Netflix ISP Speed Index For May

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It is time once again for Netflix's ISP Speed Index. In addition to the raw numbers, Netflix took the opportunity to clarify some of the statements made by Verizon last week.

Some broadband providers argue that our actions, and not theirs, are causing a degraded Netflix experience. Netflix does not purposely select congested routes. We pay some of the world’s largest transit networks to deliver Netflix video right to the front door of an ISP. Where the problem occurs is at that door -- the interconnection point -- when the broadband provider hasn’t provided enough capacity to accommodate the traffic their customer requested.
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Glyphic said:
Interesting, why did Comcast drop again even after the deal?
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They need to be able to charge more. It worked once, why not try a second time? Glad I went with a vpn.One of these days I will break down and give centurylink a call.
 
Glyphic said:
Interesting, why did Comcast drop again even after the deal?
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no joke... comcast shitted on net neutraility, got even more money for stuff carried on their networks, and still cant even provide top quality to their customers..
 
Zohar78 said:
no joke... comcast shitted on net neutraility, got even more money for stuff carried on their networks, and still cant even provide top quality to their customers..
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should be: got money from netflix and customers and still cant provide top quality to their customers.
 
I have a 60Mbps connection through Comcast and I still have HD playback issues with Netflix during prime time. That's just the way it is, sadly.
 
I have Comcast and regularly get 20Mbps. I guess I am one of the lucky ones.
 
Google fiber is in Austin now. The pressure is on TWC and AT&T U-Verse (Gigapower) to shape up or they're going to lose a lot of customers here.
 
Hurray! My ISP is #1 on the list and funny thing is, I get a solid 7MB/s down from them 24/7.
 
Guys, dont compare what you get on speedtest.net to what netflix is actually able to send you. Thats the whole point, ISP's are throttling streaming video traffic. It doesnt matter if you're getting 20mbps everywhere else, you're only getting 2 if it's a netflix stream.
 
OkToBeR[hocp];1040887017 said:
Just curious why you think that's sad? Speed = Demand for the service Netflix is providing. Until Netflix starts pushing out more bandwidth intensive streams, 3Mbps is sufficient.
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Damn edit button.

The Netflix ISP Speed Index aims to provide transparency and help consumers understand the Internet access they’re actually getting from their ISP. The average Netflix stream is about 2 Mbps (with most streams ranging from 256Kbps to 5.8Mbps), a fraction of the bandwidth most consumers purchase from their broadband provider. Still, in some cases, people are unable to enjoy a high quality Netflix experience.
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Why isn't Google fiber on there? Is it because it's only available in a few cities so far?
 
I switch providers based on these outputs from Netflix because this allows you to tell how "net neutral" these ISPs are.
 
Zohar78 said:
no joke... comcast shitted on net neutrality, got even more money for stuff carried on their networks, and still cant even provide top quality to their customers..
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What are these number from Netflix based on? Are these numbers bits per second or bytes per seconds? (I'm assuming bits) Is that a average speed nation wide?
3mb/s average for DSL, yeah that sounds about right but for cable modem?
I get a pretty consistant 28 mb/s down and 5 mb/s up from comcast cable.

Every speed test I run says I should be able to steam the Netflix super HD and 3D movies, but I flat out can't.
I can get 1080p and 3D from Vudu but not Netflix.
 
Not a speed test, really...

now if Amazon prime could just start to deliver decent video quality....
 
My Verizion FIOS has never been that slow.. I'm paying for 50/25 and easily getting 60/30 every day..
 
Dr. Righteous said:
What are these number from Netflix based on? Are these numbers bits per second or bytes per seconds? (I'm assuming bits) Is that a average speed nation wide?
3mb/s average for DSL, yeah that sounds about right but for cable modem?
I get a pretty consistant 28 mb/s down and 5 mb/s up from comcast cable.

Every speed test I run says I should be able to steam the Netflix super HD and 3D movies, but I flat out can't.
I can get 1080p and 3D from Vudu but not Netflix.
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Brantoc said:
My Verizion FIOS has never been that slow.. I'm paying for 50/25 and easily getting 60/30 every day..
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You guys are getting these numbers for your connection from SpeedTest, which if the ISP didn't prioritize packets for this test would be indicative of your total available bandwidth. The amount of bandwidth you're going to use is only going to be however much the content demands. So if the average video stream from Netflix is 3Mbps, then you're connection is only going to be using 3Mbps of your total bandwidth when receiving that video stream. A more accurate way to see how well your connection is doing while watching Netflix is to have Task Manager open and monitoring network usage, for crying out loud.
 
bucket said:
I have a 60Mbps connection through Comcast and I still have HD playback issues with Netflix during prime time. That's just the way it is, sadly.
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TWC here and same deal. Watching HD titles that take 10 minutes to get into HD, connection is hardly being used downloading 200-300kb a sec. Even worse during primetime goes down to 100kb.

