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5. Speed·What speed caps does OOL use?
·How can I test my speed?
·What kinds of speeds should I be getting?
·How come I'm not getting 8Mbps like you?
·Can you please explain kilobits vs. kilobytes?
·I am getting slow speeds in peak hours. What can I do?
·What is an NDT speed server and why should I trust it?
| | | OOL has a 15Mbps download cap and a 2Mbps upload cap. There are still some areas that are 10/1, but in the process of being upgraded.
OOL also has been capping the upload speed to 150kbps for users who have upload excessively. OOL has not defined the criteria they use to determine who gets capped.
It's my opinion that if you stay within the guidelines suggested here that you most likely will avoid being capped.
You can call technical support to have the cap removed. It's unknown how many times OOL will uncap you, should you get capped multiple times.
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 feedback form
by Lex Luthor 
last modified: 2006-01-30 07:36:43 | | | At the top of the forum, you'll see three speed test links.
The OOL FTP speed test will begin a file download, while the other 2 tests use a web application.
Please note that the OOL speed test is in bytes/sec and the other 2 are in bits/sec.
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feedback form
by Lex Luthor
last modified: 2002-03-04 14:50:39 | | | Most people on OOL are capable of getting 4Mbps down and near 1Mbps up. Top speeds seem to be around 8Mbps down.
OOL support probably won't help you much if you are above 3Mbps.
Once you do hit the 4Mbps range, there probably is little you can do to improve substantially. There are factors that are out of your control that can affect your speeds. Nodes are not all created alike.
While OOL seems to not have crowded nodes, remember, we are on cable and speeds can fluctuate at times. Right now, most people get the same speeds at peak times as they do at off-peak times.
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feedback form
by Lex Luthor
last modified: 2002-03-04 14:52:14 | | | It's my feeling that once you are in the 4Mbps range, you are probably near the maximum for your node regardless of how much more you tweak locally.
All nodes are not created equal and OOL has a myriad of different settings they can apply to a node. I guess they try to perform a balancing act between speed and stability on each individual node.
Node crowding doesn't appear to be a problem except for maybe a couple of nodes.
It seems that, for most people, the terajet is the only modem that can hit 8Mbps. Most other modems seem to top out at around 6Mbps with a few reports of high speeds.
Remember, OOL doesn't guarantee you certain speeds and support probably won't help you until you drop below the 3Mbps range.
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feedback form
by Lex Luthor
last modified: 2002-03-04 14:52:27 | | | It will make it easy if we all try to stick with the industry standard abbreviations.
Kilobytes per second = KB/s
Kilobits per second = kbps
Your browser reports speeds in KB/s, the speed tests here at BroadBandreports.com report speeds in kbps.
1 kbps = 1000 bps
1 KB/s = 1024 B/s
1 KB/s = 8.192 kbps
1 kbps = .1221 KB/s
KB/s to kbps
Take KB/s and multiply by 8.192
Example
100KB/s = 819.2kbps
kbps to KB/s
Take kbps and divide by 8.192 (or multiply by .1221)
Example
1000kbps = 122KB/s
Your browser reports speeds in KB/s, so if you see 500KB in your browser your speed is 4096kbps or 4.096Mbps.
The dslr speed tests report speeds in kbps, so if you see 5000kbps, that's equivalent to 610.5KB/s in your browser.
Feel free to try this speed calculator to help with any conversions.
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feedback form
by Lex Luthor
last modified: 2003-10-21 16:15:22 | | | Slow download speeds in peak usage hours which improve in off-peak hours are usually caused by congestion in the Optimum Online network, either at your »Cable Modems and Wiring Issues »Node or at one of the upstream routers.
First of all, check to see that this is actually the problem causing your decrease in download speed. If your speeds are slow regardless of time of day, then you probably have a different problem, and should try »/tweaks. Also check that your modem signals are in range: »Optimum Online FAQ »What should my modem levels be?
