Speed Test

[carolinarider09]

I have fiber optic internet service from my local electric cooperative.  It is sort of a fluke since I am not on their electrical service but they have an "anchor" pole on my property. 

So, when they were installing the fiber optics I inquired and found out I could get on board.

The lowest speed was 100 Mbs, so I got the service.   It has been very reliable.  They even provided a UPS for there modem (I had one for that purpose already but....).

Today, I got a message that I had been upgraded (well everyone has) to 300 Mbs. Just checked and it 300 Mbs plus.  No change in price. 

The theory is that the fiber optics was used to connect their monitoring system to the substations and they deiceded to offer internet service just because they could. 

Anyway.  I have no idea what I will do with the 300 Mbs but, its's there.

Just an interesting thing that happened. 

[Wizzard]

interesting, I have xfinity and ck it regularly and I get 1200 mbs

[Patrick]

Good !

I'm supposed have some of the fast stuff. at least 100 of those things. When I check its usually around 50.

[hubcapsc]

Great Horny Toads! I get 1.3 download on my DSL...

We recently upgraded our cell phones to "unlimited" data.
After 30Gb of hotspot usage, they cut us off for the rest of the
month (unlimited? ? ), but that amount usually lasts most of
the month. The electric co-op is making noise about bringing
in fiber, I can't wait...

-Mike

[scooperhsd]

When we moved in with MIL, she had Google Fiber (free) at 15 Mbps. We upgraded it to 100 Mbps ($50/month). Then we got informed that the lowest was going to be 500 Mbps ( $55 / month). So that's what we're at. 1Gbps and even 2 Gbps is available , but we are fine with what we have, besides, the rest of my network couldn't take advantage of 2Gbps.

[Jess from VA]

I have Verizon fiber optic (house phone, internet, hi def TV).  It's my largest monthly bill (even including my quarterly bills).  But not terrible.  

On the internet, it tells me 100Mbs.  That was way better than my previous cable (so is the TV and phone, though I miss my old copper wireup).

They sent me a bazillion letters and emails offering me amazingly faster and better service (always for more money).  I finally called them and asked if they had any way to reduce my current bill, without reducing services?  They said no.  So I said hold all your letters and emails until you can offer me a plan with current services for cheaper.  I have never heard from them again.  So that was a win.    

(except it keeps creeping anyway up with the 15 extra G taxes/surcharges/bs yada)

The 100 was so much better than what I had.  Faster might be nice, but I am a slow typist, so the lag might just be on me and not the interweb speed.

When the Alzheimers kicks in, maybe I can get a lower bill for reducing my speed to 10Mbs.    

[Patrick]

I just checked and it was all the way up to 60 Mbps ! Wow !

And I pay $250/mo for all this [cable, internet ]. And we can watch about 4 channels that have anything worth watching. We could care less about shows like the Kardasions.

At least in the Florida place this stuff is free [ included with our HOA].

[0leman]

Have cable, suppose to get 100 mbs, but the test I run ever so often runs around 115 or so.  this is over the inhouse WIFI.  Upload is not that fast but then don't upload much and being retired have a little more time on my hands.

The cable company is offering 300 mps but at additional price.   We don't stream that much, we do watch a movie every so often on our Amazon Prime account.  No problem with the streaming and its over WIFI.  So probably won't go for the additional speed.

It is cool the speeds that one can get.  I remember the first T1 speeds.   Thought we had died and gone to heaven.   

[Wizzard]

Have cable, suppose to get 100 mbs, but the test I run ever so often runs around 115 or so.  this is over the inhouse WIFI.  Upload is not that fast but then don't upload much and being retired have a little more time on my hands.

The cable company is offering 300 mps but at additional price.   We don't stream that much, we do watch a movie every so often on our Amazon Prime account.  No problem with the streaming and its over WIFI.  So probably won't go for the additional speed.

It is cool the speeds that one can get.  I remember the first T1 speeds.   Thought we had died and gone to heaven.   

I remember when I had a standard 300 baud modem and no internet but we communicated with compuserve. We thought that was cool. I was part of the heath users group and we built our own computer. My first one was a sinclair, then went to the Radio shack TRS80 and also had a commodore Vic 20. Used a data cassete for storage.

[scooperhsd]

So, let's get into the "Wayback" machine

Wen I first got online, it was with a 2400 baud modem, upgraded eventually to the 56K type (actually limited in the US to 53K, but didn't matter anyway - I usually connected at 44-46 Kbps). When we moved into that NC house - it was with 2 analog phone lines (one for internet (1997)).

