Since its launch nearly 20 years ago, Speedtest.net has gained immense popularity as a tool for measuring internet speeds. However, Doug Suttles, the founder and former CEO of Ookla, recognized that merely assessing speed did not provide a complete picture of internet connections. To address this gap, Suttles has introduced a new tool called Orb, which provides a comprehensive assessment of connectivity by measuring latency, packet loss, jitter, and speed. Suttles, who co-founded Orb with Ookla executive Jamie Steven in 2023, explained that while Speedtest.net was effective in its time, it became clear that as internet speeds improved globally, there was a need for more holistic tools to evaluate internet connections.
He compared traditional speed tests to using a dipstick in a car—it can tell you when you’re out of oil, but it doesn’t alert you before a breakdown. Orb acts as a dashboard, offering insights before issues arise. The Orb tool evaluates network connections based on three crucial variables: responsiveness (including lag, jitter, latency, and packet loss), reliability (measuring consistency and packet loss over time), and speed (traditional download and upload measures). Users can assess these metrics across different time intervals—one minute, five minutes, one hour, and 24 hours.
The scores generated indicate connection stability; a score above 80 signifies a good connection, while scores below 70 suggest potential problems. If users receive a score under 80, the app provides actionable steps to enhance network performance, leveraging LLMs (large language models) to explain issues and suggest solutions. Orb is accessible on various platforms, including iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux, with plans for features that allow users to share monitoring responsibilities. Currently free to use, Orb may consider licensing its technology to enterprises and ISPs for advanced network monitoring.
With $3.8 million in funding from investors, Orb is also aiming to develop tools to check access to popular services like Zoom and Netflix.