How does that work?

If I can download files at >200Mb; complete multi-thread tests from non-Virgin servers at 210Mb any time of day, yet a single thread test can trip over local congestion.

It works like this (not very technical and skips over a tonne of technical aspects, but it demonstrates the issue at hand).

If you imagine 2 users, call them Bob and Mike.

There is 100Mbps split between the two of them at the local exchange (virgin media use nodes but anyway, this is just an example).

Bob downloads a file (1 threaded), he gets 100Mbps.
Now Mike runs a speedtest, single threaded. Bobs download slows to 50Mbps, Mikes speedtest gets 50Mbps (sharing available backhaul).

Say Mike runs a speedtest with 9 threads, Bobs 1 threaded download falls to 10Mbps, Mikes speedtest shows 90Mbps.

With multi threaded speedtests, congestion is hidden a lot more.

Hence ISPs send you to www.speedtest.net as it's multi threaded and very good at covering up congestion issues.

Edited by ukhardy07 (Tue 31-May-16 18:27:20)

As is the BT Wholesale one. When it used to display it, it was 15 or 16 threads.

If you use TBB download test files (under 'Tools'), this may help pinpoint things.

OK. I get that. So multi-threading is a bit like downloading using torrents. With a torrent I can download off 25 seeders, from 25 different global locations. Indeed I have downloaded downloaded a 2Gb film in 80 seconds, thus using up most of my bandwidth. (And everybody else's by the sound of it!)

Tell me: When I download files from TBB, in order to test my speed, I clock up >200Mb only by downloading 2files at once. Each file downloads at just over 12MB a second. Is this because TBB servers only dish out at about 12MB or is this because I am using 2 threads, thus getting around local congestion?

Edited by deleted (Tue 31-May-16 19:01:54)

What is replacing Flash?

I did that. To achieve 200Mb I had to download two files simultaneously. They both downloaded at just over 12MB a second = 25MB X8 = 200Mb. I achieve this every time, whatever the time of day. As I say. There is nothing wrong with my connection. It seems that Flash problems might be the issue; that and possible problems with the single thread test.

To compare the single-thread TBB speed test result, you need to use a single download. Do they match? You can then compare them with testmy.net single-threaded and single downloads from elsewhere.

How fast is the TBB test file server? Can it download a file at 25MB a second? (200Mbs) For me one file maxs out at 12.8MBs.

Edited by deleted (Tue 31-May-16 19:51:53)

You are probably getting round local congestion. The TBB servers can feed well above your 200Mbps - given their location it is probably up in the Gbps range.