@Sonia wrote:
Thanks for your help. I'm running Windows 7. When I run Verizon Optimizer it say it needs to optimize Windows and it does so (?). After reboot, same speeds. Sometime I get 4, sometimes 8 and once I got 16, but never anything close to the 35 I should be getting. abhi_col, I followed your advice and links (thanks) and my RWin is 66792. Can that be the issue? Can it be easily changed in Windows 7? I actually do a lot of heavy uploading for my job, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.RWin could be part of the problem... not sure if the fault isn't Verizon's to a large extent also though.
I keep my RWin at 1045440 (I have 20/5 btw, but not sure the provided speed makes any difference with the RWin setting).
To adjust your settings, go to DrTCP and they will give you a tool to do it with:
http://www.dslreports.com/drtcp
Once you run the .exe there it will give you your values.
Then where it says "online tweak tester" click on it and run that, and it will give you recommendations for your optimal settings. Once you go back to the .exe and run it again to insert the new values you will need to restart for the settings to take effect. See how much it helps your speed and performance, ok?
P.S. Just make sure you have your Ethernet Networking Controller(s) selected in the drop-down menu under Adapter Settings when you apply your changes, or you may be doing it to the IEEE thingy or something else instead.
@Hubrisnxs wrote:--- Those speedtest sites are questionable at best, I can test from them on a DS3 connection at work and they give me miserably slow upload speed test results almost religiously. it's only until I click on 8-10 different servers do I find ONE that gives me a good speed test result.
I couldn't agree more.
Here are my nearest server's results (Dallas; <50 miles):
http://www.speedtest.net/result/690127554.png
Here are my results from a server in San Marcos (250 miles):
http://www.speedtest.net/result/690133239.png
And btw this is with this particular site (http://www.speedtest.net/) getting its act together. In the past they used a server here in the Dallas area that would give me upload results half that of those from the far far away San Marcos one. 
On a positive note, usually if you have bad results you can call Verizon and the tech will run a speed test himself (ok, most of them will anyway, and cheerfully.... 
) If the results are way out of whack, and it's your router they WILL ship you a new one, Just ask me. LOL I'm on my third Actiontec. 
Good evening.
Quite a few interesting perspectives on speed sites here - so let's cut to the chase.
One thing we can agree on is that not all speed test sites are created equal or entirely accurate. It depends on where they are, where you are, how busy the speed test server is and the relative amount of network congestion at the time. That being said, some days you may have great results, other days you may not. As the auto industry so cleverly puts it "your mileage may vary."
So what *can* you do to make the most of your throughput on FiOS?
Many posts here talk about changing the RWIN or using Verizon's speed optimizer. There's a few factors to consider here...
First: Isolation
As with any good experiment it is important to have a controlled environment. The ideal situation would involve a single computer connected via an Category 5 Ethernet patch cord. Nothing fancy - a standard 6' cord should do the trick. If at all possible turn off the wireless (or at least remove the antenna) and disconnect all other computers from the network. If you have FiOS TV service you may want to turn off your set top boxes.
The reason for this is so that all of your bandwidth will be available for the computer utilized for the speed test.
If anything is competing with your test computer for bandwidth it will taint the results.
Second: Optimizers, RWIN and Windows 7; Oh my!
Fact: Your RWIN value is very important - it is your TCP receive window. There's a very detailed technical (insert yawn here) explanation at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RWIN
Here's the short version: not having a big enough RWIN means the computer will receive information in smaller "chunks" and makes inefficient use of your bandwidth. It determines whether your computer will receive data in "pickup truck" sized pieces and "semi tractor-trailer" sized pieces.
So...
Now that we know what RWIN is let's talk about the Verizon Optimizer. Again, the short version: works great if you're running Windows XP (usually). If you're running Windows Vista or Windows 7; my condolences.
What's the difference? Windows XP has been around long enough that many 3rd party "optimizer" tools including the one used by Verizon can easily change the parameters of your TCP stack; specifically the RWIN.
- Side bar: Apple released the Apple Broadband Tuner 1.0 which you can utilize to optimize your Mac for FiOS service. It is available from their website for FREE. (http://support.apple.com/downloads/Broadband_Tuner_1_0)
Back to our story...
For Windows Vista and Windows 7 users; Microsoft created an "enhanced" version of TCP that includes an auto-tuning feature. Translation: the operating system isn't too keen on letting you adjust the RWIN out of the box. For the long and dramatic story you can look it up on Google / Bing or check out these links:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/967475
http://blogs.technet.com/fixit4me/archive/2009/01/14/disable-tcp-auto-tuning-fix-it-live.aspx
What's next?
Well, for starters you may want to look into disabling that auto-tuning TCP feature (directions available at http://support.microsoft.com) and then try setting your RWIN & RTT correctly. You can borrow the suggested values listed on Apple's site or do the math based on the Wiki page I linked earlier.
If you have isolated the PC; killed the auto-tuning feature; optimized RWIN & RTT; (insert "reboot your PC" here); and still have trouble hitting top speeds - remember that you may want to try several sites at several times throughout the day to get a mean or average idea of your throughput (note: throughput not bandwidth!). Personally I like using Verizon's tool along with any reputable 3rd party speed test sites.
Keep in mind that the time of day you elect to run a speed test can be a major factor in your results; particularly if you run the test during peak usage hours (don't forget about other people in time zones behind yours).
If after all that you still aren't hitting peak speeds - then there may be a provisioning issue. If you call 888-553-1555 and speak to one of the fine technicians at the FSC (depends on who you get) and explain to them that you've already done the above; they can have your network provisioning checked and corrected.
Good luck and enjoy your zippy FiOS service.
Hope this helps. 