Run any speed test out there and see that my bandwidth is 20mb+ but not for Netflix.

There are just some parts of their networks that they do not care about and we continue to have sub standard service with no alternative in the area.

No other cable companies in my area, no fios, dsl is max 3mb, and nothing else. No competition means they have you over a barrel and you can't do anything about it.
 
Armenius said:
You guys are getting these numbers for your connection from SpeedTest, which if the ISP didn't prioritize packets for this test would be indicative of your total available bandwidth. The amount of bandwidth you're going to use is only going to be however much the content demands. So if the average video stream from Netflix is 3Mbps, then you're connection is only going to be using 3Mbps of your total bandwidth when receiving that video stream. A more accurate way to see how well your connection is doing while watching Netflix is to have Task Manager open and monitoring network usage, for crying out loud.
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Correct Netflix only sends out their streams at a certain speed for continuous speeds, but when using a fiber connection I would regularly see it spike to 7megs a second or higher. Not mbps, but actually 7mb a sec, streams would go instantly into hd and then reduce down to the 500kb or whatever that it takes to maintain the lead.

So, I am really unsure how they do the ranking as once streams are far enough ahead in the player the rate is reduced to maintain the same lead in the player for the most part. So are they just measuring the initial start of streams or the overall average for an entire stream? Knowing where/how they actually get these numbers might be more helpful then just the chart they are showing.

What I said above, flat out does not happen the vast majority of times when I am using TWC at my home location. Granted I am going from a 100mbps to a 20mbps line, but streams initializing use no where near my rated bandwidth at home and take forever to go into HD. Some very rare times will I see Netflix stream use all of my bandwidth at home and go into HD early on, most of the times it takes 10+ minutes to get to HD on a movie.

My only thought is that the network or TWC in my area is shit for netflix.
 
Dekar12 said:
TWC here and same deal. Watching HD titles that take 10 minutes to get into HD, connection is hardly being used downloading 200-300kb a sec. Even worse during primetime goes down to 100kb.

Run any speed test out there and see that my bandwidth is 20mb+ but not for Netflix.

There are just some parts of their networks that they do not care about and we continue to have sub standard service with no alternative in the area.

No other cable companies in my area, no fios, dsl is max 3mb, and nothing else. No competition means they have you over a barrel and you can't do anything about it.
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Pretty much the same here. Charter cable offers hands down better service and costs less than Comcast but I live on the wrong end of town; can't get else but AT&T DSL (which would be worse) :(
 
I'm 100% behind this movement by netflix. However 4k or even some hd streams may be unrealistic at this time. However the obvious throttling should not be tolerated. If 3mb is standard, 1.5 is much more poor of an experience. However if everyone starts streaming at 20MB I'm not sure if realistically the ineterwebs can support it at this time. Similar to how a sewage system can support 1 million people, but not 1 million people flushing their toilet at the same time. Saying that, throttling should not occur until "close to maximum" speeds are reached heck even 50-75%. They throttle when there are not issues.

It is scary to see FIOS throttling.
 
I had to actually switch to my mobile hotspot (Tmobile unlimited) to watch House of Cards S2 in HD.
 
I'm a great NetFlix fan, but this list is totally bogus, I hate to say. It's even now got me wondering about NetFlix's motives because it's just so false.

First of all, the list to look at is NetFlix's SuperHD ISP list. According to Netflix, an ISP needs to provide a minimum of 5Mb/s down to support NetFlix SuperHD, but 15Mb/s down for ideal quality. I have SuperHD and as I've said before it is great--and not only is there no ISP on that list delivering 5Mb/s down, my backbone ISP, Cogent, isn't on the list! And my bandwidth averages 50Mb/s down and peaks at 100Mb/s! Lol! Pretty much, this list is complete BS at the moment.

Here's a link:

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Netflix-Makes-Super-HD-Streams-Available-to-All-ISPs-126006

And here's the pertinent quote:

According to Netflix, Super HD streams need at least 5 Mbps of bandwidth, though the highest quality is obtained at 7 Mbps. 3D streams need at least 6 Mbps of bandwidth, with the highest quality needing 12 Mbps. The company also recently stated they'd be offering 4K video streams in 2014 that will require at least 15 Mbps of throughput.
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NetFlix is publishing this data in order to create an impression that appears to be false, at least to me because of my ongoing experience with NetFlix's own SuperHD service. My SuperHD NetFlix service is proof that the numbers in the list are bogus, sad to say. I expect more from NetFlix than this.
 
Dr. Righteous said:
What are these number from Netflix based on? Are these numbers bits per second or bytes per seconds? (I'm assuming bits) Is that a average speed nation wide?

3mb/s average for DSL, yeah that sounds about right but for cable modem?
I get a pretty consistant 28 mb/s down and 5 mb/s up from comcast cable.

