Gigabit Fibre question: speed

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Gigabit Fibre question: speed

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Talkiet

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#1757212 5-Apr-2017 17:49

nutsterrt:

Alright, general speed test-related question for the masses (I suspect at least one on these boards will be in-the-know). Aside from a link, what's the difference between the tests provided at the following links, when targeting Spark's servers at their respective locales?

http://www.spark.co.nz/myspark/myinternet/testyourspeed

http://spark.speedtestcustom.com/

I've noted that my results are considerably better (always) to the Spark link, rather than the speedtestcustom link...the former using about double the performance of the latter, but grossly inconsistent with all other testing I've tried. Do they reach out to different servers? I certainly like the look of the speedtestcustom interface, but don't like the numbers it gives me.

Thanks to anyone who knows.

Same servers, different software.

If you can, use the windows 10 app, it gives the best and most consistent results for Fibre MAX in my experience.

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

darylblake

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#1757264 5-Apr-2017 20:27

sbiddle:

nutsterrt:

Jase2985:

12-24 (depends on where and when fibre was installed by the LFC) connections share 1 2.4Gbps link

That probably has a lot to do with it, then. Previous address was in a flat in a business-heavy district that probably wasn't using much of their broadband; now, student-heavy area with probably 5+ to a flat.

Is this something Spark/Chorus monitor with any regularity to alleviate congestion? Or is it a matter of once it's installed, you're on your own?

There is no way to "alleviate congestion" because it's not congestion. It's a system working as designed. You're not guaranteed 1Gbps or anywhere close to it - the only thing that is guaranteed on your UFB connection is your 2.5Mbps high priority CIR. The headline speeds are all best effort EIR.

And he only get that if its tagged. :D

nutsterrt

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#1757283 5-Apr-2017 21:46

Talkiet:

nutsterrt:

Alright, general speed test-related question for the masses (I suspect at least one on these boards will be in-the-know). Aside from a link, what's the difference between the tests provided at the following links, when targeting Spark's servers at their respective locales?

http://www.spark.co.nz/myspark/myinternet/testyourspeed

http://spark.speedtestcustom.com/

I've noted that my results are considerably better (always) to the Spark link, rather than the speedtestcustom link...the former using about double the performance of the latter, but grossly inconsistent with all other testing I've tried. Do they reach out to different servers? I certainly like the look of the speedtestcustom interface, but don't like the numbers it gives me.

Thanks to anyone who knows.

Same servers, different software.

If you can, use the windows 10 app, it gives the best and most consistent results for Fibre MAX in my experience.

Cheers - N

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately I'm on a MacBook and on Gigatown, but would think the test server wouldn't so much care about the Gigatown v. FM. Which do you find/expect to be the more reliable/accurate?

Talkiet

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#1757288 5-Apr-2017 22:02

At gigatown / Fibre MAX speeds, it depends more on your individual setup (Machine specs, network, cabling, OS install, TCP stack settings, browser used, flash version, AV software, FW software etc etc etc) than the choice of speedtest server. (speedtest.net vs spark.co.nz/speedtest)

Gun to my head I'd choose speedtest.net and manually select the Christchurch Spark speedtest server - but even if you don't get your expected speeds on that I'd say it's going to be most likely something on your end (not necessarily wrong - but the slightest difference can cause speeds to apparently halve with speedtest.net because of their methodology)

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

nutsterrt

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#1757342 5-Apr-2017 23:58

Yeah, that's the frustrating bit. The only thing that changed was our location and the ONT. Everything else came with and was set back up as it was previously.

Ignoring the date, that's what I used to get at the old flat, even as of two weeks ago. Move across town and I'm lucky to break 400Mbps up or down. Just hoping to get an answer from support tomorrow on whether or not this is just how it's gonna be.

nutsterrt

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#1759499 8-Apr-2017 15:38

Router swap didn't help...but they're booking me a tech!

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jman009

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#1759557 8-Apr-2017 18:16

What router are u using and what speed are u supposed to be getting since I'm getting the same speed as you on the same ultra fibre plan

nutsterrt

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#1759607 8-Apr-2017 21:27

jman009: What router are u using and what speed are u supposed to be getting since I'm getting the same speed as you on the same ultra fibre plan

I'm on Dunedin's Gigatown initiative. Supposed to be 1000/500 (though with overhead 700-800/400 is what I was previously getting). Shifted house within Dunedin and, as you can see, speeds have slipped.

EDIT: Sorry, forgot your question. HG659b. Flat was small so Wifi was adequate and wired performance is great!

darylblake

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#1759612 8-Apr-2017 21:43

That doesn't sound right. You have well cracked 200mbit. Therefore you should be provisioned correctly.

Fibre is fibre it doesnt work like DSL where you might move house and get a different speed. It has to be the hardware you are using. Either something wrong with the router. Or the machine you are using to do the test. I honestly can't understand what a tech is gonna do apart from tell you there is something not set up right at your end.

nutsterrt

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#1760417 10-Apr-2017 20:16

Well now that I've mobilized the good people at Spark (and maybe Chorus), I discovered something interesting this evening. It seems YMMV a lot when it comes to not just speed tests, but the browser or app you run them on:

Safari:

Chrome:

Firefox:

Speedtest App:

Not sure what to make of this. OSX's integrated network monitor is registering about 115MB/s with the latter test, which would lead me to believe the number is real. But why the enormous discrepancies between browsers?

Jase2985

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#1760429 10-Apr-2017 20:41

implementation of the software for testing

im pretty sure someone mentioned it a few pages back about using different speed test methods.

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nutsterrt

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#1760483 10-Apr-2017 22:23

Jase2985:

implementation of the software for testing

That's a huge discrepancy between browsers...a lot bigger than I'd expected.

Testing might as well be "step 1, get off WiFi. step 2, skip the web interface and download the app"

Talkiet

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#1760485 10-Apr-2017 22:29

nutsterrt:

Jase2985:

implementation of the software for testing

That's a huge discrepancy between browsers...a lot bigger than I'd expected.

Testing might as well be "step 1, get off WiFi. step 2, skip the web interface and download the app"

Chuckle yep.... http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=39&topicid=210223&page_no=5#1757212

It's not as simple as all that - some browsers work better for some people than others. ie Chrome is great for some, terrible for others... Firefox works well for yet other people but not great for some. I suspect it's more related to things like ad blockers, extensions, or the way AV software and other extensions can interact with some browsers or OS...

I'll never recommend a browser because there are so many things that throw off testing at these speeds... I will however add your case to the growing number of times that what someone thought MAY have been a network issue was just another case of "testing gig is hard".

Glad you've been able to confirm it's not the service.

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

Batman

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#1760515 10-Apr-2017 23:31

nutsterrt:
Router swap didn't help...but they're booking me a tech!

Gosh the ISP better have a self help standardised way before everybody books techs to find it's all working fine haha

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