Ookla Speedtest - Strange results

[#1]

To start off, this isn't a speed complaint (well, it is but its a bit more) 

So for a couple of days, I've been having issues running Speedtest.net tests. They tell me my download is 2mb up is 1mb (not the usual 59/17 I get).

Downloading a test file shows the speeds are normal (7MB/s) but then running that speedtest tells me the internet is abysmal. The BT speedtester works normally BUT (and here's where it gets interesting), I have another device on the lan that measures speed. That's showing a HUGE drop (to 2mb). 

Diagnostics have included checking sync of modem (60,000kbps - normal) and then trying another pfSense instance. Both have the fault replicated. Tried my MacBook on a wired connection, the server downstairs and a random PC wired too - all replicating. 

Anyone have any ideas?

[#2]

try think broadband speedtest (and only pay attention too the HTTPx6 result), speedtest.net is getting unreliable in its old age, lot of people using it and unreliable servers mean it can mis-report your line speeds

if you've managed 7MB/s (56Mbps) on a download then you are actually getting that speed, if your Sync is 59Mb then download should be circa 56Mb (which it is)

[#3]

Apologies for the delay on reporting back on this - uni work in the way. Sigh.

Right so the TBB speedtester works fine. Shows 50-odd mbps. Here's where it gets interesting though - using Ookla Speedtest on the PlusNet connection shows 0.45mbps. But, when I then tether my phone up to my MacBook, the speedtester shows 60mb (EE 4G) on the same server (London, Structured Communications). 

PlusNet related somehow? Seems like it a little. 

[#4]

Hi,  can you do some www.thinkbroadband.com speed tests and past the results here?

(It looks like they are down atm though! 😮 )

[#5]

I have had some very odd results on Ookla this week, quite unusual, as it's normally pretty stable. Results from broadband Speed Checker and BTW Performance Checker were both at odds with it and "normal". Oddly, my Router downlink SNR Margin has been at 10 Db for sometime, today it dropped to 3.1, then after an hour 4Db and is now approaching 6Db. Speed has not changed noticably.

Is something giving false readings perhaps?

[#6]

Ookla may be stable but it's not particularly real world. The beauty of the TBB test is that it does both single threaded and multi-threaded tests whereas Ookla is purely multi-threaded. Given that most applications use single threaded downloads the TBB test is more likely to reflect real world issues.

The TBB x6 test should generally be the same as the Ookla test and should give a reasonable idea of the maximum your line can provide. The x1 test is what you are likely to get in practice. On a good connection there should be little to no difference between the two TBB tests.

[#7]

when people use speedtests they need to consider the following:

1) You may be using a speedtest server that doesnt have the bandwidth to saturate your download channel therefore results will be incorrect.

2) If the server does have the bandwidth you could also be using the test on that server the same time as many other people, therefore results might be skewed

3) One should not use wifi if possible to diagnose speed problems, as we now can get speeds faster than a lot of wifi connections can perform...also if the wifi channels are shared/congested you will experience even further loss of speed, e.g. my 2.4Ghz wifi can only reach 35MB/s at close range, 5Ghz is faster but weaker so the further away you are the greater drop in speed compared to 2.4Ghz - when diagnosing possible speed issues always use LAN.

4) Make sure nobody else in your household is connected to the web when performing these tests, you never know..a phone or laptop could be downloading updates in the background, or a family member might be gaming or streaming movies.

5) Know how it works, some people think:

• A) if they have a 80MB sync they should get 80Mbps in test results, this is not true, on xDSL (ADSL/FTTC) due to TCP overheads you should get about 2-3Mbps less than your sync speed, so if you sync at 80MB you should get circa 77Mbps
• B) they should hit the exact same speed every-time, again this is incorrect, due to point-to-point latency and network devices such as DLSAMs and Backhaul being used by many hundreds of users, means you will never hit the exact same precise speed every-time, with a 80Mbps sync on a non-congested network you should get around 75-77Mbps every-time, I've seen people assume something is up because they were getting 1-2% differences from test-to-test...this is normal

[#8]

Well, I've tried the TBB test and that shows all okay. However (I'm not sure if I'm allowed to actually put this here) the SamKnows box I have on the line is showing abysmal speeds both on DL and UL (0.4mb/s both directions). 

Ookla and SamKnows metrics both reporting the same speeds. SamKnows have been in touch and confirmed its not them. 

Plus, I can't actually raise a fault as suggested by one of the CS guys. See screenshot. Help!

[#9]

Snadge: sound advice. 

1) I've used multiple Ookla servers. All are giving the same result. Tethering my phone to my laptop and retesting gives me a higher speed even though thats 4G (as in the OP)

2) The issue is replicated on Ookla and SamKnows

3) Tried both WiFi (5GHz) and Wired on my MacBook Pro as well as the server (direct wired) 

4) No one else is on the connection (I kicked them all off on the pfSense interface) 

5) 56Mbps sync shouldn't report 0.4Mbps on Samknows and Ookla both - considering the latter is the government research partner too. They've said go to Plusnet since they're all fine at their end. 

The broadband has come temperamental now - higher ping times, webpages sometimes take ages to load, unresponsiveness etc. Going to try swap out the NIC's on the pfSense box and see if that helps but I suspect not, since 80% of the time, I can download something at the equiv of 56Mbps (7MB/s). 

Strange issue, I know.

[#10]

Can you paste the results of the TBB tests please.    They have throughput graphs over time on them which is useful.

[#11]

Quick update to this:

Well, I don't know why but swapping over to a different NIC for the WAN Input solved the issue. Speed is showing 58Mb everything now and everything is noticeably more speedier in terms of page load times etc. 

Cheers for the responses!