How do I saturate my network?

[Gat Pelsinger]

On speedtest.net, I get a download speed of 100 Mb/s (megabits), but I never ever see that speed in a typical network I/O workload. It seems that the website uses multiple connections to connect to the server to fully saturate my bandwidth, and there is an option to only use single connection, and with that, I get about 50 Mb/s, literally half, which interestingly is the exact amount of speed that I get in any typical network I/O.

 

So what, I need to just use multiple connections to a server to get 100 Mb/s? Well I tried all the ways but nothing works. I tried programs like aria2 but they didn't work. Even on Linux, I tried some programs that definitely seemed to be trying to use multiple connections (apt-fast on Debian and its based distros), but they still don't download at 100 Mb/s. Can I do something about this?

 

I am using ethernet but that shouldn't make much difference, it should also work on Wi-Fi.

[Blue4130]

14 minutes ago, Gat Pelsinger said:

On speedtest.net, I get a download speed of 100 Mb/s (megabits), but I never ever see that speed in a typical network I/O workload. It seems that the website uses multiple connections to connect to the server to fully saturate my bandwidth, and there is an option to only use single connection, and with that, I get about 50 Mb/s, literally half, which interestingly is the exact amount of speed that I get in any typical network I/O.

 

So what, I need to just use multiple connections to a server to get 100 Mb/s? Well I tried all the ways but nothing works. I tried programs like aria2 but they didn't work. Even on Linux, I tried some programs that definitely seemed to be trying to use multiple connections (apt-fast on Debian and its based distros), but they still don't download at 100 Mb/s. Can I do something about this?

 

I am using ethernet but that shouldn't make much difference, it should also work on Wi-Fi.

What websites are you trying to connect to? Your own servers?

[Gat Pelsinger]

1 hour ago, Blue4130 said:

What websites are you trying to connect to? Your own servers?

Nooo. Just anything day to day network I/O. Maybe downloading a file. Watching YouTube. Anything. It does not go above 50 - 60 Mb/s. And it also didn't increase with so called "parallel downloading" or "multi-connection downloading" supported programs.

[Falcon1986]

3 hours ago, Gat Pelsinger said:

On speedtest.net, I get a download speed of 100 Mb/s (megabits)...

Are these the speeds that you're paying your ISP for? What is the type of internet connection?

 

3 hours ago, Gat Pelsinger said:

I am using ethernet but that shouldn't make much difference, it should also work on Wi-Fi.

WiFi speeds are much more variable than ethernet. If you're in 2.4GHz from the WiFi 4/5 generation, for example, you're unlikely to ever reach 100Mbps in real-world scenarios.

 

Additionally, the rate at which device A is able to send data to device B on the LAN is dependent on the speed of CPU/storage hardware on each device.

 

Post a network diagram sketch, highlighting the exact make/models of all network devices and how they're connected.

[Gat Pelsinger]

@Falcon1986

 

1 hour ago, Falcon1986 said:

Are these the speeds that you're paying your ISP for? What is the type of internet connection?

I actually do not know (I don't pay my bills yet I am young). I think it is actually 48 Mbps or something that I heard. I mean yeah, in non-synthetic workload, I do get that speeds + a bit of overdrive. But if speedtest.net is able to double my speed and is not lying, then I should be able to take advantage of similar technology on other websites, right?

 

1 hour ago, Falcon1986 said:

WiFi speeds are much more variable than ethernet.

100 Mb/s is nothing for a modern Wi-Fi card to handle.

 

1 hour ago, Falcon1986 said:

Additionally, the rate at which device A is able to send data to device B on the LAN is dependent on the speed of CPU/storage hardware on each device.

Again, 100 Mb/s is not something really fast. It's actually peasant networking but still more than enough to see cat videos.

It is not possible that all the websites I connect to have a bottleneck.

 

1 hour ago, Falcon1986 said:

Post a network diagram sketch, highlighting the exact make/models of all network devices and how they're connected.

Bro, it is not that complicated. Just my laptop connected over ethernet to my router. Other devices don't even matter, and if they do, nothing changes when none are connected.

[Falcon1986]

2 hours ago, Gat Pelsinger said:

I actually do not know (I don't pay my bills yet I am young). I think it is actually 48 Mbps or something that I heard. I mean yeah, in non-synthetic workload, I do get that speeds + a bit of overdrive.

This highlights that you should find out from the person who pays.

