Broadband speed?

[ffutures]

Virgin's web site says that my area now has 10mbit broadband. I've just done speed tests at a couple of sites - one showed it as 4mbit, the other as 9mbit. I have no way of knowing which one is more accurate - is there a generally recognized speed test site?

Comments

[uk-lemming.livejournal.com]

go to http://192.168.100.1 with a browser (NTL/Virgin Cable Modem address)
login (default username is root, password is root)
click on the "Operation Config" link
It'll tell you the routers Maximum Downstream Data Rate (in bits, so in the case of 4Mb 4096000)

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Looks like it is ten. Yay!

[akicif.livejournal.com]

Um. You know that's an internal IP address? Are you sure you're not just being told what they say they've told you.

The other thing - which you'll have seen by now - is that Virgin Media are quite happily planning to only give the full speed to companies who pay them a premium - everyone else gets the leavings, the "internet bus lane" in the words of their new CEO.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm aware that it's the modem's internal settings - but that means they've rolled out the upgrade to my area.

Re. the virgin media thing, I'm going to wait to see what happens. I suspect that a lot of this is Virgin taking up a negotiating position which will eventually founder when the bean counters figure out how expensive it will be to make a two-tier system work. If not, I will be looking at other options, but as far as I know nobody else is offering 10mbit broadband in my area.

[uk-lemming.livejournal.com]

From what I know (Admittedly not Definitive) the way that the NTL cable system works is:
The modem downloads a config file from a TFTP server somewhere on the NTL/Virgin network which sets the speed restrictions, and all the other stuff that it needs to work. The problems that are involved with upgrading from 4Mbit to 10Mbit are ensuring that the national backbone can handle the extra load, even up to updgrading the "Box down the Street" but normally the local exchanges are where the problems would occur.

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

I have no "Operation Config" option on my Telewest/Virgin Cable Modem (Motorola Surfboard) so I'm assuming there's a more recent model with additional features (also it didn't ask for a username or password).

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Weird. I powered down the modem for a few minutes before I tried this, normally it's on all the time. Maybe it needed to reset to get the extra speed.

[saranjeuhal.livejournal.com]

You can use www.dslreports.com and their tools to do ping test and other tests.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Ok. Over 9mb down, 500k up, which seems reasonably plausible.

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

On a completely unrelated topic - has it occurred to you that the next story that you post at TtH will be your 100th? An occasion that calls for something special, I think.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Oh good grief. Really? Hadn't noticed at all. It'll probably end up being a drabble at this rate...

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

100 words for your 100th story is perfectly appropriate.