Ookla, the company behind the popular Speedtest app, is launching a new network troubleshooting gadget that should make it easier to identify those pesky Wi-Fi problems and fix them.
The new gadget, called Speedtest Pulse, can help test network performance and determine where problems are occurring, whether it's in your Wi-Fi setup or something wrong with the line coming into your home.
Speedtest Pulse works in conjunction with a smartphone app to output data. It will require a wired connection at startup, but will later work via Bluetooth. Additionally, the device supports MagSage, allowing users to attach it to the back of their MagSafe-compatible phone.
The gadget will offer two modes that will help diagnose problems. The first, called “Active Pulse”, is an instant check designed to help technicians verify new installations. A single guided test can help them discover problems, such as problems with incoming service or Wi-Fi setup, or perhaps even with specific devices using the network. Importantly, Ookla claims that Pulse can transform complex technical data into actionable information that technicians can use to solve problems.
The second mode, Continuation Pulse, will be released sometime next year. It is intended to be a “stand-alone” testing tool that can collect performance data over a longer period. It can monitor intermittent problems and detect performance degradation, helping to identify problems that are difficult to reproduce and ultimately reducing the need for repeat visits to a technician.
This last feature would have been incredibly useful to me in the past. For example, when I lived in Whitby, I would occasionally have problems with my home internet cutting out, and whenever a technician would come out, they would tell me a different reason, demand that it be fixed, and leave. But inevitably the problem kept coming back and I never got a clear answer as to what exactly the problem was. Ookla's Active Pulse device could help diagnose the real problem and help fix it.
Unfortunately, Ookla is not yet making Speedtest Pulse available to consumers (although it may do so in the future). Currently, Ookla is aimed at enterprise customers and Internet Service Providers (ISPs). In addition, the device will be available in Canada.
Hopefully we'll see some Canadian ISPs make Pulse software available to technicians as I can see it being extremely useful for diagnosing problems with home Internet setups. Ookla did not disclose a share price but noted that Pulse would be valued “aggressively.”
More information about Speedtest Pulse can be found on the website Okla company website.
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