Every speed test I run says I should be able to steam the Netflix super HD and 3D movies, but I flat out can't.
I can get 1080p and 3D from Vudu but not Netflix.
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I have SuperHD--and it's a shame you can't get it. But two things have to happen:

1) Your ISP has provide the required bandwidth

2) The Network from which you access Netflix has to support SuperHD. Very important, as I discovered.

The network you use to access Netflix does not have to be the same network your ISP uses to access Netflix. Here's how it works for me...I've got an average of 50Mb/s (either direction) through my ISP. Works splendidly. However, when I use the network my backbone ISP uses to access Netflix, the best I can get is plain-Jane HD. Bandwidth alone isn't the test for receiving SuperHD Netflix.

When I plug my BDP-s5100 Sony Blu-Ray player into the same ISP network my computer uses (of course), the network the player uses to access Netflix is the Sony Entertainment Network. SEN does indeed support streaming SuperHD, and as my ISP provides plenty of bandwidth, I can get it in all of its glory--and it is excellent.

So...that's why you have the bandwidth but cannot get NetFlix SuperHD...it doesn't cost a penny extra...the cost is wholly borne by the network provider--in my case, the SEN.

It would be fascinating to hear from you if you, too, use your Comcast ISP (my backbone ISP is Cogent) to access Netflix through a Sony BluRay player--if you *cannot* get SuperHD through the SEN. If that was the case then you could be sure that Comcast was preventing it by choking off your SEN bandwidth, regardless of what you think you presently have in the way of bandwidth for other networks.
 
WaltC said:
I have SuperHD--and it's a shame you can't get it. But two things have to happen:

1) Your ISP has provide the required bandwidth

2) The Network from which you access Netflix has to support SuperHD. Very important, as I discovered.

The network you use to access Netflix does not have to be the same network your ISP uses to access Netflix. Here's how it works for me...I've got an average of 50Mb/s (either direction) through my ISP. Works splendidly. However, when I use the network my backbone ISP uses to access Netflix, the best I can get is plain-Jane HD. Bandwidth alone isn't the test for receiving SuperHD Netflix.

When I plug my BDP-s5100 Sony Blu-Ray player into the same ISP network my computer uses (of course), the network the player uses to access Netflix is the Sony Entertainment Network. SEN does indeed support streaming SuperHD, and as my ISP provides plenty of bandwidth, I can get it in all of its glory--and it is excellent.

So...that's why you have the bandwidth but cannot get NetFlix SuperHD...it doesn't cost a penny extra...the cost is wholly borne by the network provider--in my case, the SEN.

It would be fascinating to hear from you if you, too, use your Comcast ISP (my backbone ISP is Cogent) to access Netflix through a Sony BluRay player--if you *cannot* get SuperHD through the SEN. If that was the case then you could be sure that Comcast was preventing it by choking off your SEN bandwidth, regardless of what you think you presently have in the way of bandwidth for other networks.
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Your statements are incorrect and misleading. First that list included the biggest ISP providers, it was not a comprehensive list of all providers. As someone else noted, Google Fiber was not up there and Google Fiber offers the highest B/W. Read what they said in that article:

We pay some of the world’s largest transit networks to deliver Netflix video right to the front door of an ISP.
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So this is about the largest transit networks and what they are doing to provide Netflix content. It is not about CDNs or smaller networks.

Secondly, it says "Average", not max, not total, not lowest, but the average bandwidth through those providers. So you can't compare your SuperHD experience with that of the average client of Netflix. There are also people who will get better speeds because they aren't getting the content from a peering partner that their ISP is in a squabble with.

Thirdly, your ISP uses its own network to deliver the last leg of the content. Where it gets the content from could however be 2 totally different locations (peering locations). And this is the crux of the problem that Netflix is pointing out. At some peering points, ISPs are allowing full traffic to go through, at others, they are only allowing a minimum amount of traffic. The most famous is either Verizon or Comcast and Cogent. Both Verizon and Comcast are in fights with Cogent over peering agreements. Both Verizon and Comcast are providing only minimum peering with Cogent while the feud goes on. What both Verizon and Comcast have offered to Netflix is carrying Netflix themselves. It will take more time to get that setup properly. Other networks have Netflix CDNs in their structure, so they don't have to go out and get it from anywhere else. So really your experience only proves to enhance the problem that Netflix is pointing out. That ISPs are indeed bottlenecking some peering points, and some customers can only get their content through that peering point. So they have no other option.

