CA3LE

You sound like you'll fit right in around here,
welcome to testmy.net

First and formost, thanks for a brilliant website!
Ive often mused about the speedtest sites and how pointless they are. Not just from the blatant biased reports they offer, but also beacuse peoples perception of internet performace is so rarely corrolated with their advertised connection speeds and attainable bandwith

I thumbed up your post in the FAQ section on why you do this and take a hit for it! Have you considered adding a flattr button to your website?

What I would really love though, would be some more servers based in other parts of the world. I realise this might be problematic in some instances, but I would be most interested in seeing that!

Keep up the good work!

Please consider automatically logging a value of -1 for Upload, for example, when the user does not select Upload testing. Have average speed calculations exclude this 'place holder' value. Having some kind of 'place holder' entry of the unselected test will make Testmy Upload speed and Download speed points align above and below each other on our personal results graphs.

Auto Test - log 'place holder' -1 when for unselected test

Typo - Topic should read:

" Auto Test - log 'place holder' for unselected test."

First, if you don't plan on adding value to conversation... leave.  Simple posts saying "hi" that contain no true value to the forum may be seen as spam and removed.  Tell us something worth typing... share your speed, share your experience or tell me what you think of what I've built.  As long as you're a real person posting real content you have nothing to worry about.  Bots on the other hand don't last long here.

We'd love to have you introduce yourself as a new member, so please click here to make a post to the New Members board that you're currently in.  That way we can all give you a warm welcome and answer any questions you may have.  But please, if you have a question about your system, connection or any computer related question please make those posts in the board that suits the topic best.  If you don't know where your topic should go just post it to General Discussion and one of us will point the topic in the right direction for ya.

To see a list of the boards you should make your posts to all you need to do is go to the Forum Default Page.  Make sure you take note of the sub-forums that are with-in some of the forums.  These sub-forums can sometimes give you more specific help.

HAVE FUN DAMN IT!
Most importantly... enjoy yourself here, this community is full of not only helpful self proclaimed (and proud of it) computer nerds it's also full of people having a great time!  Many people become addicted to our forums so I'd just like to warn you... you may be with us till the day you die, but at least you'll make a ton of really kick ass friends along the way.

- Damon

I know people with 2,4,6,8 years of college and they can't get jobs right now. I feel really sad for them... it's rough out there. The point that I'm trying to get across is that college is in many cases a dying system.

Everyone will always tell you, "College graduates earn ___% more than people with a high school diploma..." What they don't tell you is in some cases they're paying that extra money to school. And have to work a low wage job until they actually find work that's willing to pay them what they think they're worth. So really, if you do the math... you can end up earning less. In my opinion, your better off saving the money and... A: starting your own business. B: starting at the bottom and paying your dues on the job. --- Starting your own business for instance... if you spend the amount of money that you would spend on school on starting something, yes, it's a risk. But how is going to college, putting aside 2,4,6 or 8+ years of your life and coming out to find a saturated job market any different? I personally would rather be making money than spending money.... ESPECIALLY since everything you would EVER want to know is at your finger tips these days.

I guess some people need the structure of someone telling them what to do. So if you can't think for yourself, maybe college is the path for you.

By the way, I'm not at all talking bad on people who have gone to college. Times were different in the past and it served its purpose. For some jobs it's totally necessary. But for many jobs... it's a total waste of your personal resources. You can pay your dues with Benjamins... or pay them with your time and earn money while you do it. I would way rather hire someone that's paid with blood, sweat and tears than dollar bills. I'm not alone, I've been on jobs in the past where the people that had been there for 20-30 years LAUGHED when someone got hired out of technical college. "Oh look, another guy fresh out of school that doesn't know anything but thinks he knows everything... let's start a betting pool for how long he'll last." -- NO JOKE! ... and they were right, they usually didn't last and always had misinformation as to the correct way to do things. .... I started the same job, in a bitch boy position and learned from the masters in 1/20th of the time, made money while I did it and earned the respect of the old guys. Before I knew it, I was promoted. If I had gone to school it would have delayed my future.

... this information isn't coming from an unsuccessful person. I'm not going to be a douche and tell you how much I money I make... but I will tell you this. I bought my first house before I could legally buy my first beer. ... and I haven't had a boss or 'job' in over 8 years. School is over rated and over priced. But what do I know... I'm just a drop out.

A little belated but Happy Birthday! Wish I was 31 again!!!!

