Apple releases Broadband Tuner 1.0

[AppleInsider]

Apple today released Broadband Tuner 1.0, a new system utility designed to take full advantage of very high speed Internet connections that have a high latency (5 Mbps or greater). According to the documentation, the installer "tweaks some system parameters. There is an optional uninstaller that can be used to restore the settings that were in effect at the time just before the system parameters were changed....The installer increases the default values for the size of the TCP send and receive buffers. With larger buffers more data can be in transit at once. A startup configuration file is also updated so that these changes will persist across restarts."

[Ringo]

This was released yesterday, and it's not a utility.

[Booga]

Originally posted by Ringo
This was released yesterday, and it's not a utility.

I utilized it.

[1984]

How is this different from Broadband Optimizer which has been out for years?

I use these settings...

/usr/sbin/sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.sendspace=64240 > /dev/null
/usr/sbin/sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.recvspace=64240 > /dev/null
/usr/sbin/sysctl -w kern.ipc.maxsockbuf=524288 > /dev/null
/usr/sbin/sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.delayed_ack=0 > /dev/null
/usr/sbin/sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.rfc1323=0 > /dev/null
/usr/sbin/sysctl -w net.inet.udp.recvspace=73728 > /dev/null

Also, unlike Apple's Broadband Tuner it works with 10.3 and earlier.

[Gene Clean]

It's not different at all. But Apple want to write every piece of software for OS X, so...

[Kickaha]

Probably because any time Apple *doesn't* write a piece of software, even if there are third party solutions, people gripe.

[Gene Clean]

I never heard people griping about Broadband Tuner. Have you?

[fahlman]

Originally posted by 1984
How is this different from Broadband Optimizer which has been out for years?

I use these settings...

/usr/sbin/sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.sendspace=64240 > /dev/null
/usr/sbin/sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.recvspace=64240 > /dev/null
/usr/sbin/sysctl -w kern.ipc.maxsockbuf=524288 > /dev/null
/usr/sbin/sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.delayed_ack=0 > /dev/null
/usr/sbin/sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.rfc1323=0 > /dev/null
/usr/sbin/sysctl -w net.inet.udp.recvspace=73728 > /dev/null

Also, unlike Apple's Broadband Tuner it works with 10.3 and earlier.

Broadband Optimizer. Ill have to give it a try.

[fahlman]

Originally posted by Gene Clean
It's not different at all. But Apple want to write every piece of software for OS X, so...

Can Apple not offer a piece of software that does something that another piece of software does without people bitchin' 'bout it? I bet there are many "Optimizer" applications but you don't complain about them.

[DeaPeaJay]

Originally posted by fahlman
Can Apple not offer a piece of software that does something that another piece of software does without people bitchin' 'bout it? I bet there are many "Optimizer" applications but you don't complain about them.

I agree, and another plus of this is that it will ship standard on all macs most likely, so the tool is already in the hands of mac buyers, now they won't have to download it. I'm willing to bet a large percentage of people didn't even realize they needed a broadband optimizer/tuner. Now, more people will.

[Ringo]

What I find funny is that Apple is distributing this as an installer package as though it actually installs something. In reality the only file it installs is an empty dummy file in /tmp, and the installer script does the real work.

[Louzer]

Originally posted by Gene Clean
Can people criticize something Apple does without you coming here and playing the Apple apologist?




Why would I? They're made by third-party developers. I want the developer community to continue to make software. I don't want them to give up because, you know, Apple will do it anyway.

Wait, you're upset at apple for releasing a small utility that changes like three settings for internet access? Yet you're not upset that some shareware developer offers a tool for $15 that does basically the same thing. All it does is change some settings. This is like people charging 10 bucks for a utility to turn on the Debug menu in Safari, all for a pretty UI and one line of code.

Of course, if you really want to get upset, I was in Best Buy with a friend the other day (no, wait, that's not what to get upset about, there's more), and he pointed out this $50 box called a "Internet TrafficCop Standby Switch", which, for $50, 'disconnects your PC from the internet to protect you from viruses". Wow! If only there were some other way to do this, like, I don't know...[list=a][*]Turn off the modem[*]Turn off the Router[*]Unplug either the modem or router[*]Turn off the computer[*]Unplug network cable from the modem/router/computer[/list=a]

But no! We need a freakin' switch! I mean, who's this for? Idiots who don't know better. And why isn't anyone up in arms over the fleecing of the unwary computer user? Who knows. But for goodness sakes, Apple, don't release any utility that will make user's computers more responsive. No, that's a third-party's job.

