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Question

Verizon claims CNET's Broadband Speed test is BOGUS!

by Jul 13, 2011 6:50AM PDT

I have been pulling 15MB readings on CNET's broadband speed tests for months. The problem is... I have a 35MB plan. I have used tests from other sources...and all are consistent with CNET.

Discussion is locked

9 Posts
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Answer
Point Of View!
by Forum moderator Jul 13, 2011 7:04AM PDT

They are right. They know the speed link is from your modem to their gear and that's the speed they deliver. Once you are off that link, speed plummets to whatever the internet happens to be going at with the slowest link being the bottleneck.

Here's what many can't wrap their head around. If the server that is sending content to you is on some other network, then you can't get FIOS speeds. That's the SHORT version.

The Cnet speed test is not a test of Verizon's speed but from of the total link from here to there.
Bob

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So, do you...or do you not -get FIOS speed... in real terms?
by cappedcrusader Jul 13, 2011 11:29AM PDT

Based on your reply, it seems that you will rarely (if ever) pull in FIOS Speeds. I'm hearing you say that the speed is TECHNICALLY real... but realistically useless (for internet...TV is another matter).

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It's a big discussion
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jul 13, 2011 5:18PM PDT

And FIOS does help, but not in every case and for every server. Version and ATT and all the other big suppliers also place caches inside their network to speed things along.

But as the speed is determined by the slowest link, your benchmarks only show that.
Bob

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The bottom line being...
by cappedcrusader Jul 13, 2011 9:50PM PDT

...that FIOS is good for bragging rights... but not any faster than the competition in 'real life'.

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It sounds like they may be throttling . . .
by Coryphaeus Jul 14, 2011 12:43PM PDT

I have Time Warner/Roadrunner cable Internet (no TV or phone). My speed tests (CNet) were never consistent with what TW/RR advertised, 30 Mb/s down. I found this site http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/ that showed close to what I was paying for, usually right on the money. I live in Dallas so I picked the Dallas server. Then I found the TW/RR speed test page. Then I bought a new Cisco DOCSIS 3 modem. And tested the speed TW/RR at the site. This is a screen capture of what I get now. Shown is the burst speed, but my speeds consistently hit right on the mark and above.

http://www.wayne2.net/speed.jpg

Find the FIOS speed test site.

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"Find the FIOS speed test site."
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jul 14, 2011 11:53PM PDT

Good advice.

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speedtests - FIOS bs
by photobug56 Aug 5, 2011 11:41AM PDT

I have Cablevision and I regularly run speedtest.net and speakeasy.net to check my speeds. I also use CV's own test. In nearly all cases I get speeds close to if not better then what I'm paying CV for (ultra boost) depending on the PC I use for the test. Just now I'm at about 45 down (a bit low) and 8.2 up (a tiny bit high) on speakeasy's speed test. I also ran speedtest just now and it looked like I had a dialup connection. Odds are that speedtest.net is getting hammered right now and is thus running slowly.

Also, keep in mind that some PC's won't keep up. I run a i7 sandybridge based pc on a gigabit network to my docsys3 cable modem and get great results most of the time. When I don't, I reboot and try again, usually with better results. If I try my 9 year old PC a few feet away I get speeds as low as 25 meg down and 1 up; odds are if I reboot that will improve. The point being that your PC and your home network can be a big part of the loss in speed, and that external speed test sites are very helpful but don't always work properly.

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Answer
Tests are always subjective
by Aug 5, 2011 1:58PM PDT

And you cannot use just one.
I recommended testing at speedtest.net and using a 3 servers near your area to see if your service provider is the issue or the actual internet is. Verizon;s speed is to get you to the internet, the internet itselfs speed is not verizon's issue.
IR lets say you live in seattle and testing to seattle you get 35, but testing to New York City you get 10Mb, this is not verizon's issue they are delivering what they advertise.

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Not the whole picture
by Fi0S-Dave Aug 6, 2011 1:41AM PDT

You must also factor in the latency.
A test center that is further away from you (by mileage)
may actually be a faster connection than one that is closer,
if it has a lower latency value.

Dave

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