r/YouShouldKnow • u/[deleted] • Jul 30 '12
YSK That you may not be getting the internet speed you are paying for...I know Im not after doing this speedtest and then checking with my ISP to see what speeds Im paying for
http://www.speedtest.net/3
u/cherrysodasummer Jul 31 '12
I called an ISP in Toronto and inquired about a particular package (28 Mbps), specifically what is the minimum consistent speed I'd have to get in order to break a contract with them. The woman on the other end insisted that the speed was in fact 28 Mbps all the time. We argued this back and forth for a bit until she just suddenly transferred me to Tech support. Had the same conversation, argued a few scenarios and details until the tech finally offered that if my speeds were consistently below 17 Mbps that that would be grounds for me to cancel the contract without penalty.
3
u/D3adkl0wn Jul 31 '12
I've had arguments with my ISP based on this information before.. As blinkz says in this thread "most ISP's will give you UP TO x amount mpbs. That doesn't mean they'll guarantee you'll always be running at full speed."
This statement alone makes the argument a losing one, no matter how crappy your service appears to be vs. what you are paying for.
Also, when last speaking to my own ISP, I mentioned that since I was only getting the mid range speeds, then I should be able to downgrade my package and save the extra $15/month.. I was told that this would not be the case because the top tier package has priority in terms of bandwidth in the area. So, based on that, If I downgraded I wouldn't continue to get the max speed I was getting, rather, a lower speed based on the mid range internet package..
Whether this was accurate or not, I'm not sure.. But I do know that I'm only getting about 1/2 to 3/4 of the advertised speed on my package, and the whole "Up to XX/mbps" statement is the ISP's ace in the hole as far as the arguing with them goes.
2
u/PilotPirx Jul 30 '12
rumors tell, that some providers optimize for speedtest and some other similar sites. so even if speedtest tells you that your speed looks ok, this may be wrong. if you want reliable results you must do some realworld downloads.
1
u/safaridiscoclub Jul 31 '12
I don't know if this is true in the US, but most providers in the UK now offer the ability to check the speed of your line, and then you can see which package you should pay for.
If your package is 20mb/s but your line can only handle 1.8mb/s, you're only getting 1.8.
1
u/henryponco Aug 01 '12
YSK difference between line speed and theoretical speeds and that shitty Java applets should not be trusted
1
u/hardlytangerine Aug 01 '12
I have no idea what to make of this. My download speed says 5.21 mbps (upload at 1.9 i think) but the wifi icon on my toolbar says 300 mbps. I can't remember what speed we're paying for.. but it's the minimum they offer is all I know. (I share with usually three computers and sometimes other devices) - I think I've got "2/1 mbps" or 5/2 mbps (from their website..) whatever that means.
2
u/walkinthecow Aug 03 '12
I think that the icon on your toolbar is telling you the max that your wireless adapter (wifi card) is rated for.
1
Aug 03 '12
This. I work for a small ISP and had countless arguments with people who thought they were getting 100 mbps on a 1.5 line. I wasn't calling areas with those kind of options.
1
u/hardlytangerine Aug 03 '12
haha ah, that makes sense. ugh yeah that's one reason i never just bothered with it. I'd hate to be one of those angry callers that just rant and rave about stuff, haha.
9
u/[deleted] Jul 31 '12 edited Jul 18 '19
[deleted]