Company
Date Published
Author
Lai Yi Ohlsen and Carlos Rodrigues
Word count
2779
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

Cloudflare's Speed Test offers a unique approach to evaluating Internet quality by focusing on realistic usage patterns rather than just maximum throughput. Unlike traditional speed tests that aim to saturate a connection to measure peak bandwidth, Cloudflare assesses connection quality through data blocks of predefined sizes, taking into account factors like latency, jitter, and packet loss, which are crucial for tasks such as video conferencing and gaming. Operating on Cloudflare's global network, the test provides an Aggregated Internet Measurement (AIM) score to translate performance into user-friendly terms. It accounts for variables beyond the ISP's control, such as local Wi-Fi conditions, making it a comprehensive tool for understanding overall connectivity. Cloudflare's Speed Test is open-source and contributes anonymized data to public datasets, supporting open Internet research. Future enhancements aim to expand its capabilities for more detailed diagnostics and to empower third-party integrations, with the goal of improving network performance for a wide range of stakeholders.