Speed tests are like infomercials: ISPA

[Kevin Lancaster]

Speed tests are like infomercials: ISPA

Broadband speed test results are about as useful to accurate consumer decision-making as infomercials, said ISPA.

 

[ThinkCentre]

Unfortunately, download speed is paramount for anything and everything to work! I use speedtest.net regularly to compare results!

 

[pinball wizard]

We have this discussion with end users constantly...

 

[Chevron]

Unfortunately, download speed is paramount for anything and everything to work! I use speedtest.net regularly to compare results!

Since when does download speeds have anything to do with speedtests?

You know most ISPs give priority to speedtests right?

 

[AstroTurf]

Unfortunately, download speed is paramount for anything and everything to work! I use speedtest.net regularly to compare results!

Speedtest is about more or less a "is my internet working" test.

http://testmy.net/ for more interesting results.

 

[pinball wizard]

You know most ISPs give priority to speedtests right?

Most host their own instance and keep the traffic on-net to show how their speed offered is what you get.

 

[AstroTurf]

Most host their own instance and keep the traffic on-net to show how their speed offered is what you get.

yea,

If I really want accuracy, I do download tests http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/download_speed_tester.html

 

[mister]

I've always wondered what metric mybb used when selecting Openweb as their preferred partner in crime - because it's certainly not a speed test.

 

[Skerminkel]

Don't tell us speedtests are bad without offering an alternative. Sorry, hoor.

 

[pinball wizard]

Don't tell us speedtests are bad without offering an alternative. Sorry, hoor.

They're not bad so much as they offer a skewed perception. What is important is what the user experience is, and the article was very clear that such experience depends on numerous factors that cannot be met with a one bullet solution in terms of testing metric.

Or to paraphrase purpleheart, did you even read the article?

 

[Skerminkel]

They're not bad so much as they offer a skewed perception. What is important is what the user experience is, and the article was very clear that such experience depends on numerous factors that cannot be met with a one bullet solution in terms of testing metric.

Or to paraphrase purpleheart, did you even read the article?

Uhm, they say speedtests are bad and gave a lot of reasons and excuses. They do not supply any other rational and usably metric. All speedtests I know provide ping time as well, so I include that with speed tests.

 

[paul5186]

Nperf.com

 

[GuileX]

Don't really care for speed tests. it does not tell me anything i don't know, unless there is seriously something wrong with your line.

 

[kianm]

Can't stop the speedtests though despite