 

ISPs are known to allow for higher-than-normal "burst" speeds when their network isn't congested. Furthermore, if your ISP has speed test servers that are part of speedtest.net, speeds can seem higher than what you're paying for. You might just be on a 48-50Mbps internet connection, that occasionally bursts to 100Mbps.

 

What are your speeds at fast.com, openspeedtest.com and waveform?

 

2 hours ago, Gat Pelsinger said:

100 Mb/s is nothing for a modern Wi-Fi card to handle.

I'd have to disagree.

 

Different generations of WiFi are able to achieve different speeds. Most of us who used 802.11b/g hardware will know. Furthermore, most people's WiFi setups are sub-optimally set up.

 

2 hours ago, Gat Pelsinger said:

Again, 100 Mb/s is not something really fast. It's actually peasant networking but still more than enough to see cat videos.

It is not possible that all the websites I connect to have a bottleneck.

I'm not arguing with that.

 

2 hours ago, Gat Pelsinger said:

Bro, it is not that complicated. Just my laptop connected over ethernet to my router. Other devices don't even matter, and if they do, nothing changes when none are connected.

It was a simple question. You'd be surprised at how many people reveal their setups until the 10th reply in and that's where we discover something problematic.

 

Unfortunately, we're not mind readers here. A fast and easy solution doesn't fit everyone. If you're patient enough and can constructively participate in the conversation, someone will help you find a solution.

[Gat Pelsinger]

2 hours ago, Falcon1986 said:

that occasionally bursts to 100Mbps.

I get 100 Mbps every time on speedtest.net. It is not an occasional burst.

 

2 hours ago, Falcon1986 said:

What are your speeds at fast.com, openspeedtest.com and waveform?

I only get 100 Mb/s on speedtest.net. No other website has managed to bring it higher than 50 Mb/s. This is interesting...

 

Speedtest.net has to be cheating in some way, but that cheat works!

 

@Falcon1986

[Godlygamer23]

4 minutes ago, Gat Pelsinger said:

I get 100 Mbps every time on speedtest.net. It is not an occasional burst.

 

I only get 100 Mb/s on speedtest.net. No other website has managed to bring it higher than 50 Mb/s. This is interesting...

 

Speedtest.net has to be cheating in some way, but that cheat works!

 

@Falcon1986

What browser are you using?

[Alex Atkin UK]

1 hour ago, Gat Pelsinger said:

I get 100 Mbps every time on speedtest.net. It is not an occasional burst.

Which could very well be the ISP is being sneaky and has a higher limit for speed tests to make your connection look better than it is.  Or they do it specifically so the boost speed can be tested.

 

If the ISP package is 48Mbit then its rather irrelevant, as you're getting what is being paid for.

[Donut417]

1 hour ago, Gat Pelsinger said:

get 100 Mbps every time on speedtest.net. It is not an occasional burst.

Wouldn't been the first time an ISP gave priority to speed tests. OR the speed test server is on the ISP's network, I think my ISP hosts one near by in fact.

 

Also bear in mind where the server is located your trying to download from. Not every server on Earth is connected to your ISP. ANY time the packets have to leave the ISP's network its outside yours and their control. The servers themselves might have limits placed on them. Bandwidth is not free.

[Gat Pelsinger]

@Alex Atkin UK @Donut417

 

I understand, but whatever speed speedtest.net is giving, seems to actually be real. Even in task manager I can see the network I/O speed is 100 Mb/s.

 

Anyways, I think this problem can't be solved. But I do want to know HOW speedtest.net is doubling my speed. I mean, it physically is possible for me to get 100 Mb/s. And even if I do not manage to get that speed on other normal servers, I might be able to use it for local file transfer.

[Gat Pelsinger]

13 hours ago, Godlygamer23 said:

What browser are you using?

I am using Thorium (fork of Chromium). The browser does not matter at all. The speed is same on different web browsers, and even on Linux. I said that I even used only programs and programs on Linux as well.

[Biohazard777]

On 4/21/2024 at 11:05 AM, Gat Pelsinger said:

How do I saturate my network?

iperf / iperf3

[Godlygamer23]

56 minutes ago, Gat Pelsinger said:

I am using Thorium (fork of Chromium). The browser does not matter at all. The speed is same on different web browsers, and even on Linux. I said that I even used only programs and programs on Linux as well.

You can modify your browser's behavior to attempt to create multiple connections by default. 

[Gat Pelsinger]

1 minute ago, Godlygamer23 said:

You can modify your browser's behavior to attempt to create multiple connections by default. 

