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We are looking to update our website to a flash based layout, but we do
not want to loose customers because of long load times. I am hoping
someone can inform me of a way to have the webserver determine the
clients connection speed and decide whether to load a Flash or HTML
website (lite version). Is this possible?.

wrote in
news: ps.com:

>
> Bergamot wrote:
>> wrote:
>> > a way to have the webserver determine the
>> > clients connection speed and decide whether to load a Flash or
>> > HTML website (lite version).
>>
>> Connection speed is not the only factor.
>>
>> Leave the choice up to the visitor. Some will want Flash even if
>> it's slow, while others will want HTML regardless of speed.
>>
>> --
>> Berg
>
> I plan on giving the option and for it to be saved in a cookie, but
> I was hoping for the server to determine which site to provide
> initially.
> Is this possible?
>
>

I don't think it is possible, at least, not easily. As Berg said,
leave it up to the visitor. Some will also not accept your cookie.

--
Stan McCann, RETIRED!!, "Uncle Pirate" http://stanmccann.us/
Implementing negative score for googlegroup postings, see
http://blinkynet.net/comp/uip5.html
A zest for living must include a willingness to die. - R.A. Heinlein

wrote:
> a way to have the webserver determine the
> clients connection speed and decide whether to load a Flash or HTML
> website (lite version).

Connection speed is not the only factor.

Leave the choice up to the visitor. Some will want Flash even if it's
slow, while others will want HTML regardless of speed.

--
Berg

Bergamot wrote:
> wrote:
> > a way to have the webserver determine the
> > clients connection speed and decide whether to load a Flash or HTML
> > website (lite version).
>
> Connection speed is not the only factor.
>
> Leave the choice up to the visitor. Some will want Flash even if it's
> slow, while others will want HTML regardless of speed.
>
> --
> Berg

I plan on giving the option and for it to be saved in a cookie, but I
was hoping for the server to determine which site to provide initially.
Is this possible?

..oO()

>I plan on giving the option and for it to be saved in a cookie, but I
>was hoping for the server to determine which site to provide initially.
> Is this possible?

No.

Micha

On 9 Nov 2006 12:45:26 -0800, wrote:

: We are looking to update our website to a flash based layout, but we do
: not want to loose customers because of long load times. I am hoping
: someone can inform me of a way to have the webserver determine the
: clients connection speed and decide whether to load a Flash or HTML
: website (lite version). Is this possible?.


Even if its the fastest DSL a flash splash page is bad news.

Sid

wrote:
> We are looking to update our website to a flash based layout, but we do
> not want to loose customers because of long load times. I am hoping
> someone can inform me of a way to have the webserver determine the
> clients connection speed and decide whether to load a Flash or HTML
> website (lite version). Is this possible?.

I think that it is possible, but I can not point you to a ready-made
code. I think it likely would best be done on the server using php. It
is quite possible to determine download speed. For example a download
speed test for my isp which is SBC/Yahoo DSL is at
http://support.sbcglobal.net/dsl/speedtest/ . This sort of speed test
often uses JAVA. You would need only the download speed test, and of
course the location to which the viewing browser points for your test
would be on your own server. The speed test need not be very accurate,
so you can design the test to be fairly rapid. When the speed test is
completed, the user is then redirected to one page for a slow
connection and another for a fast connection, or possibly everything
could be done on a single page.

..oO(cwdjrxyz)

>I think that it is possible, but I can not point you to a ready-made
>code. I think it likely would best be done on the server using php. It
>is quite possible to determine download speed.

Not reliably.

>For example a download
>speed test for my isp which is SBC/Yahoo DSL is at
>http://support.sbcglobal.net/dsl/speedtest/ . This sort of speed test
>often uses JAVA.

That's the first problem - the Java RTE is not available/enabled on most
machines. Additionally a test inside of the local ISP network is
somewhat different than a test in the open Internet.

>You would need only the download speed test, and of
>course the location to which the viewing browser points for your test

That's the second problem - the way from the user through the Internet
to the server. Every single router on that way can dramatically slow
down the transfer.

>would be on your own server. The speed test need not be very accurate,
>so you can design the test to be fairly rapid. When the speed test is
>completed, the user is then redirected to one page for a slow
>connection and another for a fast connection, or possibly everything
>could be done on a single page.

What if the user has some downloads or a P2P client running in the
background? What if there's a temporary network congestion?

In short: You can't test the connection speed, you can just guess.
If that's enough for you - try it. I wouldn't.

Micha

<> wrote in message
news: ups.com...
> We are looking to update our website to a flash based layout, but we do
> not want to loose customers because of long load times. I am hoping
> someone can inform me of a way to have the webserver determine the
> clients connection speed and decide whether to load a Flash or HTML
> website (lite version). Is this possible?.
>

use a gateway door entery style page. let the visitor pick which is most
appropriate.
I totally hate sites that demand on using flash for all of it's design and
presentation.
flash is meant to enhance certain aspects, not be the website.

wrote:
> We are looking to update our website to a flash based layout, but we do
> not want to loose customers because of long load times. I am hoping
> someone can inform me of a way to have the webserver determine the
> clients connection speed and decide whether to load a Flash or HTML
> website (lite version). Is this possible?.

Not like you at thinking. One way we use is with javascript, so it
will not work for all your visitors. But the basic idea is this:

You start a timer in Javascript. You then have a 1k (1024 byte)
comment, then you check the timer again. The amount of time that has
passed will allow you to tell how fast the user was able to download
the 1024 byte comment. This will give you an approximation of the
speed they are connected.

Before everyone jumps all over my ass, no, this is not perfect. But it
will give you an indication.