dncellisd

First, I will be changing variance to standard deviation in the future.
 
Let's use this result of your as an example.
TestMy.net Test ID : 5zlOE7tGc
Ideally this flat lines and doesn't deviate from start to finish.  Sometimes though, if the result is much lower than your line speed this flat line can be an indication of a bottleneck.  Most of the time a flat line with 0% variance is a good thing.
 
One of my recent results as an example.
TestMy.net Test ID : fUJ4g~VHj
Here's the actual calculation from the program.
 
round(($maximumThruput - $minimumThruput)/(($maximumThruput + $minimumThruput)/2)*100)  
So your example above would be 
round((0.32 - 8.32)/((8.32 + 0.32)/2)*100) = -185%  
The difference from the min and max divided by the average of the min and max... then calculated into percent.
 
The higher the number the more it indicates that the connection was heavily fluctuating during the test.
 
Using standard deviation from your example above you'd get 2.4 Mbps [https://testmy.net/working/deviation/standard-deviation.php?arr=3.28,2.91,1.79,1.84,3.04,4.93,1.43,0.32,0.34,1.31,1.91,3.34,1.89,1.73,3.9,7.28,8.32,8.18] -- Again, ideally this number would be 0 Mbps.
 
My result above's standard deviation is 42 Mbps... higher number but not relative to the result. [https://testmy.net/working/deviation/standard-deviation.php?arr=155.34,345.77,338.49,338.49,340.88,347.01,334.96,331.51,338.49,338.49,345.77,349.53,348.26,342.09,348.26,347.01,339.68,343.31,344.53]
 
So the standard deviation then needs to then be turned into a percentage of your average.
 
$standardDeviation / $middleAverage
Your example: 2.4/2.93 = .82 ... or 82% My example: 42/342.24 = .12 ... or 12%  
Using standard deviation I think will be much easier for everyone to understand.  To understand the current formula myself I had to go into the program... my users don't have that luxury.
 
Long story short: Variance shows what I wanted to show but makes it overly complicated.  I'll work on that for you.... actually -- I kinda just did, just need to work that all into the program.  

Hi. I understand that turning off a firewall sounds like a mortal sin to many. (maybe most) I think the merits of a router based firewall is a great topic. But for today, on this thread, I simply want to show the difference in performance. The black arrow is where (in time) I turned it off. I changed no other variables.

So I have been having terrible internet service with Wowway.com
 
Every time I call them they have me mess with my cable modem, router, etc, etc.
 
Surprisingly when I talk to them it speeds up but then after I am done it reverts and slows way down.
 
I found this site the other day and have been running auto tests and given I am paying for 30 down and my average is 11.8  I think I am getting the short end of the stick.
 
https://testmy.net/quickstats/spankurmonkey
 
I have ran Avast and Malwarebytes and didn't find any issues.
 
I have ran CC Cleaner.
 
My machine is a Dell with these specs:
 
Windows 7 Home Premium
 
5.9 Windows Experience Index
Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q8200 @ 2.33GHZ
6GB Ram
64-Bit OS.
 
I have it connected to a Linksys router.
 
My Cable modem is a Motorola Surfboard SB6121
 
At this point I am not sure what I should do.  I plan on calling them today but most times they say they want to send out a tech.   I am not fluent in all of this but I know for a fact that all of the connecters lines have not been messed with so I am not sure what a tech is going to do to resolve the issue.
 
Any advice or technical guidance would be appreciated.
 

WideOpenWest (wowway.com) is a cable provider, right?  You use a cable modem connected with coaxial cable, correct?
 
Just because you haven't touched anything doesn't mean that you don't need service.  I'll explain a few scenarios...
 
1) When you were originally installed the tech may have seen low levels and needed to amp the signal... good at the time but what happens if the feed signal levels return to normal?  ... it becomes over amplified and actually degrades signal.
 
2) Or the opposite could have happened, the tech may have seen signal levels that were too high and needed to purposely drop the signal level.  To get the optimal service the levels need to ride in a zone.  Techs will purposely add splitters or DC taps even when they aren't necessarily needed for splitting or tapping. ..... but then if the feed signal levels return to normal levels the customer can have issues.
 