My first "broadband" was DSL at 500kbps down (circa 2000) - I was smoking ! eventually that got upgraded to 3 Mbps down (due to distance - 15,000 feet). We stayed there a long time, and finally switch to cable modem service with Spectrum at first 20Mbps, and eventually to 100 Mbps before we left North Carolina. There may have been something faster available, but we were getting ready to move to KC.

[Wizzard]

This all reminds of the 3 guys bragging about their memories. One said " I can remember when my mom brought me home from the hospital" Second one said "I remember when the doc delivered me" Third one not to be outdone said " I remember when I went to the drive inn with my dad and came home with my mom"

[carolinarider09]

My first "real" computer a SWTP 6800 (I did not want to use the Intel chip so I opted for the Motorola chip).

Data stored on cassette tapes. 

I think it was 1976 or so.....

And 300 baud modem.  And CompuServe sounds familiar.  But.... its been awhile. 

http://www.hartetechnologies.com/manuals/SWTPC/6800%20Computer%20System/6800_Computer_System_Brochure.pdf

I thought I still had it somewhere.  Will look and see where I might have stored it.  Just for fun.

[RP#62]

Just checked mine - 941 Mbps download, 35 Mbps upload  (according to the ISP anyway)

-RP

[Jess from VA]

The Air Force gave me my first computer.  I always typed for crap and I always dictated all my work, with two great civilian secretaries.  Everyone else typed their own work, so they were glad for my work to keep them busy and keep in practice typing dictation.  (This was a proper division of labor.)

My boss would walk by my workstation and never see my computer on, and he asked if I was learning to use it.  I said no, I don't need it, but he insisted I give it a try.

Later he walked by and saw me playing solitaire on the computer and he didn't like that at all.  I explained that solitaire was actually added to all computers to teach the user how to use a mouse.  He wasn't buying it, and told me to turn it back off.  So that was a win for me.  

Later when I transferred to the USDVA, they gave me another computer, but I kept dictating all my work (for 18 more years).  This got me classified as an official dinosaur.  But my dictation was faster than most people could ever type.  Later we got the internet and I found that fascinating and learned how to research  everything related to my job.  But researching porn was strictly forbidden.   

[Super Santa]

Just checked mine: 
 DOWNLOAD Mbps
902.68
 UPLOAD Mbps
935.87

[Patrick]

My Gosh you guys, your stuff must be instant !

I get skips in a YouTube song.

[Oss]

We dumped verizon because we could not get service in the whole house  Optimum came it sucked but they came today and will come back again to do something on the pole  so we dont get pixilated stuff when watching recorded shows  We are getting only 216 mps down and 37 up  But I dont do much but email and this board

Plus its 60 a month less than verizon

[cookiedough]

verify your speed test is WIRELESS speed vs. WIRED speed.    TDS my local internet provider finally upgraded this hicktown last 1 year or more from SLOW 5-15 meg speed (sucked was do-able but was slow especially if 2 or more on internet would not work during Covid  working at home for sure on computers) to FIBER OPTIC only costing about 15  bucks more per month was 35 now 50-55 mth.  Had a few hiccups first month with them crashing they had bugs to work out but overall worth it.

Here was the LIE they told everyone though:  300 meg speed fiber optics BUT ONLY HARDWIRED with wireless is capped at 50 meg speed is all.   Even the sales guys NEVER knew that found out the hard way AFTER install by the local TDS tech who told me so and is true.   50 megs is fast enough though for most needs but prior having 5-10 megs was NOT.

[scooperhsd]

They weren't lying to you at all - it's probably the version of wireless they have on their POS gateway device. If you want faster wireless, you're going to need to purchase your own router with the latest standard of wireless. You could get by with just an access point - but it would need to be hardwire plugged into the ISP gateway' ethernet ports. If you want more details, PM me so I can explain in much greater detail and in denth.

[Wizzard]

They weren't lying to you at all - it's probably the version of wireless they have on their POS gateway device. If you want faster wireless, you're going to need to purchase your own router with the latest standard of wireless. You could get by with just an access point - but it would need to be hardwire plugged into the ISP gateway' ethernet ports. If you want more details, PM me so I can explain in much greater detail and in denth.

He would probably get the quoted speed if he hardwired to the router. That is the only way they propose the quoted speed. Then there is the connections protocol and hardware of your computer also.

[scooperhsd]

They weren't lying to you at all - it's probably the version of wireless they have on their POS gateway device. If you want faster wireless, you're going to need to purchase your own router with the latest standard of wireless. You could get by with just an access point - but it would need to be hardwire plugged into the ISP gateway' ethernet ports. If you want more details, PM me so I can explain in much greater detail and in denth.

He would probably get the quoted speed if he hardwired to the router. That is the only way they propose the quoted speed. Then there is the connections protocol and hardware of your computer also.

I see you are an informed person on how some of this works   .

