How To Test Your Connection To See If It Is Being Throttled
Some of my friends ask me how they can know for sure if their connection is being throttled by their ISP so that their Bittorrent transfers are slower than they should be. Or perhaps they’re not using Bittorrent at all. Instead, they are using a VoIP or VPN product and aren’t getting the performance they should. The good news is that there’s a web based tool called Glasnost which can help you determine what your ISP is or isn’t doing. You need a web browser with Java installed to use it, but it is very easy to use. Simply start the test (I recommend the full 7 minute test) and wait for the results. It will figure out if simple throttling is being used, or is your ISP using the TCP RST method favored by Comcast and anyone else who has Sandvine gear. From there, you can use that info to smack your ISP around until they wise up.
Tip: You should try this test at different times of the day as you might be throttled only at certain times of the day.
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