Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

I have long complained about Thinkbroadband's speedtest because of its inaccurate measurements for VM. They told me this was because of the poor connection to the VM provided for them by VM. There seems to be an improvement, at least up to 50Mb.

I now get a consistent 46Mb from their tester, compared with <20Mb previously. Why is this good news? Well, the reason for my complaint was that VM was always poorly represented in the speed leagues and on their broadband maps. Now we have a chance, if we are so inclined, to redress the balance by getting in a few good tests and boost VM's stats. After all, TBB is used for information by prospective ISP customers. I hated seeing VM outstripped by BT sats!!

Here you can see that I have been busy putting the record right! TBB Map

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

I reckon somebody must be standing on the wire between mine and TBB. I've never seen a result approaching 50Mbps there and still don't...

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

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2011/05/57.png

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

Damn!! Here's me thinking they have sorted it out universally. Has nobody else noticed an improvement at TBB?

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

according to a reply I got back from VM's noc email address, ncuk (tbb) are using a backup link thats depreferenced.

When I posted on tbb's forums they blamed VM initially but then someone on another isp joined in with the same issue and they routed speedtests over a new server, this then fixed VM results, however this was only temp so they may have switched back. Since TBB is a pro adsl site I suspected possible foul play however it could well be due to congested VM transit who knows. There is a way to force speedtests to different TBB servers, tommorow if I have time I will post links.

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

no improvements here...

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedt...2861325177.png

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2011/05/56.png

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

Thanks. Looking forward to that.

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedt...7692625569.png


https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2011/05/55.png

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

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

Best i ever get; the flash version is even worse that maxs at like 9 mb/s

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2011/05/54.png

http://top10.com/broadband/speedtest/ is another appalling one; considering this was intended to show the internet speed of other people on your street; and it seems to max out at about 20 mb/s which i really dont understand; as there is speedtests down the road from me showing 50 or so but when i click them it shows the results were from 2010 which leads me to believe there server capacity isn't enough anymore.

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

I got 49.9Mb on the Top10.com tester. I returned similar levels on subsequent tests.

Tbb took pride in their 200Mb test server which they were keen to demonstrate only a year ago. Somehow this capacity was never available to VM users. When I was on the 200Mb trial I never got more than 20Mb at Tbb.

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

Tested at 06:17 this morning

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedt...4627128295.png

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2011/05/53.png

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2011/06/99.png

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

strange; never ever got more then 20 mb/s on top10 speedtest or tbb; but other show back the full 50 and a majority of downloads go at 5.5/6 MB/s

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

The actual testers seem to be reporting what they see but they either have too little bandwidth or the transit is bad.

This is a Networkx graph from some tests (the cancelled one as when I somehow managed to start a test against a Norwegian test site)

http://www.kwikbreaks.webspace.virgi...speedtests.jpg

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

Would probably be more relevant if people could post the output of the TBB Traceroute tool along with their test.

The numbers don't really matter the host is the more interesting bit, see if there's some correlation there performance wise.

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedt...7954529572.png

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedt...7827329874.png


OK. So I'm getting decent results from TBB. Here's my trace. How do you get your results so tidy Ignition?

# Host Sent Recvd Best Avg Worst
1 thinkbroadband-gw2.core-rs2.thdo.ncuk.net 15 15 0ms 2ms 6ms
2 gi0-2-10-star1.bdr-rt2.thdo.ncuk.net 15 15 0ms 0ms 0ms
3 gi4-47-10-star1.bdr-rt3.thdo.ncuk.net 15 15 0ms 0ms 0ms
4 linx-gw2.router.ntli.net 15 15 0ms 1ms 2ms
5 brnt-bb-1b-as0-0.network.virginmedia.net 15 15 1ms 1ms 1ms
6 brnt-bb-1b-ae5-0.network.virginmedia.net 15 15 1ms 31ms 197ms
8 brhm-bb-1b-as3-0.network.virginmedia.net 15 15 7ms 9ms 41ms
9 brhm-core-1b-ae1-0.network.virginmedia.net 15 15 8ms 14ms 90ms
10 cove-cmts-12-ge410.network.virginmedia.net 15 15 9ms 9ms 11ms

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedt...6927129974.png

---------- Post added at 10:09 ---------- Previous post was at 10:05 ----------

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2011/05/52.png

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

ignition its 'linx-gw2.router.ntli.net' which the NOC told me shouldnt be used and is a backup link on standby.

I have access to dozens of uk servers in various dc's and networks and not a single one of them goes over the same routing as tbb does.

---------- Post added at 12:15 ---------- Previous post was at 12:08 ----------

ok I done just now, the main tester flatlined me max speed in dumeter graph.

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedt...2016231278.png

the flash tester was erratic but did hit max speed at the start ended up on 27.34mbit/sec. Before they improved things the flash tester was always faster for me.

couldnt find the info regarding what I said earlier but if I remember right speedtest2 was their fixed server so if thats slow there is still other issues.

