[RESOLVED] Bandwidth Speedtest

[Isorfir]

I'm looking to be able to test the bandwidth speed between the server and client. It should be a simple timed download, but I'm trying to make it the least intrusive I can. Such as downloading an image and testing that.

Can I download an image to the temporary cache and then upload it to test both directions? If so, how?

P.S.: Any tips on getting the accurate speed would be helpful (i.e. compensating for protocol overhead, etc.)

[gep13]

Hey,

I would suggest that you have a look at the following:

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

And perhaps this:

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/IP/speedtest.aspx

Gary

[Isorfir]

Thanks for the reply.

I looked at http://www.speedtest.net/mini.php right before I came here and the problem with it is it uses a flash .swf file. I don't want my users to have to have a flash plugin to do the speedtest.

I'm looking at that code project speedtest and I'm getting an exception when running it. I'll look into why it's breaking.

In that project he's downloading a text file directly to the root of C:\, I was hoping to use the a temp cache as to not pollute the users machine with files. Is something like that possible?

[gep13]

Hey,

You may be able to do something, but would this affect the results that you get, as you are not doing a full download at that point.

Gary

[Isorfir]

By downloading a file to a cached location it's not considered a full download? I did not know that.

I was assuming that's how other speedtest apps do it, like speedtest.net, but if not that's useful information.

The other reason I was doing that was to bypass the user prompt for downloading a file.

[gep13]

By downloading a file to a cached location it's not considered a full download? I did not know that.

I wasn't making a statement there, I was asking a question. I am not sure of the answer myself

[mendhak]

Javascript has no access to the user's file system in the way that you need, which is why speed tests are done with java/flash applets. You can do it with clever JS (start a timer, monitor a download of an image. Start a timer, post that image back to a dummy page) but the results will be wildly inaccurate and will depend on how fast the user's browser is. With an applet, it runs in its own context, so it isn't subject to browser anomalies but is closer to a more accurate result.

[Isorfir]

Thanks mendhak, I'll just go another route then. Saved me some time trying to figure out how to do it this way.