NDT-DEV email list created

[Richard Carlson <>]

Sebastian;

Thank you for taking on the task of updating the NDT package and client. 
 As the original author of the NDT system I would like to make a few 
remarks.  Please consider them as you move forward.

First off, note that this system is called the Network Diagnostic Tool 
(NDT) not the Network Speed Tester.  The idea behind the tool was to 
help both the user and the network administrator understand WHY a client 
achieved the observed results.  If the only goal was to print the 
connection speed, then this system would be a whole lot simpler.

So, while I think it is possible and worthwhile to look for ways to 
improve the UI, I suggest that it is important to go beyond simply 
reporting the achieved test speed.

One of the main goals of the NDT was to tell the user not just the 
achieved upload/download speed, but what factors limited that speed. 
Those factors include the TCP configuration settings on the users PC and 
the server, the network link capacity, the type of network link (wired 
or wireless), other competing traffic, and broken/failing hardware.

For example it use to be that most TCP stacks had a small 64 KByte fixed 
TCP buffer setting that would limit the achieved speed below the network 
capacity.  The NDT server displays that information at the end of the 
test.  It would be interesting to display this in rea-ltime as well, say 
as a red line on a speedometer like display.  The TCP buffer size and 
RTT values can be extracted from the server during the middlebox test 
and sent to the client for display as necessary.

Adding animation to the client, making the text appear/disappear as 
appropriate and in informative places without dominating the screen are 
all good ideas.  But also think about ways to let the user know WHY the 
system reported the achieved speeds.  Help them know when it's time to 
complain to the ISP and when it isn't.

The Diagnostic function is pretty unique in network testers.  Any 
mechanism that helps highlight this function will only improve the NDT's 
usefulness.

Thanks again for helping make NDT a better tool.

Regards;
Rich


On 03/07/2014 04:35 AM, Sebastian Kostuch wrote:
> Hi,
> still looking forward to your comments :). At the beginning of next week
> I will probably attempt to
> create some tickets related to these improvements so it would be nice to
> know which of my thoughts
> are worth implementing and which are not (also I am very receptive for
> your own ideas).
>
> Kind regards,
> Sebastian Kostuch
>
> On 26.02.2014 14:51, Sebastian Kostuch wrote:
> > Hi,
> > after investigating current JS UI I think that part which lacks the
> > most of some improvements is the
> > one showing currently running tests. So most of my proposals will
> > concecrate on this view.
> > Here is the list of all of my suggestions:
> > 1. I think that what could make present UI more attractive to user are
> > live results.
> >     I mean that during download and upload tests it would be good to
> > show some kind of gauge
> >     presenting speed at current moment.
> >     So during speed tests we could add some kind of speedometer gauge
> > at the center (with the
> >     current results shown within it). During test its indicator will
> > dynamically point at current speed.
> > 2. Move addresses of server and client to the top left and top right
> > part of page accordingly (also
> >     with little smaller font size for labels).
> > 3. "Preparing your tests" text could dissapear right after this stage
> > is completed. Also this information
> >     (and text indicating which test is currently running) would be
> > placed right below gauge. What about
> >     making this text blinking also?
> > 4. After first speed test result would be saved and shown on the
> > bottom-left part of page. Accordingly
> >     after second one proper text will be shown on botom-right (and
> > after a while whole page will dissapear
> >     to show summary one).
> > 5. To make UI nicer we could add some kind of animations on left and
> > right sides of page that will
> >     be graphical representation of currently running speed test. I
> > mean that i.e. during download test
> >     there will be small arrows moving from top to the bottom part of
> > site (or maybe showing one by
> >     one and after some amount of them will be reached then animation
> > will start from beginning).
> > 6. On summary page we could add some small nice looking text field
> > which will show web100/web10g
> >     variables (it will be auto-scrolling and when user clicks on this
> > then he/she will be redirected to
> >     advanced page). Or maybe instead of text field add some small
> > board on which these values will
> >     display and dissapear within set time one by one (or better more
> > at the same time). Maybe good
> >     place for this element would be between "Download speed" result
> > and "Test again" button
> >     (probably both results rectangles need to be made a bit smaller in
> > height to achieve it).
> > 7. Variable's values on advanced page could be displayed in table to
> > make them more legible.
> >
> > What do you think about such changes? Also I'm receptive to your ideas
> > about what could be
> > done to make current JS UI look nicer.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Sebastian Kostuch