Post by: RHPConsult on December 12, 2006, 10:37:19 AM
It's been racing along quite nicely now for 4 days, without untoward incident, thank you.
One strange conflict – of data – so to speak.
What I'm seeing/sensing are FireFox (+ associated web pages, including TeeEss) and SeaMonkey just zipping right along. Call for FF to open and snap-your-fingers once and BINGO, there it is on the monitor, literally.
BUT, ask for a DSL speed test from, say dslreports . . . Here . . . and the numbers are well below what I got only a few days before leaving PacBell's presumed "garden variety" dsl. Below!
What is it that I do not understand about the measuring process? Anyone else out there experienced anything similar? Really puzzling.
Post by: Texas Mac Man on December 12, 2006, 12:25:40 PM
Post by: jcarter on December 12, 2006, 12:50:35 PM
I wonder why that is?
Speakeasy seems consistent the others dont? Which one is telling the truth?
Its interesting? I wanted to see if Comcast(our new cable provider) was different from Adelphia. And to see if the rates that they advertise are anywhere near mine.
I should look it up to see whats going on, but I know you all here can explain it more quickly and better.
Jane
Post by: sandbox on December 12, 2006, 12:59:41 PM
I'm on Mindspring Cable and I'm paying for 7mb download.
Distant server is S.F. is slower than the one in Miami. N.J. is in the middle.
Time of day makes a difference, area and density as well as quality of the pipe.
I'm in my easy chair 50 ft. away from my router. I can gain a 30% increase in speed just by putting this iBook near the Netgear Router.
Jane asked me today if your network was up, I told her I had barely seen you post and hadn't received any emails so it might not be working yet?
Megapath S.F. Ca.
dslreports.com speed test 2006-12-12 13:41:17 EST:
1623 / 470 (Kbps)
(198.2 / 57.4 KB/sec)
Compared to the average of 376 tests from mindspring.com:
• download is 60% worse, upload is 22% better
• --------------------
• netaccess N.J.
dslreports.com speed test 2006-12-12 13:46:55 EST:
2776 / 473 (Kbps)
(338.8 / 57.8 KB/sec)
Compared to the average of 376 tests from mindspring.com:
• * download is 31% worse, upload is 22% better
Broadstar miami
dslreports.com speed test 2006-12-12 13:43:46 EST:
6084 / 476 (Kbps)
(742.7 / 58.1 KB/sec)
Compared to the average of 376 tests from mindspring.com:
• download is 49% better, upload is 23% better
Post by: Texas Mac Man on December 12, 2006, 01:14:50 PM
Post by: jcarter on December 12, 2006, 03:43:32 PM
But I was wondering why Speakeasy tests are pretty close and the others can be so far afield.
Jane
Post by: RHPConsult on December 12, 2006, 04:36:02 PM
"Original Recipe" PacBell/ATT (several measurements): DL = 2422 kbps; UL = 422 kbps
New "Extra Crispy" Earthlink (several measurements): DL = 1263 kbps; UL = 311 kbps
NOT the way it "feels"
Go figure! The Earthlink pitch was "5-8 mbps"
PS: Details of measurement: @ Speakeasy site in SF, 16 miles distant, iMac is hard-wired (ethernet) to the swtich/router.
Post by: kbeartx on December 12, 2006, 06:43:19 PM
Best to stick w/ only one site and use that to compare results.
Post by: jcarter on December 12, 2006, 06:55:41 PM
All the others are all over the map.
All I know is my speed sure seems plenty fast enough, and thats when I am uploading pictures to my pbase.com and .mac accounts. And I sure dont upload tiny pictures, as I want my family and friends to be able to download and print out our grandkid and family stuff. Am I evil for grabbing more bandwidth than people should use? Not as long as its this fast here,,,,,,,
Jane
Post by: kimmer on December 12, 2006, 08:09:54 PM
Based on Seattle - 323.5 miles from me:
Download Speed: 213 kbps (26.6 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 319 kbps (39.9 KB/sec transfer rate)
Good? Bad? Indifferent?
I don't know.
Guess it doesn't much matter since we only have 2 choices and we are using the only one worth a tinkers d*mn.
edited in an attempt to use better grammar ... otherwise it looks like I don't have but no education.