Fourthly, those talking about using Comcast during peak times and getting less bandwidth, that actually has nothing to do with this issue. It isn't throttling, that is an inherent flaw in the design of Comcast's network. In Comcast's system you share the bandwidth with your entire community. Everyone within your hub only has access to the bandwidth of that hub. So at peak times, if you live in a crowded community or in a community with a smaller hub, your bandwidth will be limited. This doesn't just affect Comcast though, all cable providers experience this problem. Even Fiber providers experience this problem, just to a far lesser degree. While I have experienced it a number of times with FIOS, mostly as a mild irritant, I can't imagine too many Google Fiber users would ever notice given the sheer amount of bandwidth they have access to. There is only so much total bandwidth no matter how you shake it and if you get enough customers all trying to use it, it will degrade performance.

Lastly, everyone claiming they get such and such uber speed, please just stop. Your total available bandwidth has no factor on your speed to certain locations. I had (I said had because I just dropped them like a bad habit) 75Mbps with FIOS. For most of my downloads, browsing and gaming, my connection was superfast. But with certain games and applications I would get horrible speeds and latency. I could connect to one site and get 10Mbps or more throughput and other sites I could barely get 800Kbps. Those same sites I was getting 800Kbps, my neighbors who have a different service were getting over 5Mbps, at the same exact time. So it doesn't really matter how much available bandwidth you have, it matters what bandwidth and latency you have to your content.
 
Netflix should build in a bandwidth test to their apps that measures the stream from Netflix as well as calling out a test from Speedtest, then show both results on the same page to show the user what the ISP is doing to the Netflix traffic.
 
Is there a reason providers cannot precache larger streams before viewing movies and content that is over a hour so we can all avoid buffering issue or lower quality streams? That's what Sony FMPX1 server does. Granted it's friggin ridiculously expensive for what it is, but it saves the video to disc for viewing.
 
pgwalsh said:
Is there a reason providers cannot precache larger streams before viewing movies and content that is over a hour so we can all avoid buffering issue or lower quality streams? That's what Sony FMPX1 server does. Granted it's friggin ridiculously expensive for what it is, but it saves the video to disc for viewing.
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What you are talking about essentially is a CDN. Both ISPs and Netflix have these, they cache data at a central location, usually at or near peering locations. Netflix has a system to do this, and they have installed it at various ISPs, but the major ISPs won't go for it, because it requires Netflix to put it in their network infrastructure and have open access to it. Netflix also pays for the third party CDNs to cache and deliver their content. The problem again is at the peering location. Their main CDN provider is Cogent. Cogent does not get along with either Verizon or Netflix, or many other ISPs for that matter. Cogent refuses to pay more for the transit agreements with those ISPs and so those ISPs will not deliver the full B/W of content coming from Cogent's network, including their CDN which has the cached Netflix data. That is just one example of how it is being done.
 
Do all the people stream Netflix via their "economy" internet plan skew the numbers?
 
NoOther said:
What you are talking about essentially is a CDN. Both ISPs and Netflix have these, they cache data at a central location, usually at or near peering locations. Netflix has a system to do this, and they have installed it at various ISPs, but the major ISPs won't go for it, because it requires Netflix to put it in their network infrastructure and have open access to it. Netflix also pays for the third party CDNs to cache and deliver their content. The problem again is at the peering location. Their main CDN provider is Cogent. Cogent does not get along with either Verizon or Netflix, or many other ISPs for that matter. Cogent refuses to pay more for the transit agreements with those ISPs and so those ISPs will not deliver the full B/W of content coming from Cogent's network, including their CDN which has the cached Netflix data. That is just one example of how it is being done.
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Well I know what a CDN is and I'm referring to local cacheing. The sony box downloads a movie and you play it form the server. It can take up to 2 days from what I understand, which is nuts, but it can only play from their server. I was just thinking if a Roku or something could cache netflix movie, that would be good IMO. CDN gets it closer, but nothing like having on your box.
 
pgwalsh said:
Well I know what a CDN is and I'm referring to local cacheing. The sony box downloads a movie and you play it form the server. It can take up to 2 days from what I understand, which is nuts, but it can only play from their server. I was just thinking if a Roku or something could cache netflix movie, that would be good IMO. CDN gets it closer, but nothing like having on your box.
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Which server? In your home? That defeats the purpose of streaming content. The intent of the program is to have that ready now. Also when you have Netflix you don't own those movies or shows, you are renting access to them. So allowing you to download and cache whole movies or shows would break the legality.
 
jroe52 said:
However if everyone starts streaming at 20MB I'm not sure if realistically the ineterwebs can support it at this time. Similar to how a sewage system can support 1 million people, but not 1 million people flushing their toilet at the same time.
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You have a constant stream of 1080P high bitrate video streaming to you for cable subscribers all the time, and if an ISP can't support 20MB connections then they shouldn't market and sell them. Require them to be advertised as 1.5MB connections with 20MB burst speeds... also require them to advertise UPLOAD speeds.

Consumers have a right to be informed, which we demand for our foods with nutrition labels and cars for mileage stickers and electricity (at least in Texas) using a standardized cost template, why not ISPs?
 
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