Doh. How do I check my Internet connection speed ?

[MegalosSkylaki]

On Win 7.

ThanX.

DOOOOG

Ps. Does it tend to be quite variable?

[GroundZero3]

Speedtest.net - The Global Broadband Speed Test

Speakeasy Speed Test

AT&T High Speed Internet Speed Test

XFINITY Speed Test

Pick your poison, make sure others/applications on your network aren't eating up bandwidth.

[tony_j15]

^^^^ what GZ said. Speed can vary quite a bit with a cable connection, satellite signal, cell, or Wi-Fi. A DSL connection should remain constant. If you are getting a lot of variance with DSL, you'll probably want to do some troubleshooting.

[MegalosSkylaki]

ThanX, you all.

more work fer da DooG.

Part of the reason I'm checking this is that the Roku Forum claims that Netflix needs like 2.0 Mps (?) for streaming video. Funny , Amazon was streaming alright and the only Channel .
not supported by my Roku box was Netflix. Also, I have a Vizio HDTV/Comp.Monitor that was disconected and stored last summer. I reconnected toward the end of the outage and Netflix was working on Vizio. It annoys me when people don't own up to problems.

DOOOOG

Anyhow, I'm looking to get out from under from Time Warner Triple Play cable/internet pak.Just a hint: don't bundle yourself.

[GroundZero3]

The bare minimum netflix needs is

Watching instantly works with all different levels of broadband, however, we recommend a minimum speed of 500kbps (0.5MB).

https://signup.netflix.com/howitworks

Of course that isnt HD

More information

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/te...ch/17askk.html

Internet Speed Requirements for Video Streaming

[MegalosSkylaki]

I looked at NYT article as per GZ3 and here it goes (in part):

Q. Do you need to have a certain Internet connection speed to stream Netflix movies so they don’t stop and start all the time?

A. Netflix recommends that you stream its movies over a broadband connection with a speed of at least 1.5 megabits per second (1.5Mbps). To get better-looking video on par with a DVD, the company recommends using an Internet connection of at least 3 megabits per second. If you are watching the video on a computer, you may want to check and make sure the machine can handle Netflix video streams; visit www.netflix.com/Help and search for “system requirements.”

-- from (clic)>>http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/te...askk.html?_r=1

In scientific theories we sometimes say a phenomenon or state or condition is "overdetermined". In plain English and(errr...nothing is plain in) DooGlian, that means there are more than one cause, each contributing a little.

Now what bugs me is exactly when everybody blames everybody else instead of looking at what they can do and being honest about what they can't. Seems like the internet provider is averybodies favorite whippingpost and given that the ISPs tried and maybe did throttle back on bandwidth for everybody due to a reletively few "abusers', I can see why they are an easy target.

Anyhow, getting back to common sense--or call it the "clinical presentation" in another context--I'm left with Amazon streaming working and Netflix going south on Roku but not on Vizio and not everybody has a 23" Vizio HDTV Razor(?) hanging around in a closet.

Hey I like Netflix and I'm glad I got the Roku as a present but still, honesty is the best policy. Come to think of it, when I signed up fot Time Warner Internet, I don't recall their selling different speeds/bandwidth at different prices and now they roped me into a "Triple", they got me in a "speed" --the slowest they sell. I suspect the want a "piece of the action" now that VOD has become so big.

Wasn't there legislation or FCC action a while ago about this ?

DOOOOG

[GroundZero3]

What exactly is netflix doing? Have you tried watching it through you web browser on your computer to see if you have the same results like your ROKU has?

Find Out If Your ISP Is Throttling Your Internet Service | PCWorld Business Center

[MegalosSkylaki]

Netflix is now alright on ROKU, although it was out for about a week for reasons that are still not clear.

When I called Netflix a Rep claimed a Roku firmware rollout had caused it; a Roku rep similarly blaimed others for reasons that remain obscure.

Anyhow, both wanted to point attention to the ISP which in this case is TimeWarner Cable but given that Amazon was able to stream video over the internet and even Netflix was able to stream over a Vizio HDTV I managed to set up toward the end, I am inclined to doubt it--this time.

However, I've had my issues with Time Warner and I just cut back on unneeded services and I am trying to negotiate a recompense for monies previously paid to TW for services I repeatedly asked to have disconnected to lower the cost. TW was of course willing to cut back unwanted services--like digital phone--but only if I would pay a higher price for less service. Get it? I don't.

See the folllowing for that drama>>>
TIME WARNER "Triple Play": Inverted Pricing-- When the Promotion Runs Out. - ResellerRatings Store Ratings

It is unfortuanate that living in a technological world you have to deal with all these unnecessary agitations. Maybe I'm getting more impatient as I get older.

Anyhow, the basic I-net plan provides--i'm told-- 1 Mps upstream and 10 Mps downstream. For $10 more a month, that can go to 1.5 up and 15 down. I don't know how adequate 1 up and 10 down is for Video streaming plus simultaneous Internet surfing.

I am set to bolt from TW and I'm looking at my options...maybe putting together an a la carte deal with different providers--one for TV and one for Internet. Some people live without cable TV quite nicely, but the CATT watches it. I have no patience for commercials and record anything I watch on TV which is seldom.

MegalosSkylaki

[MegalosSkylaki]

The bare minimum netflix needs is



https://signup.netflix.com/howitworks

Of course that isnt HD

More information

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/te...ch/17askk.html

Internet Speed Requirements for Video Streaming

ThanX.