If you are still seeing slowdowns in peak hours, you will need to find some way to convince those who can fix the problem that there actually is one. Essentially, you want engineering to split your node or otherwise re-arrange OOL's network so as to eliminate the peak-hour overloading.
One way to do this is to survey your neighbors to see if they are also having the problem. Start by asking your closest neighbors. If you are in an apartment building, you could, for instance, post a note by the mailboxes, with a check-box for people to indicate their situation. Also contact any other neighbors you know, even those who are just acquaintances. If you are the outgoing type, you could do a more general canvas, I suppose. The more people you ask the better -- but you don't need to survey the whole zip code.
As for node boundaries, it doesn't really matter if you get responses from people who aren't on the same node. And you do not need to include responses like "my speed is fine" in your list -- just include the list of those who have complaints. Although, if everyone in the area is saying that their speeds are fine, then you may want to reconsider whether there is actually some other problem specific to you.
Once you have your list, call customer service and politely explain the situation ["My neighbors and I have been having slow speeds in peak times ..., and I was informed that providing a list of affected OOL users in the neighborhood would be helpful to you in diagnosing the problem..."]. If the support person isn't immediately helpful, ask politely to speak to second level support, and repeat your story. Don't forget to offer to fax or email the list of affected users, and always make sure the first thing you do when speaking to anyone at customer support is ask their name and position, and record this information.
Regardless of whether you manage to get customer support to accept your list, you should get them to roll a truck [send a technician to your home]. Politely explain the situation, presenting the list to the technician who shows up. Let them run whatever tests they wish to run -- you will need to prove to them that the problem is not in your own system. Do not get confrontational -- just politely insist that they call in and convey the situation up the chain of command. Try to get the supervisors name and telephone number. Make sure you have a printed copy of the list that the engineer can keep, and insist that they physically attach the list to their copy of the trouble ticket before you sign it. It is important to sign the ticket, and that it indicate that the problem was not inside your home, because otherwise they may charge you for the visit.
Always remember that the whole purpose of this exercise is to get a list of OOL customers with speed problems into the hands of the people who can actually fix the problem -- the engineers in the local office. And keep in mind that if you act politely and professionally throughout the process, so will they.
I don't guarantee that this will work every time, but I have seen it work in the past. It is definitely worth a try.
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feedback form
by spidey3 edited by Lex Luthor
last modified: 2005-05-23 11:45:23 | | | An NDT [Network Diagnostics Test] server runs on a much faster connection than the usual Speakeasy and DSLR speed tests.
These servers support a Web100 linux kernel as part of the Net100 project to make a network aware OS.
If you try the various Web-100 tests around the country which run on very well connected servers, you should see your actual speed or close to it [these testers are good to 100mbit and beyond.]
The Web100 kernel is optimized to run speed tests on a very fast connection. Data shows you various TCP kernel variables for the transfer from the test server to your client applet.
Your browser's "Java console" may provide additional clues. You may also need to upgrade your browser's java run-time environment (JRE) from java.com - You should be running Java Run-time Environment Version 5.0 , at least.
To date, Update 6 is the latest version of JRE:
»www.java.com/en/download/ie_auto.jsp [MSIE]
or
»www.java.com/en/download/windows_xpi.jsp [Firefox.]
Many users especially 15/2 Upgraded areas and 30/2 OOL-BOOST users prefer these tests.
NDT Tests
• »web100.rit.edu:7123/ (Rochester, NY)
• »jlab4.jlab.org:7123/ (Newport News, VA)
• »miranda.ctd.anl.gov:7123/ (Argonne, IL)
• »netspeed.stanford.edu/ (Palo Alto, CA)
• »nitro.ucsc.edu/ (Santa Cruz, CA)
• »speedtest.umflint.edu/ (Flint, Michigan)
• »whisper.cs.utk.edu:7123/ (Older version of the NDT tester)
feedback form
feedback form
by StreetSpirit edited by Lex Luthor
last modified: 2006-01-22 20:21:19 |
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