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

Can't replicate the slowness here.

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedt...6404031804.png

Virtually identical result from Flash.

linx-gw2.router.ntli.net doesn't actually exist. Must be old DNS or some weirdness from TBB's DNS, the actual device is telc-ic-1.network.virginmedia.net and is most certainly not a 'back up'. VM run their LINX ports more than hot enough to not have the luxury of ports as backup links.

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedt...3098532085.png

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2011/05/48.png

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

The think broadband flash test is appalling for me :/ the needle jumps between 6 + 13 MB/s ; but strangely the upload speed is accurate

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2011/05/46.png
https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2011/05/47.png

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedt...1579332169.png

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

Flash gets me 47/4.08. Not running the other one, dont want Java installed (get bored of updating it every other day because of new exploits and it trying to install toolbars each time)

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2011/05/45.png

I should point out that I have QoS on my upload set at just over 4meg

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

Has anyone with a sharp eye noticed a pattern in the trace readouts yet? It all looks contradictory to me. I'm getting higher latency on VM network sections than anybody else, but satisfactory results on the TBB speed test.

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedt...0331232372.png

# Host Sent Recvd Best Avg Worst
1 thinkbroadband-gw2.core-rs2.thdo.ncuk.net 15 15 0ms 3ms 9ms
2 gi0-2-10-star1.bdr-rt2.thdo.ncuk.net 15 15 0ms 0ms 0ms
3 gi4-47-10-star1.bdr-rt3.thdo.ncuk.net 15 15 0ms 7ms 111ms
4 linx-gw2.router.ntli.net 15 15 0ms 0ms 0ms
5 brnt-bb-1b-as0-0.network.virginmedia.net 15 15 1ms 1ms 1ms
6 brnt-bb-1b-ae5-0.network.virginmedia.net 15 15 1ms 3ms 31ms
8 brhm-bb-1b-as3-0.network.virginmedia.net 15 15 7ms 7ms 7ms
9 brhm-core-1b-ae1-0.network.virginmedia.net 15 15 8ms 16ms 107ms
10 cove-cmts-12-ge410.network.virginmedia.net 15 15 9ms 9ms 9ms

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

My results on the test and latency are fine, we are all taking the same path from there.

Maybe it's a different route to/from the speed testers, who knows.

Speedtest1.thinkbroadband.com has a neighbouring IP address to www.thinkbroadband.com, they will take the same route, speedtest2 is on a different subnet so could take a different route if required.

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

might explain why I got told it shouldnt be used then :) although not sure then why they would say its depreferenced as well. Possibly some confusion.

before they fixed, speedtest1 was aweful, I got adsl like performance on it.

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

'Depreferencing' just means making traffic less inclined to take that route, doesn't affect traffic on the route.

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

I like the way a VM fanboy thread has disintergrated to a TBB thread!:D:D

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

How was this in any way; shape or form a fanboy thread?

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

Seems like it to me!:D:D:D

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

I checked some BGP documentation after I was given the phrase.

What I read told me it means it will get used if an alternate route with higher preference is not available. If traffic uses the route regardless of availability then it would suggest the depreferencing is useless :) maybe I have misunderstood it again.

Your old rdns info means I should disable hostname resolving next time I check routes so I can compare the ip's instead of looking for a matching hostname.

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

Yeah! How? :p:
.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .............................................Edit

Quote:
Originally Posted by roughbeast View Post
Well, the reason for my complaint was that VM was always poorly represented in the speed leagues and on their broadband maps. Now we have a chance, if we are so inclined, to redress the balance by getting in a few good tests and boost VM's stats.

Oh! :o:

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

yeah, I have to agree, the thinkbroadband speed test sucks for me, if someone looks at my speedtest they would think im on the 30mb package, and they would be wrong. I can tell im on 50mb because of the upload speed testing at 3.6mb, while the download is at 28mb, they ask you what speed you are supposed to be receiving before the test, so its making VM look bad, as you tell them your expected speed is 50mb and then its tests at 30mb

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

Glad you agree!!!!!:D:D:D

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

Sorry to revive this but i noticed somthing

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/download/

downloading the 1 GB file; the only way to possibly achieve even near to what ic an normally download from websites is using 'download them all' plugin on firefox which is set to download from 16 concurrent connections

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2011/06/5.png

If i try to download from thinkbroadband normally

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2011/06/6.png


Yet other downloads can get past 2 mb/s fine.

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2011/06/7.png
https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2011/06/8.png
It almost seems like TBB are limiting the speed per connection to virgin media?


http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedt...1020129209.png

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2011/06/9.png

---------- Post added at 12:20 ---------- Previous post was at 12:12 ----------

Also downloading a single file 1.5 mb/s

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2011/06/10.png

yet if I download 6 concurrent files they still all go arround 1 mb/s (all download speeds combined = 6100 kb/s)

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2011/06/11.png

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

My results on my 50Mb connection.