Yes, I actually found out about such a setting to use multiple connections just recently, and I have enabled it, but it still makes 0 difference. If so, then the programs which mentioned to use multiple connections by default should also have downloaded faster but they didn't.

[Godlygamer23]

1 minute ago, Gat Pelsinger said:

Yes, I actually found out about such a setting to use multiple connections just recently, and I have enabled it, but it still makes 0 difference. If so, then the programs which mentioned to use multiple connections by default should also have downloaded faster but they didn't.

It only affects your web browser. Did you try downloading stuff with the new setting enabled? Like an NVIDIA driver or something? You would need multiple sources to see if it actually made a difference. 

[Alex Atkin UK]

4 hours ago, Gat Pelsinger said:

@Alex Atkin UK @Donut417

 

I understand, but whatever speed speedtest.net is giving, seems to actually be real. Even in task manager I can see the network I/O speed is 100 Mb/s.

 

Anyways, I think this problem can't be solved. But I do want to know HOW speedtest.net is doubling my speed. I mean, it physically is possible for me to get 100 Mb/s. And even if I do not manage to get that speed on other normal servers, I might be able to use it for local file transfer.

I already covered this but maybe I wasn't clear.

 

The speed you are connected to the ISP may be faster than the speed limit they are imposing on your traffic.  ISPs which have a boost mode being a prime example.  So its simple for your ISP to set a different limit to speedtest.net servers than to everywhere else.

[Donut417]

5 hours ago, Gat Pelsinger said:

@Alex Atkin UK @Donut417

 

I understand, but whatever speed speedtest.net is giving, seems to actually be real. Even in task manager I can see the network I/O speed is 100 Mb/s.

 

Anyways, I think this problem can't be solved. But I do want to know HOW speedtest.net is doubling my speed. I mean, it physically is possible for me to get 100 Mb/s. And even if I do not manage to get that speed on other normal servers, I might be able to use it for local file transfer.

Like I said. Once traffic leaves the ISP’s network the speed it travels depends on the other network. Further more my ISP provides up to 20% greater speeds as long as their network allows. My guess is it’s a combination of them boosting speeds as well as the speed test server being attached to their network. 

[Gat Pelsinger]

7 hours ago, Godlygamer23 said:

It only affects your web browser.

Of course not.

[Godlygamer23]

10 minutes ago, Gat Pelsinger said:

Of course not.

The change through your web browser ONLY affects your browser. 

[LIGISTX]

19 hours ago, Gat Pelsinger said:

I understand, but whatever speed speedtest.net is giving, seems to actually be real. Even in task manager I can see the network I/O speed is 100 Mb/s.

I suggest you take a step back and actually try to understand what the community is trying to explain to you in all of their posts.

 

I understand you are young and just trying to learn, that is a really good thing! But you need to take a step back and internalize what folks are telling you... since they are all correct.

 

Speedtest is not "lying", the numbers it is giving you are correct; speedtest.net is, without a doubt, able to give you 100mbps results. But the question is why, and that question has been answered by 3 or 4 people...

 

There are really only 2 possible explinations, neither of which you will easily be able to determine, with a potential but unnlikely 3rd option.

 

Option 1: your ISP is seeing you are trying to hit a speedtest.net server, and they are artificually lifting the 50mbps limit on your connection to that server, and that server only. This is not difficult for them to do... but they will almost certainly never admit to doing it. They do this to try and make people beleive they are getting more then they pay for, but in reality, they are only lifiting limits to certain speed testing sites.

 

Option 2: your ISP hosts a speedtest.net server on its own infrastrucutre. Your ISP may be able to route your traffic within its own network at 100 mbps even if you are paying for a slower speed, but once you exit the ISP's network that is where it puts the brakes on and slows things down.

 

Potential option 3, but not very likely - the burst idea. In certain bursts, if the network isn't overloaded, they may provide a little more than you are paying for. I pay for 500/25, and I almost always get 600/25. They don't guarantee 600, but I typically do get 600-625 ish. I am sure if I try and download something when everyone else is trying to download something (I have cable, so it is impacted by how everyone else in your local area is hitting the network) it will likley struggle to keep me at 500, but itll certainly try to (and usually does, I rarely see anything under 500).

 

These are really your only options. And if you are paying for 48... you have no leg to stand on, and have almost 0 chance of making any other connection exceed 50mbps, its being limited by your ISP... they own the pipes, and they get to put speed limits on them based on what tier of service you pay for.