Post by: sandbox on December 12, 2006, 08:25:50 PM
One thing to consider would be the distance to the new switch box V the old switch box, if there is one? OR your new wiring is not right, 1263 kbps can be achieved on a single line.
Post by: Xairbusdriver on December 12, 2006, 09:35:34 PM
CODE
City......................Download kbps.....Upload kbps
Dallas ( downhill )..........1905...............289
Chicago ( uphill )..........1409...............278
Atlanta ( sideways ).........3345...............348
Second test using Atlanta gave more normal results of 2330/349.
Dallas ( downhill )..........1905...............289
Chicago ( uphill )..........1409...............278
Atlanta ( sideways ).........3345...............348
Post by: RHPConsult on December 13, 2006, 12:35:05 AM
I said (above) it "felt" different than it was "reading" from Speakeasy and various other watering holes in the sometimes wasteland of the internet.
Here's what happened today.
I did some more "tests". All the results continued to be maddenly low – 1.0 MBps and slower for Download; 375 kbps and lower for upload. So . . . I consulted with my son the Linux guru, who said to leave it be . . . the internet is, has been and probably always will be mysterious at its core. Or words to that effect. He should know that you don't really want to tell the Olde Man to "leave it be".
At about 4pm, now that I'm on-line, albeit somewhat languorously, I called Earthlink's web site "chat", with more than a dollop of anxiety. This time I got an instant answer . . . just not the right one(s). Proceeded to occupy the time of 4 operatives up until 5 minutes to eight, at which time I declared myself tired of repeating answers on my identity, my Macs, my LAN, etc. etc. etc. and also conducting tests involving:
Confirmiing that none of the following were near the modem . . .
Halogen lamps
Fluorescent lights
Scanners
900 MHz cordless phones
Cell Phones
Ham radios
AM radios
Electrical interference (don't put the router near a Monitor, UPS or motor driven device)
Dialup Modem (!), fax, or other device on the same phone line
Microwave oven
A shoddy phone cord
Home security/Alarm system
and also
I ran a half-dozen speed tests on 3 or 4 dfferent sites ELN suggested. These were in addition to the frequent tests I’d already run over the last 4-5 days on my own. Tests that stimulated my call(s) today.
I switched ends of my modem line cord and my ethernet cable.
I turned-off OS X’s firewall
I cleaned FireFox’s Cache, History, and Cookies
Etc. etc.
Finally, I’ve was told I only signed-up for “basic” ADSL. Wrong! As my letter of agreement stated . . . You've made the smart choice for super-fast DSL and super-simple phone service that saves you money on all your local and long-distance calls.
With patience running a bit thin, with "Mabel", "Kieth", "Sebastain" to mention but a few, I demanded to be "escalated" to a Manager. All I got was a Supervisor named "Rodger", but after he read the "transcript" of my four previous conversations he said, "Yes", I was entitled to 6+ MBps and if I'd call such and such number they could make the adjustment over the phone and on-line to get it for me. So I called.
South Asia, again. First call was 40 minutes on-hold and 15 minutes with an operative who said he'd check the line, for me, asked for all the ID info over agin, put me on hold for another 15 minutes, at which poiint I was disconnected.
Give up? Never! I was doing "stuff" at my desk while Mozart played again, and again and again. For 1 hour and 27 minutes.
But then, The Miracle Lady (with perfect American English) came on the line and in <3 minutes she reported she had me fixed-up for 6-8 MBps. Oh sure.
Rebooted, went to Speakeasy and instantly got . . . I am NOT mnaking this up . . . 6.15 MBps download 998 kbps upload.
I expect it to persist. I did not expect it to be this arduous. I was reinforced in my stubborness, something my Beloved sometimes wishes wouldn't happen.
Merry Christmas!
PS: No, I'm not going to "publish" the weary "Chat" transcript. I want to keep the friends I have hereabouts
Post by: MamaMoose on December 13, 2006, 02:01:48 AM
Congrats! Your persistence tells me that you should receive an MA in internet communication technology! Measuring your DSL "speed" is not a simple matter and often drives EEs crazy trying to get the right algorithm. It so depends on the number of bounces, the state of the various servers, the phase of the moon, the weight of Nicole Ritchie, and whether Bradgelina are still together!!!!!