3) The barrel connectors in your wallplates, your splitters and the cable and its connectors can have issues too.  Especially if they run on the outside of your home.  Weathering of the coax and internal oxidation of the splitters ruins signal.  I've seen many splitters that looked perfect from the outside... crack it open and it's all rusted and oxidized all over the internals.  They can also pass your TV signal fine but have issues with JUST the frequencies that the cable modems use.
 
4) Something as simple as a 90 degree kink in the cable... happens a lot.  People don't realize that coax can't cut corners like that.... they try to mold it around sharp corners and the sharp bend causes the signal to echo within the line.  I've even seen electricians do this!  RG-6 must maintain 75 Ohm impedance to be effective.
 
How much bend is too much.  Coaxial and optical cables are rated for bend radius, some can bend more than others before the impedance is affected.  A good rule of thumb is that you take the OD (outer diameter) times 20.  RG-6 is the most common coax cable, which has an OD of 6.8 mm (0.27").  5.4" would be a safe minimum bend radius.
 
5) Another commonly overlooked cause is a tiny tack or nail puncture or pinch the line.  
 
First the outside, sometime contractors, electricians and do-it-yourselfers will use the wrong kind of staples...
 

 
Even that little pinch in the coax can cause echoing within the line.  Sometimes they staple right through the cable (seriously, idiots), I've seen it dozens of times.  What are they drunk or something? 
 
Types that I use...
 
for concrete for wood 
 
Many types are great, I use anchor and screw type in some situations.  The point is to again, maintain that impedance... nice round cable with no kinks.
 
Inside, 'carpet fishing' (where the cable is hidden under the carpet) can be an issue.  People who run cable this way don't usually think about the carpet tack board, you need to hammer the nails down at the entry points otherwise it will puncture the cable and turn the little nail into an antenna to the outside... leaking air signal into the cable and destroying your cable signal.  This is definitely a scenario where things can be great one minute then bad the next.  Could sit fine for years with the nail just resting on the outside of the cable, then you're moving furniture or something you bump it just right...
 
The possibilities of what the problem could be are endless.  Could also be your equipment... or something as simple as a signal level adjustment at the tap... or the drop to your home could be damaged.  
 



 
Good luck, I hope that it gets fixed soon and you start getting what you're paying for.  Let us know how it goes and what they find.
 
... by the way, Welcome to TestMy.net!

Have you tried hooking up directly to the modem, eliminating the router?  Try that before you call them.  Hook it up to ethernet, directly to your computer.  Unplug the modem for 10 seconds and plug it back in... give it a little bit and retest once you're online.

Hi all, just passing along my experience - your mileage may vary.
I think its worth submitting since I was able to double both my UP and DOWN test speeds with these small changes.
These observations were made with an ASUS AC-3100 Router, from a hardwired 8p 24 gig (mem) server with a 1 gig Ethernet card.
 
Firewall off
I understand this is religious, but I set the devices to protect themselves as best I can. After all, I had no firewall rules in place anyway. So the firewall was just kind of a big piece of code in the router that had to do work on the packets - slowing the router down significantly. IMO that protection can be done elsewhere for much less expense in speed. Again, broad stroke firewall (even with no rules set) does protect against certain attacks - so turning it of is a choice I gamble on since I'm not the department of defense and nobody is trying to prove anything by screwing me over.
AND, my server firewall does the same stuff regarding DoS attacks and what not. ( all these fear factors we live with )
NAT Acceleration (cut through) on
NAT is a confusing thing to investigate. Devices, L3 switches, routers all have settings. I'm still reading about it. However for today, I can tell you that NAT acceleration ON allows a bunch of stuff to bypass the processor in the router and it makes a HUGE difference in Download speed. Turning it on or off did not make any difference in Upload speed.
DNS Settings
Talking about DNS settings arrives at a discussion of DHCP settings. That is because DHCP does you the kind favor of loading up the address of it's favorite DNS values when you do not tell it otherwise.
This is the setting that allowed me to get from about 5Mbps Upload to 20Mbps Upload instantly. I was initially using the ISPs DNS server, and had my router set to allow DHCP pass through so my devices were becoming contaminated with the ISPs DNS address. This is a tricky topic but it makes a big difference.  Consult your manuals carefully.
Bottom line, do what is needed to get a good DNS server working for you.
 
--john