Sorry for being a day late but happy Birthday@ CA3LE. How old 31. When I was 31 our internet was my little sister , if she didn't like what you said she was off and running at 269.5 Mbps telling every body in our Neighborhood network ------------

Happy Birthday CA3LE!
I'm Pretty Sure it is today
ILY~Bye

31 , seems as if your aging slower then I whats up with this ?

happy Bday boss man

Epic ! posts ++++

first.... this is going to be a long post, read it... don't read it... whatever, I type more than I realize sometimes. Take it as you will. (this was typed after the post)


Oh it's crazy... I'm on my iPhone 5 right now. I have more power at my fingertips right now that I could have ever imagined even a few years ago. 10-20 years ago it would have made my brain melt. It doesn't surprise me that your son knew the limitations before you did... My son is the same way. Kids these days are totally in tune with technology. I tend to think I'm pretty in tune but really.... .... Man, if you compare his rate of development with mine. I'm so old school. Not that old school is bad... But seriously... In a few years he'll be passing me up if he keeps up his pace. And I've been programming pretty much my entire life. The rate of progression between generations is insane. Kids are not only smarter than we were... are... They have the tools online to teach them faster.

We're on the dawn of a knowledge revolution. Kids are going to realize soon that in many cases the collegiate way of learning only drains personal resources. When you have the entire human knowledge at your fingertips the old methods of learning are a really a limitation. When you learn traditionally you learn at the schools pace and learn what they want you to learn. Gaining knowledge outside of the system is something I've practiced for... Well... Since I was five or six. First with the "World Book" my Mom got for our family. I really owe my quest for information to that. It was kinda outdated for some information, like the info on the Soviet Union before the Cold War but a lot of information was still relevant. I looked things up for fun, outside of school just because I wanted to know... the predecessor to the the Internet IMO. Once I was introduced to the Internet knowledge expanded upon that beyond my wildest dreams and it continues to amaze me the vastness of what I can know online. Although online I might be presented with outdated information... or outright MISinformation, with printed text I had no choice what I read, unless I picked up a different book. Online a different 'book' is always an easy option, on any subject. The reader is still subject to opinion on what they want to choose to believe, but the choices are RIGHT THERE and you can easily decide or understand if something it wrong or outdated. It's just better. Once you truly thirst for information then are blessed with ALL information... the limits, they don't exist unless you set them.

That's why I got into the Internet and this is where I reside today. I knew instantly when I saw pre-internet bulletin board systems, in the WAY early days. (you had to dial in... and somehow get the phone numbers to dial into these systems... people that know what I'm talking about or did it, you know what I mean... it wasn't easy. It was work to just get in there... let alone get anything useful.) "This speaks to me. This is the future... not in this form... but this is the future." --- Right now... today... In my opinion, we haven't yet even see the tip of the arrow of what is to become. ... not even the microscopic tip.

I feel traditional school limits the expansion of knowledge and I think this will soon be realized on a broad scale. I dropped out of high school only a few credits short of finishing, I could have easily finished but I saw an opportunity at the time time and I didn't see a reason to finish. The truth is, they stopped teaching me years earlier. I was learning more in my own time than what traditional school taught me....... and I went to a progressive alternative school that didn't limit learning or teaching to a set curriculum. You could finish high school by 16 if you wanted to. But I wasn't ambitious, I did half time... I hated school but loved to learn. At the time, that situation was the best fit for me. I really have my Mom to thank for letting me leave traditional school for an alternative. I went to school half the time and learned 6+ times a much.... haha, seriously.

Maybe I'm an exception... but I tend to think that if most people were given the same opportunity, they would WAY rather learn at their own pace and learn what they want to learn rather than the 'state' curriculum. That was cool but it still pales in comparison to what kids have today. They can know ANYTHING with a simple question. You can teach yourself ANYTHING. Now, if you want to be a surgeon or in the medical field the people that your operating on want you to have proven yourself first. School makes sense for people that want to do that. But there are MANY professions that the people who are doing the hiring, especially in this economy right now, would WAY rather hire someone who has real world experience rather than someone out of college. You get real world experience from being in the real world... not a classroom. You pay your dues by doing...not looking at a blackboard. (maybe just IMO, I don't know...)

I just think about about how lucky our kids are. The rate of progressions between generations is insane. Kids are not only smarter than we were... are... They have the tools online to teach them faster. And it's only going to grow... at an exponential rate. Trust me, if you don't realized this now... it will be realized in your lifetime.

We're on the dawn of a knowledge revolution. Kids are going to comprehend soon that the collegiate way of learning (in many cases) only drains personal resources. When you have the entire human knowledge at your fingertips the old methods of learning are a really limitation. This is Something I've practiced for... Well... Since I was six. First with the "World Book" my Mom got for our family. I really owe my quest for information to that. The Internet expanded upon that beyond my wildest dreams. Once you thirst for information then are blessed with ALL information... Man.

That's why I got into the Internet and this is where I reside today.

I know that this has expanded WAY off topic but sometimes I like to just share my thoughts.

