xDSL or Cable Modem throughput testing?

[mpickard]

While you indicate you can't do reliability testing, is there any way of doing any throughput or load testing on either xDSL or Cable Modem devices?

From the articles on here, I've grabbed the Lan Speed Test tools (iPerf / jPerf for windows seem to be MIA, along with QCheck from IXIA), and they help with testing legitimate routers.

Unfortunately, I'm needing to do some testing on some xDSL and Cable modem/router hybrids for work to help identify if there are some actual connectivity issues with them, or they are just cheap pieces of garbage and our best bet is to provide a better router (rather than just a wireless access point) to put behind them.

 

[stevech]

While you indicate you can't do reliability testing, is there any way of doing any throughput or load testing on either xDSL or Cable Modem devices?

From the articles on here, I've grabbed the Lan Speed Test tools (iPerf / jPerf for windows seem to be MIA, along with QCheck from IXIA), and they help with testing legitimate routers.

Unfortunately, I'm needing to do some testing on some xDSL and Cable modem/router hybrids for work to help identify if there are some actual connectivity issues with them, or they are just cheap pieces of garbage and our best bet is to provide a better router (rather than just a wireless access point) to put behind them.

I think not - because (a) both are managed by a head-end system and, stand-alone cannot work; (b) the TDMA shared-use medium in both kinds of modems make the throughput very statistic based on traffic loads, and how the ISP chooses to arrange the scheduler for upstream and downstream; (c) the ideal throughput of these modems is based on the ISP's class of service and modulation order, e.g., high-tier $$$ service is done with higher QAM choices and more time slots in the scheduler. Etc., etc., etc.