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedt...7967929624.png

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2011/06/4.png

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

VM is just inherently bad at delivering your full pipe speed over one connection, no surprises there, but obviously some sites will be worse affected than others.

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

Honestly, as bad as VM are on some things, I find I can quite often get the full 50meg I'm paying for. Its usually the website that can't (or wont) deliver the full speed with one connection, which can usually be corrected with Down them all :p

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

Did you actually read my post? I showed other screen-grabs showing that i can get very close to full speed on other downloads just fine; only tbb was having problems.

---------- Post added at 21:07 ---------- Previous post was at 21:06 ----------

Exactly! :)

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

Rubbish .. look at the offcom reports ..

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

The ofcom reports are *exactly* what show VM are the worst at delivering full speed over single connections (i.e. without multithreading)

So how about you take a look yourself.

---------- Post added at 03:44 ---------- Previous post was at 03:42 ----------

Did you actually read my post? I said VM are relatively bad at getting full speed from single connections, and some sites are affected worse than others. Very close to full speed isn't full speed. From a technical point of view anything other than 100% of full speed without due cause is a problem.

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

No you didn't. yo said it is 'inherently' bad.

And the only reason the 2 other downloads i showed were slightly off full speed was down to the websites they were being downloaded off.

Considering i can manage 4 - 6 MB/s downloads of a majority of websites; but then think broadband apparently being a leading online company for determining performance of internet connections cant pass 1.5 MB/s shows the problem is at their end.

Here is a trace route to think broadband. I'm about 99.9% sure that shows the problem is their end. It just carries on with hops of * * *. completely outside of the virgin media network.

Here is a screenshot to; as you seem like somone who would try and discredit copied and pasted stuff.

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

> I'm about 99.9% sure that shows the problem is their end.

On this occasion the 1% wins. The tracert proves nothing at all other than a router in the path cba to respond to low priority traffic which is how your tracert is classed.

That said I never get a decent speedtest result from TBB either so there is something wrong in the path or test.

===

Just tried this from my home connection and my own tracert looks fine....

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\System32>tracert thinkbroadband.com

Tracing route to thinkbroadband.com [80.249.99.130]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.0.1
2 10 ms 15 ms 11 ms cpc9-nrte22-2-0-gw.8-4.cable.virginmedia.com [81.109.113.1]
3 8 ms 11 ms 19 ms nrth-core-1b-ae1-2555.network.virginmedia.net [213.106.255.209]
4 9 ms 7 ms 9 ms nrth-bb-1b-so-511-0.network.virginmedia.net [212.43.162.241]
5 11 ms 11 ms 15 ms brnt-bb-1a-as2-0.network.virginmedia.net [212.43.162.217]
6 11 ms 11 ms 15 ms brnt-bb-1b-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [213.105.174.226]
7 14 ms 9 ms 11 ms brnt-tmr-1-ae5-0.network.virginmedia.net [213.105.159.50]
8 11 ms 12 ms 15 ms telc-ic-1-as0-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.253.185.74]
9 14 ms 17 ms 15 ms linx-gw1.thdo.ncuk.net [195.66.226.240]
10 15 ms 17 ms 15 ms gi0-24-10-star1.core-rs2.thdo.ncuk.net [80.249.97.9]
11 12 ms 18 ms 13 ms www.thinkbroadband.com [80.249.99.130]

Trace complete.

C:\Windows\System32>

Looks like your last hop was TBB itself.

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

Here's mine


Tracing route to thinkbroadband.com [80.249.99.130]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms DD-WRT [192.168.1.1]
2 16 ms 7 ms 7 ms ****-****-*-*-**.****.cable.virginmedia.com [**.***.***.*]
3 9 ms 15 ms 15 ms ****-geam-1a-ge212.network.virginmedia.net [**.*.***.***]
4 9 ms 7 ms 16 ms ****-geam-1a-pc113.network.virginmedia.net [**.*.***.**]
5 11 ms 16 ms 7 ms ****-core-1a-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [**.*.***.*]
6 14 ms 15 ms 12 ms winn-bb-1a-as0-0.network.virginmedia.net [213.105.175.157]
7 14 ms 21 ms 16 ms brnt-bb-1b-as5-0.network.virginmedia.net [213.105.172.234]
8 14 ms 14 ms 15 ms brnt-tmr-1-ae5-0.network.virginmedia.net [213.105.159.50]
9 15 ms 21 ms 15 ms telc-ic-1-as0-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.253.185.74]
10 15 ms 17 ms 13 ms linx-gw1.thdo.ncuk.net [195.66.226.240]
11 13 ms 16 ms 17 ms gi0-24-10-star1.core-rs2.thdo.ncuk.net [80.249.97.9]
12 22 ms 14 ms 15 ms www.thinkbroadband.com [80.249.99.130]

Trace complete.

Your point?

Re: Thinkbroadband speed test improved
 

Mine to the 1gb file ip, speedtest on TBB have been giving 3-4mb on this 30mb during peak, all other sources run full speed