On the Harmful Effects of Active Network Probing

Abstract

Active network probing, commonly known as a speed test, is the prevalent network speed measurement and diagnostic method. Speed tests primarily measure achievable throughput by conducting bulk downloads that saturate the bottleneck link. However, the impact of speed tests on user Quality of Experience (QoE) has not been thoroughly explored. In this paper, we investigate the effects of active network probing on user QoE during two common activities: file downloading and video streaming, focusing on key QoE metrics such as download time, video bitrate, and buffering. Our analysis reveals that the standard speed test significantly extends download times (by up to 88% in WiFi and 46% in cellular networks) and adversely affects various video QoE metrics, particularly bitrate, resulting in an average bitrate reduction ranging from 46% to 60%. Moreover, we assess the outcomes of typical speed test scenarios, such as single and double tests, and establish that both variants impair QoE, with double tests causing greater disruptions. Our findings offer a comprehensive insight into the ramifications of active network probing on user applications and emphasize the necessity for approaches to alleviate its detrimental effects on QoE.