Network scoring system and method
View Patent ↗A client may be configured to access a network by identifying a network bandwidth configuration setting to be used by the client in accessing a networked content source, enabling the client to access the content source using the network bandwidth configuration setting, monitoring client access to the content source, comparing client access metrics to metrics associated with the network bandwidth configuration setting, determining, based on the comparison, whether to adjust the network bandwidth configuration settings for the client, and adjusting the network bandwidth configuration setting if appropriate.
1. A method of configuring a client to access a network, the method comprising:
receiving a first request from a client to access first content;
receiving a second request from the client to access second content;
identifying a first networked content source for the first request;
identifying a second networked content source for the second request, the second networked content source residing on a different resource and a different location that the first networked content source;
identifying a first network bandwidth configuration setting to be used by the client in accessing the first networked content source;
identifying a second network bandwidth configuration setting to be used by the client in accessing the second networked content source;
enabling the client to access the first networked content source using the first network bandwidth configuration setting;
monitoring client access to the first networked content source;
monitoring client access to the second networked content source;
comparing first client access metrics to metrics associated with the first network bandwidth configuration setting in a first comparison;
comparing second client access metrics to metrics associated with the second network bandwidth configuration setting in a second comparison;
determining, based on the first comparison, whether to adjust the first network bandwidth configuration settings for the client;
determining, based on the second comparison, whether to adjust the second network bandwidth configuration settings for the client;
adjusting the first network bandwidth configuration setting while preserving the second network bandwidth configuration settings if the first comparison indicates that the first network bandwidth configuration settings should be adjusted and the second comparison indicates that the second network bandwidth configuration settings should be preserved.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying a first network bandwidth configuration setting includes identifying a range of network bandwidths with one or more bandwidths that may be used to access the first networked content source.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein identifying the range includes identifying a preferred bit rate used to access the first networked content source.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein comparing the first client access metrics includes determining whether the bandwidth used in accessing the first networked content source was less than a bandwidth associated with the first network bandwidth configuration setting.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein comparing the first client access metrics includes determining whether the bandwidth used in accessing the first networked content source was greater than a bandwidth associated with the network bandwidth configuration setting.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein comparing the first client access metrics includes determining whether a bandwidth used in accessing the first networked content source could have been increased.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein comparing the first client access metrics includes determining whether the client experienced network interruptions in accessing the content source, and adjusting the network bandwidth configuration setting after determining the network interruptions would persist using the network bandwidth configuration setting.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting the first network bandwidth configuration setting includes using a tracking indicator to determine whether a particular event described by the client metric has occurred at a specified frequency.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting the first network bandwidth configuration setting includes using a tracking indicator to determine whether a particular event described by the client metric has occurred a specified number of times.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein using the tracking indicator to determine whether the particular event described by the client metric has occurred the specified number of times includes determining whether the specified number of times has occurred repeatedly.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein using the tracking indicator to determine whether the particular event described by the client metric has occurred the specified number of times includes determining whether the client increased the bandwidth used, decreased the bandwidth used, could have used an increased bandwidth, or experienced a network interruption.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein adjusting the network bandwidth includes using a supportable bandwidth as indicated by the first client metrics or a tracking indicator.
13. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the first network bandwidth configuration setting on a host.
14. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the first network bandwidth configuration setting on a client.
15. A system with a processor configured to manage access to a network, the system comprising:
a processor; and
instructions that when executed on the processor cause the processor to:
receive a first request from a client to access first content;
receive a second request from the client to access second content;
identify a first networked content source for the first request;
identify a second networked content source for the second request, the second networked content source residing on a different resource and a different location that the first networked content source;
identify a first network bandwidth configuration setting to be used by the client in accessing the first networked content source;
identify a second network bandwidth configuration setting to be used by the client in accessing the second networked content source;
enable the client to access the first networked content source using the first network bandwidth configuration setting;
monitoring client access to the first networked content source;
monitor client access to the second networked content source;
compare first client access metrics to metrics associated with the first network bandwidth configuration setting in a first comparison;
compare second client access metrics to metrics associated with the second network bandwidth configuration setting in a second comparison;
determine, based on the first comparison, whether to adjust the first network bandwidth configuration settings for the client;
determine, based on the second comparison, whether to adjust the second network bandwidth configuration settings for the client; and
adjust the first network bandwidth configuration setting while preserving the second network bandwidth configuration settings if the first comparison indicates that the first network bandwidth configuration settings should be adjusted and the second comparison indicates that the second network bandwidth configuration settings should be preserved.
16. A computer program on a computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:
a storage medium; and
instructions that when executed on the processor cause the processor to:
receive a first request from a client to access first content;
receive a second request from the client to access second content;
identify a first networked content source for the first request;
identify a second networked content source for the second request, the second networked content source residing on a different resource and a different location that the first networked content source;
identify a first network bandwidth configuration setting to be used by the client in accessing the first networked content source;
identify a second network bandwidth configuration setting to be used by the client in accessing the second networked content source;
enable the client to access the first networked content source using the first network bandwidth configuration setting;
monitoring client access to the first networked content source;
monitor client access to the second networked content source;
compare first client access metrics to metrics associated with the first network bandwidth configuration setting in a first comparison;
compare second client access metrics to metrics associated with the second network bandwidth configuration setting in a second comparison;
determine, based on the first comparison, whether to adjust the first network bandwidth configuration settings for the client;
determine, based on the second comparison, whether to adjust the second network bandwidth configuration settings for the client; and
adjust the first network bandwidth configuration setting while preserving the second network bandwidth configuration settings if the first comparison indicates that the first network bandwidth configuration settings should be adjusted and the second comparison indicates that the second network bandwidth configuration settings should be preserved.