Speed test site and maxs

wdlgeorgia · EVDO Newbie Joined: 13 Nov 2008 Posts: 8

New to EVDO. I have the Verizon USB760. I have 2 questions that fall in the "newbie" catagory. I have "full bars" on my VZW Access Manager with an RSSI of around 72 dBm. I've done a speed test several times (speedtest.net) and have the following questions:
Why does it show the best server for me--and measure my mileage from--Kansas, MO? My physical location is Georgia.
Also, the very best speed results I've had is 1.04mb, but 99% of tests have returned a speed under 1mb. My TCP is already tweaked at 65536 from using Hughesnet. I know that's pretty good, but how are others getting the high speedtest I see posted here. Any other suggestions?

rwithers · Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 3:35 pm Post subject:

The others may have 2 T1's on their tower or less user saturation then you do. It is a crap shoot as to when you do a speed test, how many users are on at that time, how many T1's on your tower etc. Your speeds still are "above average" in my opinion but thats just my 2 cents.

wvbills · Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 6:21 am Post subject:

I've been reading this forum and others for nearly six months now - since I got my Verizon USB727 and CTR350. I've concluded that if you're getting close to 1Mb consistently with your speedtests, there's nothing YOU can to to increase your speed. As rwithers pointed out, "your" tower probably has only 1 T1 line. Max speed for one user on a T1 is somewhere around 1.54Mb - and you share the line with everyone else on the tower. If Verizon adds another T1 to the tower, it's probably because they know there are bunches of regular users on that tower.

To your question about why speedtest recommends the KC site - who knows(?) - that's a question for the speedtest folks. You can always pick other speedtest sites but don't worry too much if you get different readings from them - that's probably the result of the load on that site.
_________________
WVBill

3Gstore · EVDO Addict Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 3171

speedtest.net looks up the IP address of your connection and since its a mobile broadband connection, the carrier will record its last use or current location in many places.

i always take several tests using the test point it recommends, and the one i know is closest to me.

here's one i just did with Verizon's new LG Versa cellphone attached to my cradlepoint PHS300:

wdlgeorgia · EVDO Newbie Joined: 13 Nov 2008 Posts: 8

wvbills · Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 9:40 am Post subject:

Torr58 · EVDO User Joined: 11 Mar 2009 Posts: 28

falsedragon · EVDO User Joined: 13 Oct 2008 Posts: 45

It shows you in a different city, because that is the closest place where you get handing into the internet.

You have a RF link to the cell, the cell backhauls to the switch by 1-4 t1's. From there you could even be transfered to a different switch before you hit the internet. Only the major switches backhaul to the internet. 1 in every market. This also explains the high latency.

Its improtant to know that EC/IO is more important then RSSI. This shows your noise floor, and is the matrix that controls handoffs or if you can even make a call.

A person with a -90rssi -2 ec/io will get better speeds then someone with -50rssi -10ec/io.

I would say at -70 you should see a ec/io around -5. In that case expect around 900k to 1mb down, and 500-800 up. Thats all the air interface can do.

It is also possible that the DO carrier is ridding on 1 T1. Most markets won't look at adding another T1 until everyones speeds fall below 600k'ish.

If i had to guess, you are using all of your air interface. Its the nature of DO.