Okay, check it out.... just imagine growing up in a world where all knowledge is known... At your fingertips. All you have to do is ask. In my opinion that's a true Zen state of reality. Our kids get that! We truly can't understand how that feels. Just like they can't truly understand how it feels to not have that. I'm telling you, we are on the boundary of a new mindset in the world and the only thing that could stop it is lack of electricity. I'm telling you, the dawn of knowledge is upon us. Take heed.

Sorry if I got too deep but seriously......... our children are so fortunate to be afforded such an opportunity. I KNOW that they won't waste it. Mark my word! Let me be clear, I'm not at all telling people to drop out of school. If my son reads this, I hope that he stays in school. I hope that anyone that reads this stays in school... as long as you're learning. If you stop learning... then it's time to move on because you're being held back from what I consider Zen... ...which is gaining as much knowledge as you can while you can. Why waste your time if they aren't teaching you?!? ...it's just a personal experience that I can only imagine is more relevant today than ever.

I have a 12 year-old son too, turns 13 in March. They're truly the first digital generation. I'm 31 (in a few days), half of my childhood was non-electronic. We hardly even watched TV in my house growing up and even when we got a Nintendo in 1988 my Mom limited its use. I enjoyed playing outside, riding my bike in the Arizona desert and stuff. I think I had a much more enjoyable childhood as a result. I had friends who played video games all the time... the sad thing is... they still playing and don't have much to show for it. Your son may be healthier with limited connection. -- He can still play the offline aspect of the games, which is far less addictive than the online gaming.

Yeah, the old games still hold up today. Some of the older 8bit games are more challenging than many of the games today if you ask me. Especially if you're playing them on the original consoles without a 'save' feature. I used to leave my Nintendo on for weeks on end with Mario Bros., Zelda, Battle Toads, Contra, Operation P.O.W., River City Ransom... etc. because you couldn't save the game. It was always an ultimate bummer when someone would shut it off or the power got tripped in a lightning storm and lost all my progress, "NOOOOOO!" --- the repetition of having to do it all over again makes you get very good at the game. The games today give you unlimited lives... there really isn't a "GAME OVER" ... back in the day when it said "GAME OVER" you usually had to start from the beginning, it really was GAME OVER. (unless you cheated to get more lives)... Then you've got Pacman, try to beat that... I dare you!

Oh and you're welcome, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. I hope you like my site and pass it along to your friends.

Hahaha up

Hey happy birthday dude , have a sip from me.

Yep, 31 today. Thanks!

I love you Son

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Hope you have a wonderful day...and many more to come!

I kinda forgot about this. But here's a follow up. I took pictures up close after they finished working on this.





It's funny... the needles are just paint splatters, lol. It looks real when you stand back though.




... Unrelated... but check out this cool pic I just found on my phone. I always hold bees and other bugs... they never sting me. Well, once I got stung... but it was because it crawled between my fingers and I accidentally squeezed it a little and it stung me right between my fingers. But I don't count that because it really didn't mean to... more of a reaction to the pressure.



... after a long day of fixing bugs, I go outside and hold them. Go figure.

The times I've seen exactly what you are describing I found something hogging bandwidth. This could be anything from an incorrect loopback either terminally or via port configuration. My thought from what you say , it is internal misconfiguration.

First thing i would do is check data movement on both sides. Depending on what server your running will determine how you can test. As well as what your current switch GUI version offers.

While 1 Mb up is ok if this is s dedicated line such as a T1 , with 30 nodes ( I'm assuming you are saying you have roughly 30 workstations, that alone without configuring standard traffic ports such as 80 ,110 , 443 , ect either within the switch or on each workstation , will eat bandwidth like no tomorrow, just in normal activity. The later the operating system the more 'native' traffic.

I would start at the beginning , by numbering via static IP as well as host each workstation, and for each application running individually specify node ports by IP and or MAC ( unless you have an application server )
At least this way you can see where the traffic is coming from. If you already have the network setup this way , then you'll be looking within your local domain server (if setup) IE:AD either bind via winbin or LDAP to restrict any unwarranted data.

Would help to know what local server your running, which switch and version, as well as authentication, as above LDAP , AD ect

A note , if I had rewired the place I would have used CAT6, you have a GB switch, why not use it.

Disappearing icon syndrome on the wireless side, along with your remarks of poor or unstable connection tells us you should install a different driver.

There are several ways to go about this , depending on which you prefer, XP likes to control the wireless connection and does not give up easily. Say you grab the driver from the manufacturers site , which many times will comes with a GUI that allows you to control it. ( which you might think about doing ) yet windows needs to be reprimanded into submitting , and still hangs around complaining at times lol

So looking at the screenshot , lets go find your driver , hold tight.......