The tech companies that supply the ISPs are run by very smart people but the underneath adminsitrators and tech support people don't know borscht! That is why probably someone who keyed in your app for service at the DSL ISP hit the wrong key and gave you the wrong service.
One more of the amazing adventures of RGPConsult by gun and camera through the forest of the internet and you will ready for your PhD in Electronics and communication engineering.!
MamaMoose (Thesis adviser to the stars)
Post by: krissel on December 13, 2006, 05:36:42 AM
QUOTE(sandbox @ Dec 12 2006, 01:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I'm in my easy chair 50 ft. away from my router. I can gain a 30% increase in speed just by putting this iBook near the Netgear Router.
Wow.
Now that the iBook is so close to the router you can plug it in and gain even more speed.
Congrats Dick on sticking it out.
Post by: jcarter on December 13, 2006, 08:04:32 AM
We have Verizon DSL offered here, but I know one of the servicemen, and he said "Stick with your cable for the time being, as we are installing Fiber Optics around here and you will be offered it before long" or something to that effect.
There is a huge underground vault(you could live in the thing)right up the street from us, and the guys are always working there and park their trucks on the edge of the woods near our house. So when we am out walking, they show us what they are doing. I think they get bored and love to show off their technology to people. And there are not very many people around here.
So I guess I will stick with Comcast, as this is the first week of their service here, they just bought out Adelphia. Seems to work OK, and here are my speeds from Speakeasy this morning using New York, tis the closest one to us.
Download 3700 kbps upload 352 kbps
Using Washington DC
Down 3734 up 351
another test site from near Albany NY
download 3600 up 418
Thats not quite so helter skelter than it was yesterday, this is fun,
Jane
Post by: RHPConsult on December 13, 2006, 10:16:17 AM
For Perfesser Moose:
Always endeavoring to tease the Gestalt from a mass of seemingly uncoordinated facts, I have now derived The Earthlink Konstant: Only 1 in 4 Earthlink Employees knows anything real/practical, but those who do will act upon it. That's actually the way it worked!
For Jane:
Fiber optics had nothing to do with my "solution". We have underground utilities in our village. Waiting through the on-hold morass and adhering to The Earthlink Konstant got me what they had earlier advertised, that's all. No new router, nor cables, nor OS, nor whatever was needed. Just someone in Tech Support 8000 miles away (with impecable American English, BTW) who knew how remotely to adjust some electronics in a building 10 blocks from my house in <3 minutes and the deed was done.
The benediction:
6.0 MBps + IS better than 998 kbps
Post by: Xairbusdriver on December 13, 2006, 11:19:14 AM
You have infinitely more patience than I. 
Post by: RHPConsult on December 13, 2006, 12:16:35 PM
Even if he had been able to somehow do more than write down the number for me, I still think their execrable on-hold problem would have remained.
Since I recall only 2 ELN mail interruptions since I started with them in '98. I'm hoping that this new package will function as well and I won't have to avail myself of their TLC (Totally Ludricous Communication) in "Tech Support".
Fingers Crossed
If I had a "DayJob" I don't think I ever could have persisted. The genuine mystery to me is how performance is measured at Earthlink, with personnel and procedures seemingly designed to enrage the customers. That is the issue I will address with one Mr. Betty, ELN's president.
- - -
To celebrate, I just placed an order for the new 24" iMac.
Grandpa is "trickling-down" his Igloo. Makes the best excuse for a new Mac I've ever found!
Post by: jcarter on December 13, 2006, 12:17:34 PM
But the price of the fiber optics? Who knows.
I do love your perseverance, you finally found someone with a functional brain stem at Earthlink!
Now you are running at wonderful speeds, I should look into DSL(I also have retained my old dialup Earthlink account, as when the cable goes on the fritz, I occasionally need it, and its my original capecod.net email which I dont want to give up.) We have both Earthlink and Verizon DSL offers here, but Ive not really bothered to read the whole advertisements, I shall soon, as the speeds look delicious.
Thanks,
Jane
Oh, congrats on your new 24" iMac! Tell me how you like it, perhaps its time for this Grandma to pass mine along to Grampa too. My husband has an old iMac with os 9 on it.
Its time!!!!!
Post by: Gregg on December 13, 2006, 01:01:24 PM
Post by: RHPConsult on December 13, 2006, 04:55:30 PM
QUOTE
I'm in my easy chair 50 ft. away from my router. I can gain a 30% increase in speed just by putting this iBook near the Netgear Router.
