Hi, we are looking for volunteers who can ideally test their Broadband Speed and Ping Times* on a daily basis.
As you will have noticed, there has been an ongoing problem in the Purbeck area since December 2009, possibly even earlier. Our ISP (Internet Service Provider) has suggested that we collate data to persuade BT that there is still a serious problem that is causing random fluctuations in speed and loss of data (packet loss*).
Can you help?
If you live in the Isle of Purbeck and have 5 – 10 minutes spare a day to test your Broadband Speed and Ping Time (ideally first thing in the morning and again in the afternoon) then we would really appreciate it if you could visit the following websites and send us your results.
Speed Test
Visit SpeedTest.net and run a couple of tests, ideally using the London Server (any server in the UK will do).
After the test has finished, you should see the results in the middle of the screen with 2 button/links at the bottom. Select the “Copy Direct Link” button and send the link to us via our Contact Page.
Ping Test
Visit PingTest.net and ideally run a test from the Milton Keynes server (again, any server in the UK will do).
From the results, select the “Copy Direct Link” button and send it to us via our Contact Page.
Note: you can send both links at the same time if you like.
The data we can gain from the results will help persuade BT that there is still an underlying problem here in the Isle of Purbeck.
*What the heck is Packet Loss?
Good question. Much as it sounds, if you have anything less than complete success in transmitting and receiving “packets” of data then you are experiencing a problem with your Internet connection. It can mean much slower download and upload speeds, poor quality VoIP audio, pauses with streaming media and what seems like time warping in games — your connection may even come to a total standstill! Packet loss is a metric where anything greater than 0% should cause concern.
Read more here: http://www.pingtest.net/learn.php