SamKnows is now part of Cisco | Learn more

ISPs, give your customers accurate performance testing with RealSpeed

Don't let home interference spoil how your customers' perceive your network performance. With SamKnows RealSpeed, your customers can run an independent speed test from the edge of their home network (at the router itself) out to a test server, accurately recording the fastest speeds available, eliminating any Wi-Fi degradation from the results, and avoiding customer confusion.

Two years ago, we developed SamKnows Router Agent for internet service providers (ISPs) to measure their end-to-end network performance across millions of homes. With our full suite of tests and metrics currently embedded inside 50 million home routers, ISPs are using the independent measurement data to dramatically reduce support costs and prove their 1Gbps+ speeds.

But we didn’t stop there…

Collaborating with Liberty Global, CommScope, and Cloudflare, we set about extending the SamKnows Router Agent's functionality so that consumers can use it as well. Our challenge: to overcome the limitations of conventional speed tests and prevent customer confusion. 

The result: SamKnows RealSpeed, which lets Liberty Global customers run tests from the edge of their home network, at the router itself (embedded with the SamKnows Router Agent) or the SamKnows Whitebox. Here’s how you give your customers the ability to do this too.

SamKnows RealSpeed lets Liberty Global customers run tests from the edge of their home network, at the router itself.

Customer confusion caused by conventional speed tests 

First, we have to acknowledge the problem with conventional speed tests. While they can give a useful indication of an ISP’s internet performance, they also include in-home factors that are beyond their control, such as poor Wi-Fi. Many people don’t understand this, and it can be hard for care agents to explain the reasoning over the phone, leading to customer frustration and the breakdown of trust.

We recently interviewed people who are already using RealSpeed and this is what they had to say...

"Very likely to use this! It's one of the best speed tests I've ever seen." 
"What it's offering is incredibly useful." 
"I would make this my speed test of choice. It's incredibly useful information for me."

What’s more, web and mobile speed tests can cause even more confusion when measuring 1Gbps+ speeds. Any router with a 1Gbps LAN port will prevent popular speed tests from measuring more than 940Mbps.

Launching RealSpeed for ISPs

Suitable for any internet speed, including 1Gbps+, SamKnows RealSpeed resolves all this by giving your customers the ability to eliminate cross traffic, and initiate a test from the edge of the home network via a browser on any device that is connected to their home Wi-Fi. 

  1. Open any browser on any device that is connected to the home Wi-Fi. 
  2. Go to www.samknows.com/realspeed
  3. Click Test now. 

The test will immediately appear on the screen! 

With SamKnows RealSpeed, you can: 

Lower your customer support costs

SamKnows RealSpeed helps to reduce the number of calls your care agents receive by only measuring the real speed you’re providing. Fast, tailored, and 100% on target, your customers can quickly check whether the problem lies inside or outside their home, saving you valuable time and money. 

But if they do give you a call…

Combine RealSpeed with Instant Test for customer care 

Your customer support teams can use SamKnows Instant Test to run identical tests to your customers while on the phone, and have a conversation where everyone is on the same page. By using independent data, that’s trusted by regulators worldwide, your care agents are equipped to clear any confusion caused by conventional speed tests. And if there is a problem with your network, they can diagnose the problem over the phone or pass it on to your network engineers.

Simple to set up 

SamKnows RealSpeed works with the SamKnows Router Agent, which we released in October 2017. If you already have the Router Agent, SamKnows RealSpeed is quick to set up - you don’t have to do anything. All we need to do is update your test schedule to allow your customers to initiate testing, which we do remotely.

For those new to the SamKnows Router Agent, integration is very simple and only requires a software update. We’ve already completed this process in over 50 million routers, having integrated with 90% of all router manufacturers worldwide. Compatible manufacturers include:

For those new to the SamKnows Router Agent, integration is very simple and only requires a software updates. We have integrated with 90% of all router manufacturers worldwide.

If we haven’t previously worked with your router manufacturer, we will lead an integration process. This can either be a three-way development process that includes yourself, SamKnows, and your router manufacturer. Or, you can leave us to handle everything for you.

For more information, please read our technical documentation for the SamKnows Router Agent. And to talk to our team about how to implement SamKnows RealSpeed, please contact us here.

For more in-home diagnostic tools, look out for our 2-step speed test, available soon. This new speed test will measure Wi-Fi performance as well as the speed to your customers’ home to help troubleshoot and diagnose problems fast.

SamKnows RealSpeed