Clear throttling during speed tests and downloading music?

**akhi216** · 02-08-2012, 09:59 AM

It seems that Clear throttles during speed tests. I get is 2 bars (occasionally 3 bars) in my home, but when doing speed tests I always average 0.1/0.08 mbps. The Clear 4G home modem appears to do a lot better than that when I'm not doing speed tests.

I talked to a Clear rep about throttling and they said that I wouldn't have anything to worry about provided that I wasn't doing anything illegal or downloading 100 GB a day.

Using speedtest.net is illegal?

Also Clear doesn't like people to download music from Amazon. Whenever I try to download music from them using the Clear 4G home modem it switches to the sub-dial-up speeds that the speedtest showed.

Downloading music that you purchased from Amazon is illegal? Wtf!?!?

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**503ducati** · 02-09-2012, 10:34 PM

When you conduct the speed tests are you choosing the server speedtest.net automatically chooses? I have 0-1 bars with EVO 4G @home, however when tethered I usually get around 10Mbps+/- via speedtest.net

I've always been able to get excellent performance with low signal while on youtube, tv streaming, or sports video sites etc.

http://www.howardforums.com/showthre...0#post14713020

**akhi216** · 02-11-2012, 07:46 AM

Originally Posted by 503ducati

When you conduct the speed tests are you choosing the server speedtest.net automatically chooses? I have 0-1 bars with EVO 4G @home, however when tethered I usually get around 10Mbps+/- via speedtest.net

I've always been able to get excellent performance with low signal while on youtube, tv streaming, or sports video sites etc.

http://www.howardforums.com/showthre...0#post14713020

Yeah I used to have an EVO Shift and for the most part I didn't have a problem downloading music or doing speedtests. That's because Clear sells the Wimax to Sprint and Sprint manages it. When cutting out the middleman and dealing with Clear directly, Clear is in control.

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**503ducati** · 02-12-2012, 01:01 AM

Originally Posted by akhi216

Yeah I used to have an EVO Shift and for the most part I didn't have a problem downloading music or doing speedtests. That's because Clear sells the Wimax to Sprint and Sprint manages it. When cutting out the middleman and dealing with Clear directly, Clear is in control.

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I understand that, I've written stickys regarding Clearwire for 3 years now. I've had Clear then Sprint since Dec. '08. Sprint owns 54% of Clearwire but relinquished their voting control(in the event of bankruptcy).

Often times when strictly dealing with "Speed tests" especially on speedstest.net, if you choose the closest server generally you will not get the same results as the automatically chosen server when tethered. This will produce different results. As an example I'm in Portland, OR. although Speedtest.net chooses a Los Angeles server when I'm tethered. The same different results occur when I use mobile speedtest.net, meaning if I choose a local server it shows super slow speeds not indicative of the streaming media performance I experience. If I then manually choose a Los Angeles server on mobile speedtest.net I then get a result more akin to my experiences.

**akhi216** · 02-12-2012, 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by 503ducati

I understand that, I've written stickys regarding Clearwire for 3 years now. I've had Clear then Sprint since Dec. '08. Sprint owns 54% of Clearwire but relinquished their voting control(in the event of bankruptcy).

Often times when strictly dealing with "Speed tests" especially on speedstest.net, if you choose the closest server generally you will not get the same results as the automatically chosen server when tethered. This will produce different results. As an example I'm in Portland, OR. although Speedtest.net chooses a Los Angeles server when I'm tethered. The same different results occur when I use mobile speedtest.net, meaning if I choose a local server it shows super slow speeds not indicative of the streaming media performance I experience. If I then manually choose a Los Angeles server on mobile speedtest.net I then get a result more akin to my experiences.

Thanks for that information. I immediately ran a speed test after reading that from a local server and I got promised speed. I did notice that whenever I stream media my speeds weren't in that unusable range.

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**503ducati** · 02-12-2012, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by akhi216

Thanks for that information. I immediately ran a speed test after reading that from a local server and I got promised speed. I did notice that whenever I stream media my speeds weren't in that unusable range.

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For me, choosing the automatically suggested server with Speedtest.net results in faster test results which is more accurate to my tethered online real world experiences. I get even faster results via Speakeasy choosing the Los Angeles server while I'm north of there in Portland, OR.

**billm261** · 02-15-2012, 08:04 AM

I'm in SE Florida right now within 1000 feet of a CLEAR tower (according to the coverage map) and 3Mbps seems to be the maximum and usually sub 2's

Not impressive but adequate for some light tethering on my netbook.

Sent from my Motorola Photon

**jarrodpd** · 02-25-2012, 09:45 PM

I envy that you can get those speeds with clear the highest i have even seen was sub 15mbps on average it won't even hit 1mbps. there are some days though when it will allow for netflix and stuff. Im using a clear mifi hotspot btw.

Originally Posted by 503ducati

For me, choosing the automatically suggested server with Speedtest.net results in faster test results which is more accurate to my tethered online real world experiences. I get even faster results via Speakeasy choosing the Los Angeles server while I'm north of there in Portland, OR.

**JinnDroog** · 03-18-2012, 06:24 PM

Also have found choosing servers near their Redmond office (Lynnwood, Seattle, Renton) would get the shortest ping and highest speed rating; around the agreement 6mbps if direct or next room from wireless router w "N" laptop, but 2-3 max in opposite end of house in basement with old cheapy "G" board in main box...and frequently down to crawling sub 1/2 or 1/4 mbps!.; modem at the one location where reception is possible, being in a bottom of hill shadow with tower on top of hill---modem hung in window on side, oriented E-W, and metal venetion blinds acting as reflector behind modem; improved on box when installed "N" matching board (and 3 remote antennas) to a little over 3mbps, but related to the original question above, have measured d/l'ing torrent as high as 8-10mbps, while the speedtest.net maxes at 3mbps (measuring both w MSI speed app)!...rather curious.

**503ducati** · 03-19-2012, 02:37 AM

Originally Posted by JinnDroog

Also have found choosing servers near their Redmond office (Lynnwood, Seattle, Renton) would get the shortest ping and highest speed rating; around the agreement 6mbps if direct or next room from wireless router w "N" laptop, but 2-3 max in opposite end of house in basement with old cheapy "G" board in main box...and frequently down to crawling sub 1/2 or 1/4 mbps!.; modem at the one location where reception is possible, being in a bottom of hill shadow with tower on top of hill---modem hung in window on side, oriented E-W, and metal venetion blinds acting as reflector behind modem; improved on box when installed "N" matching board (and 3 remote antennas) to a little over 3mbps, but related to the original question above, have measured d/l'ing torrent as high as 8-10mbps, while the speedtest.net maxes at 3mbps (measuring both w MSI speed app)!...rather curious.

Try and see what speakeasy speed test shows.