Digital Home Thoughts: Checking On Your Internet Connection Capabilities

"Glasnost tests work by measuring and comparing the performance of different application flows between your host and our measurement servers. The tests can detect traffic shaping in both upstream and downstream directions separately. The tests can also detect whether application flows are shaped based on their port numbers or their packets' payload."

Hooray! It looks like I have a truly unfettered Internet connection! Actually, I am satisfied to see that result as the method in which I have my Internet should guarantee an untouched pipe to the Interwebs. Most consumer Internet connections in Canada do suffer from rate limiting at certain times of the day. ISPs do it to help manage the huge increase in the demand for bandwidth on their networks, though some claim that certain rate limiting also allows them to position some of their other services, such as Video on Demand, more attractive. The Glasnost tests look like they can be quite thorough for telling you just what you are getting, but it is unlikely that if your Internet connection is restricted in any form, that you will be able to do anything about it.