I just ordered a better package from Comcast that includes faster internet and phone service. It's gonna be installed in a couple weeks, so we'll see how it compares to the above result, which is Comcast's base internet package speed.
Well, you're right, the result you'll get from a server a greater distance away will be more inline with what your actually usage speed and experience are, but if you are really trying to measure the actual size of your pipe, you need a close server with enough bandwidth to saturate your connection. This gives you the max through put of your connection, which should match fairly closely with what your ISP says it is providing you with.
Do you have a Fiber connection? Man, I'm jealous of your "slow" speed! And that ping... maybe even *I* could win an online Halo3 match with that kind of ping.
mine depends on the provider can hit 20mbs download and 5 mbs on a good day hard wired with cat 5e RJ45 but with a wireless cuts in half due to network card which needs to be changed. But that being said they tend to throttle service depending on demand and fios not avaible and outrageous here anyway. For what I need though it works. My main concern is always dealing with vista and how horrible of an operating system it is. Not only is it a RAM hog its also unstable and extremly vunerable to the slightest of malware tracking cookies....
This is after having Comcast switch my phone service over from POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) to them. They bump your internet connection speed when they install the phone service. The cable modem/router they install has a battery backup, so if the phone goes out (assuming you have a phone that doesn't require house power) your phone line still works. It's amazing how transparent VoIP has become; there is honestly no difference than POTS. Even our old phones work.