When I finally get caught-up on everything that's been on-hold (term used advisedly) for the past couple of weeks, I'll run some "field tests", SB.
That's an interesting data point.
Post by: Xairbusdriver on December 14, 2006, 10:12:41 AM
When you sign up with them, you are buying an ISP. How you connect to them is your choice; you can access your account/mail/etc. via your cable connection, dialup, WiFi at the coffee shop, etc. As long as you pay, you have all the options they offer ( platform dependent, of course ), email ( with pretty good filtering ), web space ( limited to 10MB 'free' ), newsletters, etc. If you've not checked lately, you probably have a mailbox full of unanswered email ( most of it SPAM ). I don't know what their size limit is, but anyone using one of those addresses has long since been receiving those 'Over Quota' messages and wondering where you went.
So, there's no reason to 'save' it for when the cable 'goes on the fritz', you can easily use it with the cable. Or, perhaps, I'm simply miss reading your actions.
Post by: jcarter on December 14, 2006, 12:48:41 PM
The main reason Ive stayed with Earthlink, is they bought capecod.net long ago, and thats my primary(and oldest)email address.
All that mail comes into my mac mailbox. I dont use the webmail option.
Should I consider giving it up? Only costs about $9 month. Now you've got me thinking about not needing it much any more, except for the email issue. And the dial up, do I really need that any more either, cable is pretty reliable here.
The guys working on our street this morning said that the fiber optic was coming soon. They were all working in that underground vault thing again. Its got huge fans in it, and you can hear them on a quiet night quite a distance.
Interesting,
Thanks for the advice,
jane
Post by: RHPConsult on December 14, 2006, 01:33:57 PM
Because I didn't want to change my longstanding Earthlink e-addresses when I could only get my first DSL from, then, PacBell in abput 1998, I simply adopted a low-budget/attenuated ($9) version of Earthlink for incoming mail and for all mail when away from home in dial-up land (in preference to WebMail).
Jane: You might find you could have fast cable (and/or DSL) for outgoing mail and surfng – from someone –, while maintaining ELN as your incoming "destination" It's worked for me.
Recently when Earthlink started offering its hi-speed DSL, and PacBell/ATT curiously asserted it wasn't available from them to me, I took ELN's offer. The rest is history . . . now happier than last week's version.
So we've undergone quite a transition. We now have two phone connections (VoIP), w/a whole range of bells and whistles, and the whizzbang DSL connection all from something other than the/a "phone company". I guess that means Modern Life has arrived at our door.
That's my story and you're stuck with it.
PS: DSL zooming along this a.m. @ 6.17 MBps.
Post by: Xairbusdriver on December 14, 2006, 02:01:08 PM
If all your email is going to the .Mac account, you must have set up that forwarding address with EarthLink. That's fine, as long as you can access .Mac. I've not been impressed with thier reliability, personally ( I just left a query about not being able to download stuff from a 'Members Only' page even though I was plainly logged IN and my subscription runs through March of next year.
) I'm sure you could do that via dialup through EarthLink. But I like the filtering options at EL and reserve my .Mac accounts for more specific purposes.It's six of one and half a dozen of the other. If your not using the EL accounts, there's not much use in paying $9 a month, if you still use those addresses, it's the only way to keep them. Value is in the eye of the beholder. I'm actually paying $17/month for about six different accounts/alias' there. Mainly because Judy doesn't want to change her main address for a National organization she belongs to. There is probably a much cheaper alternative - some kind of forwarding service that forces old addresses to go to a 'collector' site that then directs them to a user specified mail service.
Sure sounds like a money maker, should it be possible...
Post by: jcarter on December 14, 2006, 04:17:31 PM
Ive not used the .mac much, the email address sometimes, but I still have lots of picture albums there.
We will see how Comcast does, if DSL is really about 4 times faster for cheaper, I might think about it, but its not really that important, if fiber optics is just around the corner,
Jane
I forgot to mention, that if we did go the Verizon route and get the fast DSL, we would have to install a Direct TV dish on our roof, and we would have to cut down some of our nice trees, or else stick the dish on one of our outbuildings way away from the house and run a cable underground. My husband already has electrical cables buried on our property to our outbuildings, but we dont want to do to many more of those.
J