[Bloat] Measuring Latency

[Jonathan Morton]

On 14 Sep, 2014, at 5:31 pm, Neil Davies wrote:

> This is not actually true - you can measure one-way delays without completely accurately synchronised clocks (they have to be reasonably precise, not accurate) - see CERN thesis at http://goo.gl/ss6EBq

I read the abstract of that, and came away with the distinct impression that I wouldn't learn anything from reading the rest of the paper.  Not that there *isn't* good information there, but that it's most likely not in a form that I can digest.

And that means it's probably impractical to implement on a consumer broadband test.  Timestamps - sure, why not - but I don't yet see what you could do with them.

> It is possible, with appropriate measurements, to construct arguments that make marketeers salivate (or the appropriate metaphor) - you can compare the relative effects of technology, location and instantaneous congestion. See slideshare at http://goo.gl/6vytmD

I'm sure those must be a different breed of marketing types than I have in mind.  There are major ISPs who claim that 3% packet loss "is not a fault" - on an idle wire line, not wireless, not congested.  They are all about sales and retention by brute force and semi-monopoly position, not by genuinely providing superior service.

Hence why we have to turn to the external consumer-oriented organisations, the speed-test sites among them.  They will have to serve as *our* marketing tool.

 - Jonathan Morton