moaning that their 20Mbps connection will only download at 5-8Mbps need educating to the facts that 1# thier internet connection is only as fast as the slowest link and 2# to gain the full speed you really do need to use multiple connections before having a moan about it.

Re: Speedtest Results
 

My own connection downloads fine at 20Mbit though it's been tweaked to ensure it does ;)

I do to an extent agree with you, though I also think that the VM way ignores potential issues from TCP misconfiguration as well as ensuring that any bottlenecks between VM's network and the rest of the world are ignored.

A good speedtester / tweaktester would be lovely though and probably help tech support out too...

Re: Speedtest Results
 

Apparently they are trialling a speed test but it will be a downloadable app that you run, rather than a simple web page - more effort than it's worth, IMHO.

Another VM site for downlooads is mirrors.virginmedia.com (but no Mandriva mirror, and my request for one was ignored, grumble, grumble) and you can always try tenmeg.myby.co.uk only speed test I've seen that claims to be probably innaccurate.

Re: Speedtest Results
 

Sounds like Virgin / ntl, why bother with a simple (and free!) web page when you can pay some coders to write an app and load more branded rubbish onto people's PCs? :)

Re: Speedtest Results
 

So by that reasoning http://cableforum.co.uk is within the Virgin Media network as are http://google.com and http://aol.com ?? :)

Re: Speedtest Results
 

Overall it does not really matter where it is, just that it is the only speed test that Virgin actually recognize and take any notice of.;)

Re: Speedtest Results
 

It actually does matter. If someone reading this thread with a speed problem on thier 20Mb line finds out that the bottleneck isn't the modem but actually to a particular speedtest site then it's worth knowing which speedtests are accurate or not.

In the end it saves them hassling tech support for a problem that might not exist

Kymmy

Re: Speedtest Results
 

I worded my answer to Graham slightly wrong, what I meant was regards Virgin Tech Support speed testing, not testing your speed in general.