Ok have a look at these realtek driver, it's been updates recent too , sweet. Grab the proper operating systems driver !!!

OR... look at these , find the proper driver >>> http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/searchView.aspx?keyword=rtl8169

Hey Shawn,

So your Droid doesn't have any of those pauses that you experience on your desktop computer? Was the streaming issue on your computer or were you using a console?

If you have access to another computer, a friends laptop for instance, it can aid in troubleshooting the issue. First, make sure that the computer you're using is reliable and fast. Connect it the same way that the desktop is being connected and test it. It sounds like you've troubleshooted the rest of the equipment the right way... you eliminated extra variables like the router and swapped cables and your modem. It's most likely the adapter or something software related in the OS. Especially since the droid isn't showing the same pauses.

If you can't get your hands on another computer (or after you test on another computer and find improved connection) another thing you can do is buy a cheap (or a nice one if you think you might want to keep it) USB CAT-5 or wireless adapter (or PCI / PCIe... sounds like you're comfortable inside your computer). Make sure you buy it from a store that has a good return policy because you may or may not want to keep it afterwords, depending on the outcome. ... if you still have the same issue with a different adapter on the same computer then it may be something software related, again... trying another computer, hooked up the same way as your computer will prove that it's an isolated issue and not an issue with your provider, modem, router or cables.

... Let me put it this way... even if they cut your speeds... you shouldn't have pauses like that when you test. That's a major indication that there's a problem.

It's probably AFN,so 15 bucks ?

I knew if I could count on anyone, it would be here.
I have a spare pci network card at my in laws and a wireless adapter as well. I just need to get over there and get one of them.
The Droid doesn't have those hanging problems. It was a good, solid test each time.
The buffering on Netflix was running on the Xbox.
I'm going to try the adapter first and see where that gets me.

If there's no change I'll have my friend bring his new laptop over. (I'd do that
first but its almost an hour drive.)

Thank you all for your help. I will, of course, post any and all updates as I work my way through.

Shawn O. Cape Coral, FL.

I was actually afraid of that. But was secretly hoping for a magic fix to the wii or something. My son (12 years old) will just have to understand....... Its the country life.... get outside and play with the chickens and goats. HA! Not really, but there are lots of woods to play in. He freaks out when I remind him that when I was his age there were no video games unless you went to the bowling alley game room and played pac-man. lol We didn't have cell phones or computers. We actually had to PLAY outside to see our friends. LOL Then when Atari hit.... oh man!! That was the IN thing. I even bought a wii version of the old Atari games so he could get an idea. He actually likes playing them. Frogger being his fave. LOL

Anyway... Thanks for your help.

We have had Excede since May and for the most part, have been happy with it. I was a long time subscriber of Hughesnet even when they were direcway. It was one problem after another. We moved into town and was able to get cable. We moved back to the country and I as so dreading the whole satellite internet thing. Cable had me spoiled for sure. But, as I said, we have been happy so far. My question is, my son was able to connect his Wii to the cable to play his games and now I cannot get it to connect no matter how or what I do. Am I missing something? Why is he not able to connect? He can connect to the wireless here at the house but when he tries to connect to the internet to play, it will never connect. Any ideas?

I've got a business running on Suddenlink Cable. I'm not sure how long this has been the issue but we tried to move to VOIP a few months ago and discovered that our upload speed was insufficient for decent QOS. So I started troubleshooting.
After two different network specialists including the guy that ran the wire initially have looked at it, after replacing what was probably a good switch with a higher level Cisco 300 series managed switch, after testing a Sonic Wall and Linksys router, after replacing every patch cable in the system with a cat 6 cable (the interior cables are 5E) I still have less than .5 up and 3-4 down on a verified Suddenlink line running 8 down and 1 up.

I've plugged a computer directly into the modem on a number of occasions and the down/up signal is 8 and 1.

On a couple of occasions I've shut down the entire system and brought it back up and it will run at the correct levels for maybe an hour or so then start slowing down. The electrical in this old building was not grounded so thinking that there might be system resistance building up I put a copper stake in the ground and the box is now grounded. I still think there might be something in this but don't know what other direction to go there.

I've had an independent network installer come in and test the infrastructure lines. He had a low end fluke-like instrument and said the building wiring was good.

After that I replaced all of the patch cords. We've got maybe 30 nodes on the system. This past weekend after having changed out all the cords on Sunday with no one any system and the only activity was a couple of web cameras (Axis and Dropcam) I restarted everything but the speed was not fast even after restart.

The problem is that I can't find a specialist who knows enough to really troubleshoot the system even if I could find a fluke to plug in.

Any infrastructure gurus who might have a clue where to troubleshoot next? My business is hurting by this slowness so I'm willing to do a lot to fix it. Just don't know where to turn now.