[RESOLVED] Auto Detection of speed

chads2k2

Hey,

I know this can be done with VB and whatnot. However, I don't have the ability to use VB in what I am doing. Also ASP has a million ways to get this to work and I can't find the way for PHP. I am looking to have a script that will detect what speed my connection is. That way I can then create a switch statement to direct them to the best possible video feed. Also I don't want to use Java either. Because not everyone has java. I don't want to rely on the end-user having any software installed besides Flash, and a browser (IE, FF, Mozilla, Opera ... anything).

Has anyone gotten this to work? Or tried, or could post what they have done. I think I have seen one way to do it in PHP but they didn't post the source.
Chad

drew010

"detecting" a persons connection speed is really just testing it by sending a few large files to them and timing how long it takes for them to dl it. So to get an accurate reading, you will have to push about 1mb of data to see how long it takes them to dl it. So it may not be effective for using in a script to then forward them to the right page. Better to just use links and let them choose.

LoganK

A (very rough) approximation of their speed could be calculated by running their IP through a geo-finder and determining how far they are from your server physically....but that's really inaccurate.

drew010

but how can that help even determine if they have dialup, dsl, cable or are even on a corporate line with higher speeds

chads2k2

Well, pushing out a 1MB file is not an option. I need to have a quicker solution. The reason for this is because we have a streaming video server and to know what quality to send them (112k,256,512,768k) i need to know their connection. Each commercial will be a different thing. That is why I really am not giogn to send a 512K compressed file to a 56k dial-up user. That would be just silly.

Any other ideas?
Chad

drew010

well of course sending a 1mb file isnt reasonable, but thats how the java programs and even javascript versions do it. how can you know how fast a persons connection is without somehow timing their download speed? there is no http header that tells you what type of internet connection. one very weak way would to be to try to resolve their ip to a hostname and see what it is. certain companies do include works like cable or dsl in the hostnames, but even that would be weak. and if you have lots of visitors doing all those reverse lookups can slow down the server.

similar analogy is, how can you find out how fast someone can run if you cant let them run 50 yards at the least. when they download your webpage its very small, so you might as well see how fast a person can run by timing them in the 2 foot dash (worthless).

chads2k2

Excellent point Drew. Thanks, but do you know of any java programs that would do this well? Such as get the information and pass to a PHP page? I could do the detection in the beginning and store as a SESSION variable. That might be a good idea. I do realize that it could drop in the midst of giong around our site but in the applications that I will be using this for it's not mission critical.

Any ideas of where to pick up a java program like that? Better yet would be javascript. I can't find any. It's late and I am tired. Do you know any examples off hand?
Chad

drew010

this one proved to be most accurate for me: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/robin.d.h.walker/speedtest.html
its javascript and the source can be copied right out.

another one that times how long it takes to load an image is here: http://www.phaster.com/golden_hill_free_web/ghfw_connection_speed.shtml
id recommend making an image that is about 500kb at least.

chads2k2

Drew I appreciate it! Thank you. I checked into them both and like it. I really appreciate your messages. Take care and see you on the board.

Chad