The FCC wants you to test your broadband speeds. If you are

[alfredo]

not getting the speed you are paying for, you need to ask your ISP why.

Go here to see if yours measures up.

http://www.broadband.gov/


check their results by going here:

http://www.speedtest.net/index.php

[onehandle]

1. They also have a free mobile app for iPhones and Android phones.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/12/fcc-comes-through-with-a-consumer-broadband-test-app-for-iphone-a/

[csziggy]

2. Interesting - my speed doubled in each of the three times I tried the tests

The last test was up to the speed I am supposed to be getting. Then the test timed out - too many people trying it, according to the error message.

[MiniMe]

4. What speed did you get?

[MiniMe]

3. 35 down and 4.6 up on broadband.gov

I got 35 down and 24 up on speedtest.net.

I just got FiOS and so far, I love it.

[napi21]

5. Wh therave beern a big diff. between the 2 tests?

On the FCC test I got 12.9 on DL and on te second test I got 25.7 on the DL. The other things they tested were very close to each other.

[jody]

6. What is the purpose of collecting personal data? n/t

[MyNameGoesHere]

10. well they say this

The FCC is collecting and storing street addresses, IP addresses, and broadband performance information through these speed tests. (The FCC is not collecting email addresses through these speed tests.) The street addresses will not be released, disclosed to the public, or shared with any outside entities, including Ookla and M-Lab, except in the limited circumstances described in the Consumer Broadband Test Privacy Statement. The FCC, Ookla, and M-Lab are collecting and storing broadband performance information and IP addresses, which Ookla and M-Lab may release to the public. The FCC will not make individual IP addresses available to the public except in the limited circumstances described in the Consumer Broadband Test Privacy Statement. For more information, see the complete Consumer Broadband Test Privacy Statement, the Ookla Privacy Policy , and the M-Lab Privacy Policy. The FCC is soliciting this information under authority of the Broadband Data Improvement Act of 2008, Pub. L. No. 110-385, Stat 4096 § 103(c)(1); American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA), Pub. L. No. 111-5, 123 Stat 115 (2009); and Section 154(i) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.


I hope they are collecting the info to show how third world the USA is compared to other countries regarding Broadband.

[jody]

15. I've become almost paranoid about government collecting data. n/t

[havocmom]

22. ;^) With your street & internet addy, they can listen in to everything you say and know who you are.

Shhhh, don't tell anybody. Come, we sit in car and discuss this in private. You have Onstar? :evilgrin:

[supernova]

7. 745 Mbps d/l /133 u/d

Pretty good for DSL. But I don't have any other attractive options. I don't have cable. And FIOs isn't here yet. Permanent wireless and sat are cost prohibitive.

[alfredo]

14. 3.12 from my 3.mb DSL. That's fine with me.

[ddeclue]

21. MPbs? You probably meant kbps unless you are running the NSA or a phone company or something..

That would require 5 OC48's to get that kind of bandwidth. If you really DO get that kind of bandwidth, I for one am most impressed - but please don't ask me to pay the bill.. :rofl:

[truebrit71]

8. Bookmarking for later..

...thanks!

[Bozita]

9. My Comcast service slows to a crawl every day between 1-4pm ET

[ddeclue]

25. Cable modem bandwidth is usually shared bandwidth, not "nailed up" bandwidth

which means you must share it with other users on your same network segment - hence your access slows down - if you want faster access get DSL - it is nailed up and generally there is truth in advertising when buying DSL - not so much for cable modem where the figures are really not typical, just ideal single user on a segment numbers.

[Bozita]

31. Got it. ... Thank you.

[MineralMan]

11. Paranoia Alert! Paranoid People Take Note:

What if this is just a ruse to look in your computer and find all that porn you've been looking at, eh? So, did you take the test? They have your address now. Put on clean underwear and wait quietly, please. Someone will be along shortly.

:rofl:

[leftofcool]

12. Just because yer paranoid don't mean they ain't after ya

So just in case, speed/schmeed, I ain't playin' with em!

[alfredo]

13. Cooks.com is my porn. A leg of lamb is pretty racy.

[havocmom]

24. You! WIth the underage sheep! Up against the wall!

They would have to be pretty damned bored to be interested in most of us ;)

[alfredo]

27. None of us know what passions dwell inside that curly pelt.

[havocmom]

30. When I first moved to the sheep country I reside in...

I was puzzled by all the ca'boys in velcro chaps

[alfredo]

32. And the sheep nervous.

[kristopher]

16. 45333 bps...

still waiting for broadband that has been less than 2 miles away for 5 years...

[alfredo]

17. Can you get it through cable TV?

[kristopher]

18. No I can't. It's 2 miles to FIOS in one direction, 2 miles to cable in another.

I just filled out the Broadband Deadzone sheet at the FCC broadband website. Maybe something will happen in a decade or so...

[ddeclue]

23. Depending on where you live there are a number of options..

If you live pretty much anywhere in the eastern US I recommend Verizon Wireless' EVDO network - you can get 2.5Mbps down and 700 kbps up just about anywhere using a USB dongle you plug into your computer and you can share that bandwidth amongst several devices using a wireless router and internet connection sharing in Windows - this is plenty of bandwidth for most home uses, you can even stream from hulu or similar video sites relatively well in most places - it's not quite as fast as hardline DSL or cable modem but plenty fast enough for most people.

If you live in more isolated places like out west, you can get satellite service from DirecTV called DirecWay which isn't half bad - it's slower than EVDO but it is still an order of magnitude faster than dial up.

If you want ultimate reliability, DirecWay is the best you can do because all there is is the uplink station, the satellite and your downlink transceiver. That said, Verizon's EVDO network is still highly reliable and would require the most dire infrastructure failure (like Hurricane Katrina or similar) to actually bring it down for any significant time period.

[alfredo]

28. Make a directional antennae and look for WiFi hot spots.

[ddeclue]

19. 1944kbpS down 432kbps up on Verizon EVDO wireless svc.

Pretty freaking fast for wireless broadband. Depending on location and time of day I can get as much as 2.5Mbps down and 700kbps up on this link.

I also have DSL through AT&T at the house but during my unemployment I have turned it down to minimal service 768kbps down and 128kbps up. Normally this operates at 6MPbs down and 512kbps up and it is the fastest service currently available to my address without ordering a commercial T-3 line be put in special. Hopefully soon though we can start seeing faster service available. Nice thing about DSL is that it is "nailed up" bandwidth that I don't have to share like you do with cable service.

[ztlore]

20. CNET is faster, free and doesn't require personal information

http://reviews.cnet.com/internet-speed-test/

[havocmom]

26. Yeah, but it doesn't help the FCC see where they need to get better service to

Or where providers are screwing consumers.

We used to do speed tests pretty regularly cuz our provider was not living up to promised service. When we started calling regularly, questioning why our service was so slow and asking them to ping us, well, we started getting the service we were paying for within two months.

Pays to be a squeaking wheel.

[TommyO]

29. Comcast, 25 Mbps down, 3 Mbps up, 98ms latency

second test, 20Mbps down, 4.7Mbps up, 25ms latency.