[Wizzard]

They weren't lying to you at all - it's probably the version of wireless they have on their POS gateway device. If you want faster wireless, you're going to need to purchase your own router with the latest standard of wireless. You could get by with just an access point - but it would need to be hardwire plugged into the ISP gateway' ethernet ports. If you want more details, PM me so I can explain in much greater detail and in denth.

He would probably get the quoted speed if he hardwired to the router. That is the only way they propose the quoted speed. Then there is the connections protocol and hardware of your computer also.

I see you are an informed person on how some of this works   .

Managed a bank of 10 servers for 3 years 

[cookiedough]

They weren't lying to you at all - it's probably the version of wireless they have on their POS gateway device. If you want faster wireless, you're going to need to purchase your own router with the latest standard of wireless. You could get by with just an access point - but it would need to be hardwire plugged into the ISP gateway' ethernet ports. If you want more details, PM me so I can explain in much greater detail and in denth.

He would probably get the quoted speed if he hardwired to the router. That is the only way they propose the quoted speed. Then there is the connections protocol and hardware of your computer also.

yah,  hardwired 300 megs but was NEVER told or in fine print by anyone at TDS in sales, etc. all that BS lying to and tons of commercials/flyers/sales talk BS.   capped at 50 meg speed wireless should have been told to all in this town upfront having sales guys going door to door to sign up for 300 meg speed with TDS fiber optic..   still, 50 megs surely beats what they had in this town forever being 5 to 15 meg service, some days even 2-3 meg which was turtle speed for near same price almost.

[scooperhsd]

They weren't lying to you at all - it's probably the version of wireless they have on their POS gateway device. If you want faster wireless, you're going to need to purchase your own router with the latest standard of wireless. You could get by with just an access point - but it would need to be hardwire plugged into the ISP gateway' ethernet ports. If you want more details, PM me so I can explain in much greater detail and in denth.

He would probably get the quoted speed if he hardwired to the router. That is the only way they propose the quoted speed. Then there is the connections protocol and hardware of your computer also.

yah,  hardwired 300 megs but was NEVER told or in fine print by anyone at TDS in sales, etc. all that BS lying to and tons of commercials/flyers/sales talk BS.   capped at 50 meg speed wireless should have been told to all in this town upfront having sales guys going door to door to sign up for 300 meg speed with TDS fiber optic..   still, 50 megs surely beats what they had in this town forever being 5 to 15 meg service, some days even 2-3 meg which was turtle speed for near same price almost.

As compared to wizzard, myself, and some other people (at least Serk) with IT backgrounds, you should have asked instead of just spouting off how they weren't delivering what they said. Or would it have been a case of "my hardwired ethernet connection says 1Gbps, but I'm only getting 300 Mbps" ?

Yes there is a "possibility" that you can get 300 Mbps download wirelessly  - but as I said - you would need to invest in the latest WiFi gear for both your LAN access and for your PC (probably a USB WiFI adapter).

[Jess Tolbirt]

The reason everyone is upgrading is because starlink is about to go global. www.starlink.com constant speeds down almost 1 gig and uploads are faster than 500Mbs with a latency so low you dont even think about there being a latency at all, less than 20 ms. I am on the beta test as soon as it hits my area and I cant wait. the only internet i have is 1 meg dsl and viacrap.. starlink is going to be a game changer..

[Wizzard]

The reason everyone is upgrading is because starlink is about to go global. www.starlink.com constant speeds down almost 1 gig and uploads are faster than 500Mbs with a latency so low you dont even think about there being a latency at all, less than 20 ms. I am on the beta test as soon as it hits my area and I cant wait. the only internet i have is 1 meg dsl and viacrap.. starlink is going to be a game changer..

I have a close friend been on it for months now and it is a game changer. Very very fast.

[Serk]

Knowing how much of a geek I am, some might be surprised to learn that my current fiber speed is only 80Mbps, and that I'm paying around $120 a month for that, but it's 80 bidirectional with 5 static IP addresses that are mine with full permission to run servers.

And believe it or not, even with 6-7 people in the house, simultaneously watching HD streaming, doing video conferences for work or school, etc, our overall utilization rarely exceeds 10% of that 80 Mbps...

Sure, the higher speeds are awesome, but for the vast majority of people it's massive overkill you really don't need to pay for.

It's like paying for a supercharger, nitrous, Attic Rat GLH package and then just riding around in a parade all the time...



Re Starlink - That will be a MAJOR game changer once it's live and stable. Reliable Internet is one of the biggest anchors keeping us in the metromess and stopping us from moving to our rural land.

Sometime if you're bored, read the terms of service for Starlink and how it relates to Mars..... Love Elon Musk!