Slow Server Response -- Need Some Help

[HiFly]

[WEBMASTER RANT]
I have spent several sessions on the phone with tech and sent in three tickets none of which have helped (nor did they bother to do anything beyond downloading it from the INTERNAL bluehost network). My problem? I have asked 18 people (different ISPs, each person in a different part of the world, all broadband connections) to download the same file (http://www.cgsfxartist.com/houdini.zip) and to test their connection here (http://www.cgsfxartist.com/speedtest).

Results:
1.) Only 1 in 5 people could download the test file (http://www.cgsfxartist.com/houdini.zip) above 100kb/s
2.) All 18 subjects using speedtest (http://www.cgsfxartist.com/speedtest) tested at or close to broadband speeds

So either these 18 subjects are flukes or they further evidence that something is wrong...

What I need is three things. One, download the zip file and report your average connection speed. Two, use speed test and report your speeds. Three, if you have any other suggestions PLEASE post them.

Thank you in advance!

PS: For the file download please do NOT use a download manager.
[/WEBMASTER RANT]

Sorry for being short about this but I have tried for a week and a half to find the root of this problem -_-

[areidmtm]

I did around 300KB/s topping out at 520KB/s

Speed test put me at 1428 kbps

Speed factors depends on so many variables. It's not always or not always 100% the hosts fault. (not that you said it was)

[Basil]

Zip downloaded between 180 and 200kB/s, speedtest reports 1619kbps down.
Basic cable over LAN.

[HiFly]

I know it's not 100% the host's fault (could not even be related), I'm just trying to figure out what the cause is so it can be fixed. Who knows, maybe it's a router at a regional level that needs to be fixed. I don't know, I just want a complete view of the problem. I love BH, I've been with them for three years and even if this was their fault I doubt they would do something like this on purpose. :)

[Early Out]

My best guess is that BH is once again straining against the limits of its available bandwidth. I just tried a couple of tests with your file (being careful to clear cache between tests), and I'll get 75KB/s one time, and closer to 200KB/s the next. Downloading zip files from my own account produces similar inconsistent results.

In theory, BH limits download speeds to 4mbps, or about 500KB/s, but it doesn't look like that's what we're getting.

And yet, your speedtest yields 3.5mbps (a closer server gives 5.2mbps). Very puzzling....

[areidmtm]

I just tried again, and the the zip downloaded around 80-100KB/s and the speed test put me at 600kbps. speeds change every time.

[untraceablesmurf]

i got 30 - 40 KB/s with your file (which is the same i get from my site also hosted with bluehost)
your speed test gave me 802kbps (which is way out, I'm on 20meg cable) if i do a speed test from a server near me i get 19754kbps.
my guess is the same as Early out, bluehost has hit its bandwidth limit, i use to be able to get 400+KB/s all the time.

p.s. if you find a solution let us know.

[HiFly]

I'll be sure to; in the mean time here is some food for thought. If blue host has hit their bandwidth limit then all connections should be limited not just a single connection. If that’s the case then why has everyone been able to speedtest at much higher speeds then they were able to with a single download? Also, why I am able to download in excess of 15MB/s on a single file here at college but not at home (that alone supports the theory that there is more to it than just a bandwidth limitation)?? These results are very odd in indeed and I'll continue to research this subject and post anything I find. Perhaps this has something to do with one of blue host's backbone service providers? If that’s the case then maybe it is just a routing issue and not a bandwidth issue like we first thought. I’ll be sending another support ticket with this thread as an attachment even if I get the same ‘oh it’s just your connection’ maybe at least there will be a better explanation behind it this time.
Thank you to those who posted, this is exactly the evidence I needed to convince blue host that it's not just my connection. :)

I also tested this theory on another private forum:


I got about 80 kbs on the file.

My ISP is throttled - the speed test closely matched its rated settings 768kb down 128kb up

What is the rated data transfer rate of the HD, and what else is it doing while running this FTP? Ditto the CPU? Ditto the leg to the ISP?

Could this be a limit on server/client FTP verses WWW ports? I assume this is not a secure FTP. I seem to remember something about packet priority, and FTP is not a high priority verses other real time applactions. My guess is the issue is here.

A lot of ISPs throttle their lines, either at the end users leg or higher up in their switches.

If the clients are accessing via a LAN that would limit them to the local router speed rules no matter what the (WAN) ISP side or server can potentially provide.

Hope this gives you some ideas.


I looked into port limited issues (tried SFTP, wget, etc.) all of which had the same results. Perhaps a bandwidth related issue?


Here's some more info, not that I see anything I didn't expect:

The route time seems pretty constant in multiple tests, although they were done all at the same time, not spread out over the day.
[ATTACHED FILE OF TRACERT REMOVED]
Cap



Okay I don't know how this helps but this is what I got trying to download the file 600kb on the file.
When I ran the speed test I got 5321 on the down and 1363 upload.

Don't know if this means anything but after I ran the file and speedtest more than once everytime I did it I had to reset my router because after it I couldn't get back on the internet.:sick:

[Early Out]

If that’s the case then why has everyone been able to speedtest at much higher speeds then they were able to with a single download?Yeah, that's the part that I don't get - I can't even come up with a plausible theory to explain it!

[HiFly]

I've read that apache has a bandwidth limiter that can be compiled into the install and configured to do something like this, but does it have a module that allows you to limit single file connections but not the overall connection speed? If that's true then again we ask why can we download faster in on location but not the other. I am really starting to think that this all points to a backbone/routing issue and not an ISP (on our end) and/or blue host issue.

[untraceablesmurf]

you saying about a routing issue got me thinking, so i tried downloading 4 files at the same time link 1 (http://www.smurfsofwar.com/temp/test1.zip) link 2 (http://www.smurfsofwar.com/temp/test2.zip) link 3 (http://www.smurfsofwar.com/temp/test3.zip) link 4 (http://www.smurfsofwar.com/temp/test4.zip) (they are the same file with different names) each would start downloading but then would take it in turns to download (i.e. file 1 for a few secs then file 2 etc.) none would get above 30KB/s and my router confirms i was only getting 30KB/s in total so i did a tracert while this was happening and looks like it could be hop 11 to hop 12 with issues.

10 78 ms 80 ms 80 ms p2-0.IR1.NYC-NY.us.xo.net [208.173.135.130]
11 79 ms 81 ms 80 ms p5-0-0.RAR1.NYC-NY.us.xo.net [65.106.3.37]
12 135 ms 133 ms 122 ms p6-0-0.RAR2.Chicago-IL.us.xo.net [65.106.0.29]
13 123 ms 124 ms 121 ms p0-0-0d0.rar1.chicago-il.us.xo.net [65.106.1.85]


i have repeated this test 4 times through out today and get the same result.
think i will have a chat with support tomorrow and see what can be sorted as i can tracert and download from other American site much quicker.
I'll let you know if they find any thing.

p.s. feel free to try downloading the files, also got the speed test here. (http://www.smurfsofwar.com/speed/index.html)

[HiFly]

On my home connection I had the same issue here however it's just as it was with my server. Pure speed...Hey I wonder if blue host sells a make faster button :confused:.


PS: Chat won't help you and neither will phone support...I have tired those twice already in the past week they had no idea and just blamed it on my ISP. You are better of sending a support ticket (be sure to link to this thread) as all support tickets go to Level 3 support techs or at least that is what I have been told. Anyone know for sure as to the accuracy of the above info?