[NTLUG:Discuss] Internet connection speed tests - XP vs Linux

[Carl Haddick]

On Wed, Jul 11, 2007 at 11:08:11AM -0500, terry wrote:
> I've done a number of speed tests (testing Internet connection [bandwidth]),
> using 2 PCs; MS Windows XP system and a Linux system, (same speed test on
> each).  It appears that 4 out of 5 times, the Linux system usually gets
> faster speed test results.  I'm using the latest Firefox browser on both
> systems and going to the same bandwidth test site on each and running them
> one right after the other.
> (Both systems are fully updated - latest patches etc.)
> I did about 4 or 5 tests a few days ago and while I did not calculate the
> exact percentages, I did see fairly consistent faster speeds from the Linux
> system.
> 
> This time, I calculated and Linux was faster on all but two tests;
> Here are results [percentages]:
> Test#                download (%)               upload(%)
>   1                       6    [faster]                   50[faster]
>   2                       32  [faster]                   55[faster]
>   3                       11 [slower]                   55 [faster]
>   4                       21 [faster]                    0  [about the same]
>   5                       15 [faster]                    62 [slower]
> Does anyone have any explanation for this?
> Has anyone else done speed test comparisons like these?
> 
> Is it possible that Linux has a more efficient TCP stack?
>    Or....?
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss

The spread seems large, but I remember on previous versions of Windows I
could get better speed on a dialup connection by putting the modem on a
Linux box and routing through on ethernet to the Windows box.  I
attributed that to slow code in the serial port drivers.

I don't have any metrics, but the difference was more like 5 to ten
percent faster.

The setup where I found this difference was with an external modem on a
Windows box, dialed in to my access servers, versus the same modem on my
Linux box, dialed into the same access servers, and ip forwarding via
nat to the Windows box over a crossover ethernet cable.

Not sure about that wide a spread, but I believe Linux has an edge.  (Ya
think??)

Regards,

Carl