Why Charbot?
In 2014, I bought a new house in Atlanta. This required me to bite the bullet and sign on with one of the huge (read monster) Internet Service Providers (ISP). Similar to many horror stories, my connection was often slow, un-usable, and sometimes completely disconnected. It was not uncommon to see download speeds 1/10th of the speed I was paying for.
The problem was that I worked from home! After many hours on the phone, multiple service appointments, and ~2 months the problem was fixed.
But the sour taste in my mouth stuck around. And it was only made worse by the Net Neutrality and questionably enforceable FCC Ruling.
What is Charbot?
You now have the ability to monitor your internet service. We monitor
- Bandwidth: how fast you can download or upload. This affects video streaming if less than 5Mbps.
- Latency: how fast messages travel across the network. This affects VoIP and video chat like Skype and Google Hangout.
- Connection: monitors connectivity and detects complete outages.
"But I just use Ookla/speedtest.comcast.net/speakeasy/..." That is great! However, you probably only check your speed when there is a problem. Do you know if your connection slows down too much at 8pm for you to take a business call? What if Netflix goes out during a first date? Get 24/7 monitoring and real time alerts to problems in your area.
Another problem with those test providers is that you only see laboratory measurements. They test your connection against their server that has the lowest latency. The servers are placed on the backbone of the internet to ensure maximum connection speeds; in fact they are often placed in your ISP's backyard. You will rarely experience these speeds while browsing.
Charbot not only measures laboratory test conditions but also measures real world bandwidth speeds.
Benefits
For You!
We make sure you are getting what you pay for. You can rest easy knowing that your internet will be there for you when you need it. If you are seeing slow speeds we can help you report it to your ISP which might prioritize you since you have a record of poor connection health.
For The Internet!
The real world tests will ensure that traffic is not being illegally throttled, prioritized, or blocked. The FCC ruling requires that ISP self report and self police to ensure they are following industry regulations. It is time that someone keeps them accountable! And that is you! Ensure that you are not only getting the service you are paying for, but also a free, fair, and unrestricted internet!
For your ISP!
Is this product against-ISP's? NO! Your ISP's local performance will be displayed on our main website. If you are getting what you pay for and are happy with your service, others in your area should know! We want to promote ISP that provide excellent internet service and customer service. Reward your ISP by reporting what a great job they are doing at your address!
Models
All model come with access to:
- Free Web Application
- Free email and sms alerts
- Free mobile dashboard app
[Basic] - $40.00
Watches your internet connection for outages and high latency. The side effects of these make real time apps, like Skype and online gaming, unusable. An analogy would be signing up for a 24/7 gym only to find out that the gym is often closed and you always have to wait for machines.
- Tracks Connection Outages
- Tracks Connection Latency
[Deluxe] - $75.00
Performs the same checks as the [Basic] model AND monitors bandwidth speeds. This includes upload and download speeds which dictate how fast you can upload or download large files.
- Tracks Connection Outages
- Tracks Connection Latency
- Tracks Laboratory Bandwidth Speeds (read the What? section for more details)
- Tracks Real World Bandwidth Speeds (read the What? section for more details)
Support or Contact
Have more questions? Have feedback or feature requests? Contact me at david@charbot.co