Speedtest.net Changes From Flash to HTML5 Based

[Pib]

OOKLA, the company behind Speedtest.net, has changed Speedtest.net from using Flash to using HTML5.  

 

When you now go to speedtest.net you get a completely different look and it's now using HTML5.  You can still access the old speedtest.net flash-based tester at legacy.speedtest.net.

 

On my AIS Fibre 100/10 plan when using the legacy/flash based tester the speed would peg out at around 120Mb for a few seconds like it's briefly "bursting in speed" and then come down to around 102Mb for the final result.  And the upload speed would struggle in the first part of the test kinda like going up the stairs...getting faster and faster until it ended with around a 12Mb.  

 

But when using the new/HTML5 tester the download speed does not peg out at around 120Mb but just up to a little over 90Mb and then slowing reaches around 102Mb by the end of the test. And the upload portion pegs out around 20Mb like it's bursting during the first second or so of the test...and then stair steps down to around a final result of 12Mb.   

 

And then I ran one more test unique to my router and computers setup which uses an ASUS 55UHP router as an access point.  After I upgraded the routers firmware a few months ago when using the 2.4GHz band with "one" of my computers I could no longer get a 12Mb upload speed when using Speedtest.net (the flash based version...nor could I get it on other OOKLA flash based testers)....could only around 8Mb.  Roll back to the earlier firmware and I'm back to getting 12Mb upload speed on the 2.4Ghz band.  The new firmware did not affect the 5Ghz band....I got 12Mb no problem with the new firmware.   Did several emails with ASUS support about this issue....but they always just gave me scripted replies that didn't help.   Just something about the new firmware that didn't agree with flash-based testers on the 2.4Ghz band with one computer I had....the other computers where not affected.   But now using the HTML5 based speedtest.net the 2.4Ghz band on that computer achieves 12Mb upload speed just like the 5Ghz band.  The problem was just some difference between using a flash-based tester and an HTML5-based tester.

 

You might want to try out the legacy and new Speedtest.net.   See if you notice any difference in how your speed test acts on download and upload "during" the test....and if your final results are significantly different.  

 

New/HTML5 Based

Speedtest.net

 

Old/Flash Based

legacy.speedtest.net

 

[bendejo]

Just tried this, but legacy.speedtest.net resolved to beta.speedtest.net, so I wasn't able to compare.

 

 

[Pib]

8 hours ago, bendejo said:

Just tried this, but legacy.speedtest.net resolved to beta.speedtest.net, so I wasn't able to compare.

 

 

Strange, I enter the two different addresses I gave earlier, and each one pulls up a different tester.  One the legacy/flash based tester (first address and image below) and one the new/HTML5 based tester (second address and image below)..   Maybe it's a DNS thing...I use Google DNS.  

 

And if using the legacy.speedtest.net address on a mobile device it may automatically switch to the new speedtest.net unless you force a desktop display on your mobile device.   Or like I said it may be a DNS thing....maybe  try clearing your cache.

 

http://legacy.speedtest.net/

 

 

http://www.speedtest.net/

 

 

 

Edited March 26, 2017 by Pib

[damole]

Looks much cleaner than the old interface and much simpler to choose a meaningful server.  I never understood why they would suggest a server in Bangkok, (I'm in Chiang Mai) or even a neighbouring country.  Just regular 3BB ADSL, 590 Bt.

 

Edited March 26, 2017 by damole

[petedk]

On 3/26/2017 at 9:03 AM, damole said:

Looks much cleaner than the old interface and much simpler to choose a meaningful server.  I never understood why they would suggest a server in Bangkok, (I'm in Chiang Mai) or even a neighbouring country.  Just regular 3BB ADSL, 590 Bt.

 

 

How can you choose a server in another country (USA for example)? 

 

When I click "change server" I only get Thai options

 

[Pib]

When you click Change Server at the top of the pop-up menu displayed is a Search box.  Type in Los Angeles in that search box and it will show LA servers.

 

When clicking the Change Server selection it initially only shows local/regional servers based on your IP address.  To select a server not listed in the local/regional servers use the Search box as mentioned above.

[wpcoe]

I kind of miss the old map where you could move the search area with your mouse, but the Search box does the job.

[Pib]

I noticed today when going to "speedtest.net" it did not pull up the beta version anymore....it was pulling up the earlier/flash-based version again like it's been for quite a few years. 

 

As indicated in my OP,  back around early April speedtest apparently made their beta speedtest HTML5 based program where you ended up when typing in speedtest.net.   And to reach the previous speedtest.net you had to type in legacy.speedtest.net.    But today to reach the beta speedtest I had to type in beta.speedtest.net as speedtest.net gave me to older/original/flash based speedtest.

 

I also notice that when going to speedtest.net it now has a "Try Speedtest Beta" link in the upper left hand corner that I don't think was there before...or maybe it was.  

 

Anyway, unless it's just my computer looks like speedtest went back to using their older/original/flash based speedtester versus their beta HTML5 based speedtester as their primary website.  Maybe a lot of people like the older version better.

 

 

[Pib]

Question for you guys who use speedtest.net on your "computer."

 

With the flash-based speedtest.net (shows the map for server location) and HTML5-based beta.speedtest.net (does not show map for server selection but you type in the server location) how does your upload and download speeds react "during" the test with each version of the tester?  

 

I'm on an AIS Fibre 100/10.  

 

Using the flash-based version the download speed out of the gate goes up to around 120Mb and then tappers off to a final result of around 102Mb.   But the upload speed takes its time slowly climbing up to the final result of around 12Mb.  It's like "bursting" occurs during the download portion of the test but not on the upload portion.

 

Using the HTML5-based version the download speed out of the gate only goes up to around 75Mb and then slowly climbs to around 102Mb for the final result.  But the upload speed out of the gate jumps up to around 20 to 50Mb and then tappers off for a final result of 12Mb.  It's basically like  bursting does "not" occur when doing the download portion, but does occur during the upload portion....the reverse of what happens with the flash-based version.

 

Each version gives me basically the same results, but each reacts differently while accomplishing the test.  How does your computer react during the test?  

 

I'm asking about "computers" since tablets/phones automatically  use to the HTML5 beta/mobile version using the speedtest app since it's kinda hard to use the map on a small screen so the HTML5 mobile version (basically the beta version) is used on tablets/phones instead of the desktop/computer version.   

 

 

[RichCor]

I'm not happy about the new html5 version of speedtest.net. I don't think its accurate.

I use the web-based versions of speedtest.net and the Microsoft Windows Store version (which is very slow to start up, btw). Both show a beginning exaggeration of the WAN connection speed (about +20mbps above my actual connection speed), gradually falling over time and ending somewhere near the contract speed, but then where it should show an average as the final number it shows the lowest speed obtained as the final result. 

 

Even when I was experiencing some upstream network instability (erratic speeds 2.8 - 30mbps) the html5 speed test would display erratic numbers (as expected) then always finalize on the last number obtained, rather than the calculated average. Very annoying.

Not a realistic representation of how the upstream gateway is governing my WAN connection at all.

 

The older speedtest also displayed the sustained speed graph, and followed the test experience I have using other web-based speed test sites.

 

http://speedtest1.totbroadband.com/

http://www.dslreports.com/speedtest

http://testmy.net/

http://speedof.me/

https://www.nperf.com/en/