First check if your ISP provides a speed checking tool. Both the ISP I use with my landline and the one I use for mobile connections do. No idea how accurate they are.

I seldom bother about them, my rule of thumb is that if I am not tapping my fingers waiting for a page to download then it is fast enough.

This mobile connection has peaked so far at 748k - I couldn't stream a video but no no visible delay reading this board or checking my emails.

is this speed test provided by website reliable?

We have got a 4 mbps connection for our office line and it doesnt goes beyond 2.5 when the speed test from those websites are run. Please help

>>We have got a 4 mbps connection for our office line and it doesnt goes beyond 2.5

a 4 mbps connection means that would be the maximum speed of that line if you are close to the telephone exchange, the further from the exchange you are the more speed you lose ... i suggest you look at the small print in your terms of service!

Is that 4meg from your ISP or 4meg quoted by your Telco?

I have an 8 meg contract with my ISP, my Telco quotes 4 meg for the connection from the exchange and it measures as anything from 2 to 3.5 depending on which direction the wind is in.

4M is quoted by the service provider and we are getting 2.5 M as download and around 1.5 for uploads (for a single connection)

If you are connecting over copper wire that doesn't sound too bad.

Here's a site to try a test:

[speedtest.net...]

2.5 M as download and around 1.5 for uploads

That sounds about right if you were quoted 4 MB, typically they quote the up and down speed as a single value added together to make it sound bigger.

Really what they are saying is:
2.5MB down + 1.5MB up = 4MB

The broadband provider is providing a product that under perfect conditions would be able to provide the MB they specified. But if there are issues further down the line, for example the condition of the cables from the exchange to your location, or the number of people using the lines from the exchange to your location then these factors are out-with the control of broadband provider.

Mack.

Hi Mack. The Support Team told us that if you upload a File through FTP, the transfer rate x 8 will determine the speed of your connectivity . Is it true.

i tried various online testing tools , still the speed is not beyond 2.5 Mbps but when I used my wireless datacard I could see 3.5 Mbps. Still confused on the Speed of my local internet connection

The Support Team told us that if you upload a File through FTP, the transfer rate x 8 will determine the speed of your connectivity . Is it true.

Well they are morons.

Did they mention the place you were FTPing to/from has as much effect on the transfer speed as your connection.

I could set up a file on a server and that server could be behind a 56K modem which would give you a horrible FTP transfer rate. It would tell you nothing about your true connection speed.

typically they quote the up and down speed as a single value added together to make it sound bigger

Who does that?

That would land them in deceptive trade practices hot water in many areas.

I haven't checked my local speed in a while so I tried the test and using Comcast I'm pushing a solid 20MB down, 4MB up locally. However speeds cross country to my servers are more like 11MB down, 3MB up.

Who does that?

Shaw Communications

That would land them in deceptive trade practices hot water in many areas.

They aren't sneaky about it, they just tell you that you have a 5MB capability. If you inquire about it to them, they will break it down for you.

I have never seen a residential connection get to the speed touted as the max by the company providing the service. I think they test it from their parking lot, a lot happens by the time the connection is routed to you though.

Because of the nature of the web your download speeds are a lot higher than your upload speeds (in most cases) most providers will quote the speed provided downstream. This is the one users will be better able to understand. Providing a figure that is a combination of downstream + upstream = speed would be pretty confusing.

The max provided by the provider is very often hard to validate. As another poster stated, there are so many factors to take into account. The fast speed provided will only be manageable within your providers own network. On the web you are very much at the mercy of other networks and their connection speeds. For example if a website is experiencing slow connectivity you will not be able to download a file any quicker than the servers reduced upstream speed. You may have 8meg. If the server can only deliver 4 thats all you can hope for.

Mack.

They aren't sneaky about it, they just tell you that you have a 5MB capability.

I just went to Shaw's website and it spells out download speeds specifically such as "Up to 7.5 Mbps download speed" so if that's counting upload speed as well it's deceptive because download and upload and two different things.

"Up to 7.5 Mbps download speed"

Well, there you go. 300 baud meets those specs.

Bill,

I signed up my service with them around 10 years ago so it may be that they have changed their practice of quoting it that way.

I have a problem dating my info sometimes.