Test Triggers

We have developed several different types of test triggers to ensure you get consistent, but also instant, results. For example, scheduled tests are designed to run from thousands of customer routers at a pre-defined frequency, providing you with regular aggregated results without overwhelming your network, while instant tests run from an individual router or smart device for immediate, targeted results. The Cisco Real Speed test, meanwhile, is an instant two-part speed test that your customers can run, the results of which you can see, to help pinpoint where the cause of an issue lies.

Scheduled Tests

A typical test schedule involves executing some tests once per hour, and other heavier tests (such as the speed tests) once every few hours. Alternatively, you may wish to focus your measurements during the peak-hour periods, to gain the most representative view of user performance.

Use cases for different test schedules range from testing new product offerings for marketing purposes (e.g., you want to claim you now support 1 Gb broadband speeds); to launching new technology investments such as IPv6 or XGS-PON across a network; to managing deployments of new router devices capable of reaching higher throughput.

Device Agents on the router support the scheduled execution of tests, the results of which you can view in Connected Devices > Analytics and Connected Devices > ConstantCare. The schedule is dictated by a customizable configuration profile and all tests are conducted when no testing thresholds are crossed (e.g., CPU load and cross-traffic).

Instant Tests

Any router with an embedded Device Agent supports instant tests as well. With this functionality, you can remotely trigger core tests with the results reported back to you in real-time on your Connected Devices > ConstantCare dashboard. As with scheduled tests, you can also view single instances of instant tests on your Connected Devices > Analytics screen. Our APIs also allow a smartphone or web application to trigger an instant test and view real-time measurement results.

Cisco Real Speed Tests

The Cisco Real Speed test is actually two separate tests – the personal device-based speed test (e.g., from a computer, tablet, or phone), and an instant Device Agent-based speed test (usually from a router). These tests provide measurements of:

• Performance from the user’s personal device to the internet.

• Performance from the user’s Device Agent to the internet.

The combination of these two results can be used to infer whether a performance issue exists inside the customer’s home or on the upstream internet connection.