Her's what AT&T told me:

Down: 17.37 Mbps; ~ ~ ~ UP: 0.94 Mbps

Here's what Speakeasy reported:

Down: 22.83 Mbps ~ ~ ~ Up: 0.98 Mbps

Speedtest tried to get into my system so I stopped it. Didn't try Xfinity yet.

I can't explain the 5 Mbps+ differnence in Downspeed between the two tests, but it would seem a significant disparity . Differences on Psych test are often either random variance or tests measure slightly different skills, dispite what they claim. Can't interpret here.

MegalosSkylaki

Ah...Maybe the server accounts for disparity--but 5+ Mbps?.

Using Xfinity, I was given the choce of servers. From NJ, I got 14.4 down and 0.96 Up.
from Boston, I got 15.2 Down and 0.84 Up.

All the readings are consistant with a HD VOD streaming without an xtra cost Bandwidth purchase. Problem is that with cable internet, there may be time-of-day usage effects as more people turn on the BooB TooB.

[GroundZero3]

TV service runs at a different frequency than what the internet runs over on coax. So having a large amount of people watching tv doesnt interfere with your internet service.

What are you supposed to be getting from your ISP (what are you paying for advertised?) As for the difference, distance from you and the server you are testing, the time of day, how many people are trying to do the same thing can affect your test results. That seems to be some really crappy upload speeds there dooooooog, you barely touched 1Mbps

[Bizkitkid2001]

Those upload speeds are normal for TWC. I am on their Turbo 20mbps plan, but often see 30mbps download, and my upload speeds very from 1.5-2.0mbps.

Anyways, my dad in Kentucky has a DSL connection with 1.5mbps down and 512kbps upload and he can stream Netflix on his Wii and surf the internet at the same time with no issues. Also, they never get the advertised 1.5mbps, it is always around 1.3mbps download. A 10mbps connection should be more than enough to stream Netflix 1080p HD content (Only on the PS3 or Xbox 360 I think) and surf the web at the same time.

When I am watching a 1080p movie with 5.1 surround sound on my PS3 my router never reports usage going above 6mbps.

Speedtest has been the most consistent in speed reporting for me. They don't install anything on your computer other than java and flash components needed to run the test. (just don't click on any of the advertisement banners that say "Before you test, scan your system for errors")

TWC speeds here are

Basic 3mbps down 512kbps up
Standard 10mbps down 512kbps up (Not a typo for the upload)
Turbo 20mbps down 2mbps up
Extreme 30mbps down 5mbps up
Ultimate 50mbps down 5mbps up

I would recommend checking to see if you can get Verizon FiOS where you are at.

EDIT: Correction, I am on the Turbo not the Extreme.

[GroundZero3]

Wow that really sucks.

[MegalosSkylaki]

TV service runs at a different frequency than what the internet runs over on coax. So having a large amount of people watching tv doesnt interfere with your internet service.

What are you supposed to be getting from your ISP (what are you paying for advertised?) As for the difference, distance from you and the server you are testing, the time of day, how many people are trying to do the same thing can affect your test results. That seems to be some really crappy upload speeds there dooooooog, you barely touched 1Mbps

I'm on the Standard plan and I'm suposed to be getting 10 Mbps down and 1 Mbps Up--although I think she stumbled on the up and may have been 512mbps up as per Bizkitkid2001. I don't trust TW much because I had such a hard time pinning their Rep down and this was a special Rep because I had complained in the past.

For $10 more the Turbo plan goes to 20 Mbps down and 2 Mbps up. It seems that the Down exceeds promises on Measurement and the Up fails to reach them.

Now most of my VOD is via Internet but some is via Cable by TW cable movies for hire. The Internet VOD seems to give a better quality movie experience and that may be because of what GZ3 is saying about usage not affecting Internet.

I'm sure usage levels do affect cable TV-transmitted movies. I don't think you even need Internet to rent VOD on TW cable so it must be transmitted like a regular cableTV movie, using the Set Top Box (STB). I get the mosiac breakdown with cable movies more often.

So do I really need the Turbo plan for another $10 if I'm already getting 15plus Mbps downside with Standard?

Depending how it goes with TWC about my past attempts to downsize my bill (see Reseller Ratings Community Forum Merchants Advice) and recover credits for past overpayments to and what my options are--my building is not wired for Verizon FIOS but only the plain-jane Verizon Internet and not RCN either so TWC may be taking advantage--I may or may not be stuck with Time Warner.

Still, if I can get a good Internet, I think I can live without Cable TV and save a bundle that way. I'm going to look into DSL. We have a land phone (for reliability) and three cell phones. I was not impressed with the digital phone --which was supurflous anyway--and the only thing that prevented me from dropping it is that TW threatened to raise my monthly Bill if I dropped it(!) from Triple Play. Google TIME WARNER "Triple Play": Inverted Pricing-- When the Promotion Runs Out.

My advice: Don't get bundled up. It's a sucker play.

MegalosSkylaki

PS. On another note, I would recommend David Suchet in the Agatha Christie POIROT series.

[jotsha]

You can check your internet speed at IP-Details.com which shows the speeds in both Mbps and MBps. Yes, the speed varies from time to time and with different speed test tools also.

[michael clay]

go for google search is best one

[Taxmancometh]

Google search??? I don't think you read the thread right.