TEST: Internet Speedtest

Question:Why can't my friends upload files any faster than 32 KB/s to my server?!?

We hear this question all the time! Are you ready for the nity-grity truth, Colbert Style?

Well, since the beginning of broadband in the US, providers have been incrementally increasing the bandwidth delivered to customers; but only for downstream (aka Downloads). Upstream (aka Uploads) over 128 Kbit/s?!? That's only for Software Pirates!

In fact Comcast and AT&T made it a violation of the Terms of Service to run anything that was a server (ie, listened on a TCP/IP port) and started to terminate the service of anyone running a FTP Server! They couldn't have been more wrong! People need to transmit data to each other, now with the popularity of technologies like Voice over the Internet (VoIP, Skype) and Web-Cams; customers are demanding higher upstream speeds.

This is why it's very common for DSL/Cable Modem providers to cap upload speeds anywhere from 128 KBit/s to 384 KBit/s. This will affect upload speeds, even though the line is cabable of downloading multi-megabit/sec.

The only way to know for sure, is to test the speed of your connection. If your connection speed is just too slow, contact your ISP. In many cases, they can provide higher speed service to allow faster transfers. Recommend: I highly recommend SpeakEasy, we've been using them for years and explictly state that running servers is A.OK!

Unfortunately, there's no way for BulletProof FTP Server/Client to circumvent this cap, as it's being limited at the lowest possible level in the TCP/IP protocol.