Fast.com: Internet speed test, powered by Netflix

This is a really interesting move. I think it is common for ISPs to prioritize traffic to speed testing websites in order to inflate the test numbers. At the same time, many ISPs throttle Netflix use. By aiming to be a popular speed testing site, Netflix empowers the consumers to call out ISPs that are cheating their customers. Normally, an ISP could just add the speed test site to their whitelist for high priority traffic. In this case, that would not only improve the test numbers here but also improve the quality of Netflix streaming since the test uses Netflix's streaming servers!

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10yr ago

Coworker Coffee

My thoughts exactly @nbrempel - a really smart move by Netflix. A domain like that could easily have cost $1 million and I think we know a company like Netflix doesn't shell out that kind of cash just to build a "simpler" version of speedtest.net

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10yr ago

Unroll.Me

@alangarrec looks like they also own http://slow.com 😄

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10yr ago

Coworker Coffee

@jackdweck - yeah I thought so too, but whois is different, and a dude on HN said it's his and he just redirected it: https://news.ycombinator.com/ite... Still - they could buy it 💰

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10yr ago

FamSnap

@nbrempel So essentially ISP's can't whitelist this domain without also positively effecting Netflix streaming services?

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10yr ago

@nbrempel Its a classic 'video platform that does not want to pay for bandwidth' vs ISP move. Similar to https://www.google.com/get/video...

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10yr ago

Product Hunt

New game! Post a screenshot of your top score. Here's mine from Product Hunt HQ:

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10yr ago

@rrhoover

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10yr ago

Unroll.Me

@rrhoover ...from Unroll.Me HQ 😁

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10yr ago

@jackdweck @rrhoover https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CiwJ... UK fiber

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10yr ago

PlanetScale Boost

@jackdweck @rrhoover whoa!

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10yr ago

@jackdweck @rrhoover jeez man! put that away :)

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10yr ago

Expected more design polish from a company like Netflix - but hey, good design is as little design as possible, which it is :) http://imgur.com/DqS1NFi

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10yr ago

Hashtag Slayer

@anant90 What seems unpolished to you? I think it's nice and refined.

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10yr ago

@mrapierce I agree - I am just nitpicking here (and I'm no expert on design either), but I seem to have developed a huge aversion to pure black (0,0,0) being used for text - especially for bigger font sizes. http://designforhackers.com/blog... and http://ianstormtaylor.com/design... do a great job explaining the why behind it.

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10yr ago

Hashtag Slayer

@anant90 That I agree with! (It was drilled into me during design school.) It's surprising that they're not using the same shade as Netflix does #141414.

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10yr ago

Hashtag Slayer

@anant90 I wonder if there's any speed advantage to using a default color? (BLACK, not #000000) Probably not, but now I want a reason.

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10yr ago

@mrapierce Yeah I am pretty sure there's practically no speed advantage.

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10yr ago

Anyone lower than this?

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10yr ago

The speed shown is way lower than that of SpeedTest. Does this mean ISPs throttle NetFlix streaming? Or NetFlix is pinging a server halfway around the world?

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10yr ago

SpeedTest :

Fast.com :

Steam download speed : same as SpeedTest

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10yr ago

@alextrott_ I was about to upload my speed test, but I really can't compete with you guys, you won!

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10yr ago

12m/.5m link via vpn from china ... sucks but thats all I can get in my little village here :( I normally use testmy.net as it seems to give me the most accurate results

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10yr ago