Orb App: Beyond Internet Speed Tests
Doug Suttles, founder and former CEO of Ookla (the company behind Speedtest.net), has launched a new app called Orb. While Speedtest.net focuses on internet speed, Orb provides a more complete picture of your connection's health.
Orb measures key metrics like latency, jitter, packet loss, and of course, download and upload speeds. This holistic approach offers a deeper understanding of connection stability and performance.
Speed tests are like the dipstick in your car... We wanted to build a dashboard," says Suttles.
How Orb Works
Orb analyzes three core variables:
- Responsiveness: Measured by latency, jitter, and packet loss.
- Reliability: Tracks responsiveness and packet loss over time.
- Speed: Standard download and upload speeds.
These metrics are measured over various time intervals (one minute, five minutes, one hour, and 24 hours). Orb then generates a score: above 80 indicates a good connection, 70-80 is okay, and below 70 suggests potential problems.
For scores below 80, Orb offers personalized suggestions for improvement using LLMs to identify and explain issues.
Availability and Future Plans
Orb is currently free and available on various platforms, including iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux. It also supports installations on Raspberry Pi, Onewrt, Docker, and more.
A future feature will allow users to share their Orb connection data with others for remote monitoring and troubleshooting. The company plans to license the technology to enterprises and ISPs for advanced network management.
Orb aims to expand its capabilities by creating "recipes" for specific services like Zoom, Netflix, and Google Drive, allowing users to easily check service accessibility.
Founded in 2023 by Suttles and fellow Ookla executive Jamie Steven, Orb has secured $3.8 million in funding. Investors include Sidekick Ventures and individuals from companies like Fastly and Netflix.
Learn more and download Orb at Orb.net.
