Real ADSL Speed?

[youmike]

I have DSL384. Telkom's speed tester says my down speed is around 400. If I use TCP/IQ it is measured at around 220. How do I know which is the truth?

Subjectively, I think my transfer speed has slowly declined over the past three months or so. The technician has checked the quality of my copper connection to the exchange - it's about 1500m in length. The exchange that serves me has seen quite a lot of new DSL connections in this time span and I wonder whether I'm seeing contention ratio problems, that were perhaps not there previously.

 

[saintm]

There was a report this week that Telkom's speed test is not your friend. From what I recall, TCP/IQ uses an international site too for the test so it is also a bit of a problem. I prefer something like GAMCO or so and then it is more of a "get a feel" kind of test anyway.

As for the subjective slow down - I can attest to that too. Not sure what is going on, but everything just feels slower than usual (also on 384). But then, I have no real basis in fact other than the speed tests are sometimes a bit lower than usual. I just think more people are coming on line and the systems don't cater for it all that well.