Broadband Speed Tester

[#1]

Still having unusual readings with this. There were a couple over the weekend when I was way from home and today there were no fewer than 5, all around the same speed but much slower than my proper speed, and strangely all with a higher upload speed than my line is set for. I was away from home today with all equipment except the router switched off.
I did have a BT engineer here on Monday doing some work, but these timings don't tie in with his visit.
Has anyone else reported similar odd  results? They aren't causing me any problems and I suppose the obvious answer is just to stop using that particular test. www.speedtest.net works OK, and always gives what I consider accurate results so I think I'll just stick with that.

[#2]

This is likely to be an IP address issue - speedtest.net stores results based on the IP address of the testing connection, so if you have a dynamic IP address you may well see other tests from whoever had that IP address before you.
(ETA) Having now gone back and read your OP, I realise it isn't speedtest.net you are having problems with.
Move along there, nothing to see here... 

[#3]

Jaggies - there could be something in that. I'm on a static IP address (I think) but it has changed quite a lot recently because I've had problems and the router has been resyncing - does the IP address change when that happens? Funnily enough, I just looked at previous tests from speedtest.net and they weren't mine - none had the current IP address! However, when I changed the option from 'Current IP' to 'All My Tests' I got a full set of my results going back a year or so - but with varying IP addresses.
Perhaps some kind soul at PN could enlighten me on the IP issue, and also if 'static' means 'permanent' or does it change when the router reboots.
Might it be worth deleting all my cookies?

[#4]

Quote from: itsme

Thought the results from the speed tests using mybroadbandspeed are stored locally on the PC used and not remotely. So if another PC is used the historical results will be different.

I don't think that's right. On the local PC a cookie is stored which links to the results stored on the mybroadbandspeed server.

Quote from: Jaggies

This is likely to be an IP address issue - speedtest.net stores results based on the IP address of the testing connection, so if you have a dynamic IP address you may well see other tests from whoever had that IP address before you. (ETA) Having now gone back and read your OP, I realise it isn't speedtest.net you are having problems with. Move along there, nothing to see here...

You were right the first time, both mybroadbandspeed and speedtest.net use the Ookla speed test engine.

[#5]

@ajbrown1965 I suggest you keep an eye on your IP address and check it after every reconnection.
You might want to save all the current test results to a csv file and then do as you suggested, delete all the mybroadbandspeed cookies to make a fresh start.

[#6]

HI ajbrown1965,
I've just checked your account and you do have a dynamic IP address which means that you could well see results from where that was used previously.
Jojo

[#7]

I think he may also see results of new tests run by someone on an IP he has used previously (but only where he himself ran a test on that IP while he was on it).
I think clearing the cookies should resolve that.

[#8]

Thanks for all the replies - I think the dynamic IP addresses might be the answer. I have been checking my speed more frequently then usual because of a problem with router dropouts, and more router dropouts mean more IP addresses assigned temporarily to me. I've looked again at the speedtest.net results and there are a whole mass of different IP addresses being reported.
I'm not particularly concerned at this stage about keeping the records so I will just delete the cookies.
Jojo -  is there any benefit/problem with changing from a dynamic to a fixed IP address?

[#9]

HI ajbrown1965,
I would say the main reason people use static IP is for connecting remotely while you're not at home or if you were using a web server. Otherwise dynamic is fine.
Jojo

[#10]

Thanks Jojo, no need to change anything then. Hopefully now my line seems more stable the IP address will stay the same for longer periods anyway.

[#11]

Yes, it would only change if you disconnected, so fingers crossed