[fahlman]

Originally posted by Gene Clean
Can people criticize something Apple does without you coming here and playing the Apple apologist?[/i]

I'm not apologizing. I'm saying that Apple can write anything they want without people cry-babying about it. I'm sure every third party developer has called an emergency meeting discussing if they should even unlock the doors tomorrow morning because Apple wrote a broadband optimizer application.

[fahlman]

Apple writes a email, web browser, media player, address book, calendar, chat, and file viewer application though there are many third party developers that write alternatives that make a good living doing so, but a broadband optimizer is going to bring and end to all third party development as we know it. Ha!

[fahlman]

Third party development for Mac OS X has greatly increased and you complain about a broadband optimizer. The Broadband Optimizer guy doesn't even charge for his application and he's going to go broke because of Apple Broadband Tuner 1.0.

I even downloaded Broadband Optimizer 1.5 to try it out. If I think it's worth a couple bucks I'll send some to the guy.

[Gene Clean]

Originally posted by fahlman
[B]Apple writes a email, web browser, media player, address book, calendar, chat, and file viewer application

Ehem, and do you notice a trend here? Soon enough Apple will be writing every piece of app that resides on your dock.

though there are many third party developers that write alternatives that make a good living doing so, but a broadband optimizer is going to bring and end to all third party development as we know it. Ha!

I was pointing out that there exists a trend at Apple in writing apps that already exist. Re-inventing the wheel. That's all. Now go back to your Apple apologizing, my lad.

[lundy]

Originally posted by Ringo
What I find funny is that Apple is distributing this as an installer package as though it actually installs something. In reality the only file it installs is an empty dummy file in /tmp, and the installer script does the real work.

It writes the settings to /private/etc/sysctl.conf .

Dual-G5:~ lundy$ sysctl -a | grep space
net.local.stream.recvspace: 8192
net.local.stream.sendspace: 8192
net.local.dgram.recvspace: 4096
net.inet.tcp.sendspace: 131072
net.inet.tcp.recvspace: 358400
net.inet.udp.recvspace: 42080
net.inet.raw.recvspace: 8192

Note the huge tcp recvspace.

Also, if you have already messed with the settings, the installer won't run - I had to empty out the file /private/etc/sysctl.conf to get by the installer check.

[aplnub]

Where is the uninstaller package located at?

[fahlman]

Originally posted by aplnub
Where is the uninstaller package located at?

When you run it a second time it undoes the changes it made the first time. You can verify this if you click the Customize button.

[lundy]

Originally posted by aplnub
Where is the uninstaller package located at?

Run the installer again and there is an option to uninstall.

OR - right click the package, choose Show Package Contents and you will find that it contains 2 packages, one for installing and another for un-installing. Then you can just double-click the un-installer.

[Kickaha]

Guys, please take the econo-political discussion to another thread, and let's keep this one for the technical details, shall we?

For instance: anyone seen a good speedup from this? Any problems?

[Telomar]

The settings seem more aimed at satellite connections where latency of 0.5s isn't uncommon. With or without it I noticed no real change but then low latency and low packet loss means I wouldn't really expect to.

[rwahrens]

Originally posted by Kickaha
Guys, please take the econo-political discussion to another thread, and let's keep this one for the technical details, shall we?

For instance: anyone seen a good speedup from this? Any problems?

I installed (used? utilized? ran?) the tuner last nite, and saw a good increase in speed using Comcast cable. They're still not as fast as I'd like, but then, next week, I'm getting Verizon FIOS installed...

[Keda]

Is this a download? I did a quick search on Apple, and it seemed like this was included in the sec update. Will someone please explain what/where his app is?

[lundy]

Originally posted by Keda
Is this a download? I did a quick search on Apple, and it seemed like this was included in the sec update. Will someone please explain what/where his app is?

http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/broadbandtuner10.html