What is middle variance on testmy?

[debbie.jean.bro]

I've been wondering for a while now what "middle variance" means on testmy.net. Based on what the graph looks like and based on how my devices download more slowly the higher the middle variance is, I'm guessing it means something to the effect that, while my download speed is "x," there are sudden "dips" in speed that then shoot back up to "x" in a moment.

For example, I was just now about to watch a documentary on YouTube. When I touched the app, it opened right away but then it was taking forever just to load the home page. A quick trip over to testmy first timed out (!), then a refresh got it going but it switched from 12MB to 6MB, IIRC.

Anyway, the download speed of 19.7mbps is a bit slower than what I usually run, but should be enough to load YouTube and watch a video in the lowest definition without excessive buffering. But that middle variance of 114%--highest I've ever seen!--showed up, and I'm hypothesizing that's why I couldn't load YouTube.



Am I basically right here? If so, I would like a more precise definition. If not, then can someone be so kind as to enlighten me? Oh, and by the way, I'm not in FAP.

Thanks in advance! 🙂

P.S. Now that it's 1:50 AM my time, I'll wait ten more minutes before trying again so that if I'm successful I can watch it in bonus bytes time, lol! 😉

[C0RR0SIVE]

From what I can tell, it means you have a variance of 114% in speeds from average.  Lets assume your average is 10Mbps, that means you have peaks of upwards of 20Mbps, and lows as low as 0.1Mbps.

Least, that is what I assume.

[Old Labs]

Just happen to have the following links from testmy bookmarked in  my "FAQs" folder:

http://testmy.net/ipb/topic/31961-what-is-middle-variance-is-it-better-to-be-high-or-low/

http://testmy.net/ipb/topic/31676-middle-variance/
 

[Amanda]

Hey, well that came in handy! 

[debbie.jean.bro]

Thanks, Old Labs! That was very enlightening! So I was fairly close on the answer. The higher the middle variance, the more fluctuation, and the more alarming the color, haha! 🙂