Information Gift

Go, PageRacer!

I've got broadband, you've got broadband, your client probably has broadband, but most people are still viewing your content via pokey dial-up speeds. To understand the end-user experience, you also need to preview your site across a dial-up connection. Or... you can use PageRacer.

PageRacer is a modem simulator used to help sell a suite of accelerator tools provided by OptiView, of GifWizard fame.

You key in your url, and a split screen is delivered to you with one pane downloaded at 56K modem speeds and the other pane also downloaded at 56K modem speeds, but accelerated using their NetCelerate product. Obviously, the unaccelerated version is the one you want to imagine your end-user viewing, although if the accelerated pane version is significantly faster, then you might want to check your optimization or look into licensing some of this company's tools.

I assume the demo is using a bandwidth shaping mechanism like DummyNet or NIST Net, and informal testing shows that it does, indeed, stream in test content at around 4.4Kbps or so.

All in all an excellent quick-look alternative to a real dial-up for checking your download times and optimization techniques.