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Debug your Internet


Working Internet connections are invisible. The fun starts when things are broken or somewhat broken. Then we wonder: is DHCP and NAT working, does the DNS do what it should, are all service ports open etc. Berkeley University's ICSI provides the Netalyzr tool to have a closer look at your connection. So make yourself familiar and run Netalyzr. The test results for my Starhub MaxOnline Express (16 GB in my dreams) were quite revealing:
Netanalyzer results for MaxOnline Express
So Starhub is meddling with the DNS, doesn't get Proxy right, filters content (mandated by the government for a handful internet sites), provides a slow DNS and needs a lesson on caching and buffering. I wonder how Singtel would fare.

Posted by on 27 March 2011 | Comments (5) | categories: Singapore Technology

Comments

  1. posted by David Bailey on Sunday 27 March 2011 AD:
    Steve,

    I've been using OpenDNS for a few years. I know they recently installed a server in Singapore. I wonder if it would improve your results. If you try it, let me know.

    Thanks.
  2. posted by Stephan H. Wissel on Monday 28 March 2011 AD:
    I was thinking of OpenDNS (208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220) or Google DNS (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4). Turns out my Linksys E3000 Router doesn't let me specify the DNS when I user provider's DHCP. Looks like DD-WRT or Gargoyle Router are coming to the family network soon.
  3. posted by David Bailey on Monday 28 March 2011 AD:
    You might configure individual computers/devices to use OpenDNS. I know that's not optimum; but, it would enable you to test.
  4. posted by Lars Berntrop-Bos on Wednesday 30 March 2011 AD:
    Re: DDWRT: You'll need that to properly support Iv6 too...
  5. posted by Lars Berntrop-Bos on Wednesday 30 March 2011 AD:
    DOH IPv6 that is...