System and method for monitoring network connection quality by executing computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring network connection quality utilizes software installed on a user computer to monitor a first network connection to a target server used for a desired activity and a second network connection to a benchmark server. Various network quality metrics are recorded and compared for each of the connections and displayed on a visual display so that the user may easily and accurately judge the health of the connection to the target server.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for monitoring network connection quality by executing computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the instructions being executed by a user computer, the method comprising:
 providing a target server; 
 providing a database; 
 providing a visual display; 
 establishing a first network connection to the target server; 
 continually monitoring, by the user computer, one or more first network quality metrics for the a first network connection through the internet from the user computer to a target server; 
 continually storing the one or more first network quality metrics within the a database; 
 retrieving at least one of the one or more first network quality metrics from the database; 
 displaying the at least one of the one or more first network quality metrics on the visual display; 
 providing a private server system; 
 establishing an additional simultaneously with the first network connection a second network connection additional to the first network connection from the user computer to the target server through the internet and through the a private server system; 
 continually monitoring, by the user computer, one or more second network quality metrics for the additional second network connection through the internet, each at least one of the one or more second network quality metrics corresponding to one of the one or more first network quality metrics; 
 continually storing, by the user computer, the one or more second network quality metrics within the database; 
 retrieving, by the user computer, at least one of the one or more second network quality metrics from the database; 
 displaying the at least one of the one or more second network quality metrics on the a visual display of the user computer; 
 simultaneously monitoring, by the user computer, the one or more first network quality metrics for the first network connection and the one or more second network quality metrics for the additional second network connection; 
 comparing continually, by the user computer, the one or more first network quality metrics of the first network connection through the internet to the one or more second network quality metrics of the second network connection through the internet to determine how much each of the first and second network quality metrics has improved or degraded in the first or the second network connection to the target server; 
 the first network quality metrics being at least one member of the group consisting of a first current ping, a first average ping, a first ping deviation, number of first hops, number of first bad hops, a first flux, number of first ping spikes, and number of first packet loss, and any other network quality metric measuring real-time communications; 
 and the second network quality metrics being at least one member of the group consisting of a second current ping, a second average ping, a second ping deviation, number of second hops, number of second bad hops, a second flux, number of second ping spikes, and number of second packet loss, and any other network quality metric measuring real-time communications. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  further comprising, wherein:
 the private server system comprising comprises a plurality of proxy servers. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 triggering an alert when the at least one of the one or more first network quality metrics crosses an acceptable threshold. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3  further comprising, wherein: the alert being of comprises an audio form. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 3  further comprising, wherein: the alert being of comprises a visual form. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating a network quality report by using the one or more first network quality metrics and the one or more second network quality metrics. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 sending the network quality report to a system administrator. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving at least one metric selection in response to continually comparing the one or more first network quality metrics with the one or more second network quality metrics; and 
 corresponding each of the at least one metric selection to one of the one or more first network quality metrics and to one of the one or more second network quality metrics. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 displaying each of the at least one metric selection on the visual display. 
 
     
     
       10. A system for monitoring network connection quality comprising:
 a local area network comprising a user computer and a router, the user computer being electronically connected to the router; 
 a monitoring software configured to be installed on the a user computer electronically connected to a router; 
 a user application configured to be installed on the user computer; 
 a target server; 
 a database; 
 a visual display; 
 a first network connection, the router being configured to electronically connected connect the router to the a target server by the first network connection through the internet; 
 a one or more first network quality metrics for the first network connection, the one or more first network quality metrics being continually monitored by the monitoring software on the user computer, the one or more first network quality metrics being continually stored within the a database, at least one of the one or more first network quality metrics being retrieved from the database, the at least one of the one or more first network quality metrics being displayed on the visual display by the monitoring software; 
 a private server system; 
 an additionala second network connection, the router beingadditional to the first connection configured to electronically connectedconnect the router to the target server by the additionalsecond network connection through thea private server system through the internet, wherein the second network connection and the first network connection are established simultaneously; 
 a one or more second network quality metrics for the additional second network connection, the one or more second network quality metrics being continually monitored by the monitoring software on the user computer, each at least one of the one or more second network quality metrics corresponding to one of the one or more first network quality metrics, the one or more second network quality metrics being continually stored within the database, at least one of the one or more second network quality metrics being retrieved from the database, the at least one of the one or more second network quality metrics being displayed on the visual display by the monitoring software; 
 the one or more first network quality metrics for the first network connection and the one or more second network quality metrics for the additional second network connection being simultaneously monitored by the user computer; 
 the one or more first network quality metrics of the first network connection through the internet being continually compared to the one or more second network quality metrics of the second network connection through the internet by the user computer to determine how much each of the first and second network quality metrics has improved or degraded in the first or the second network connection to the target server; 
 the first network quality metrics being at least one member of the group consisting of a first current ping, a first average ping, a first ping deviation, number of first hops, number of first bad hops, a first flux, number of first ping spikes, and number of first packet loss, and any other network quality metric measuring real-time communications; 
 and the second network quality metrics being at least one member of the group consisting of a second current ping, a second average ping, a second ping deviation, number of second hops, number of second bad hops, a second flux, number of second ping spikes, and number of second packet loss, and any other network quality metric measuring real-time communications. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10  further comprising, wherein:
 the private server system comprising comprises a one or more first proxy servers. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 an alert triggered by the monitoring software when the at least one of the one or more first network quality metrics crosses an acceptable threshold. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12  further comprising, wherein:
 the alert being of comprises an audio form transmitted from the user computer. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 12  further comprising, wherein:
 the alert being of comprises a visual form transmitted from the user computer. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a network quality report generated by using the one or more first network quality metrics and the one or more second network quality metrics. 
 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15  further comprising, wherein:
 the network quality report being is sent to a system administrator. 
 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 at least one metric selection received in response to continually comparing the one or more first network quality metrics with the one or more second network quality metrics by the monitoring software; and 
 each of the at least one metric selection corresponding to one of the one or more first network quality metrics and to one of the one or more second network quality metrics. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17  further comprising, wherein:
 each of the at least one metric selection being is displayed on the visual display. 
 
     
     
       19. A method for monitoring network connection quality by executing computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the instructions being executed by a user computer, the method comprising:
 establishing a private server system;   monitoring, by the user computer, one or more first network quality metrics for a first network connection from the user computer to a target server through the internet during a first time duration of an online activity;   establishing simultaneously with the first network connection a second network connection from the user computer to the target server through the private server system through the internet, wherein the second network connection is different from the first network connection;   continually monitoring, by the user computer, one or more second network quality metrics for the second network connection through the internet during a second time duration of the online activity, at least one of the one or more second network quality metrics corresponding to one of the one or more first network quality metrics;   continually storing, by the user computer, the one or more second network quality metrics within the database;   retrieving, by the user computer, at least one of the one or more second network quality metrics from the database;   displaying on a visual display the at least one of the one or more second network quality metrics over the second time duration of the online activity;   comparing continually, by the user computer, the one or more first network quality metrics of the first network connection through the internet to the one or more second network quality metrics of the second network connection through the internet to determine how much each of the first and second network quality metrics has improved or degraded in the first or the second network connection to the target server;   wherein the first network quality metrics comprise at least one member of the group consisting of a first current ping, a first average ping, a first ping deviation, number of first hops, number of first bad hops, a first flux, number of first ping spikes, and number of first packet loss, and any other network quality metric measuring real-time communications;   wherein the second network quality metrics comprise at least one member of the group consisting of a second current ping, a second average ping, a second ping deviation, number of second hops, number of second bad hops, a second flux, number of second ping spikes, and number of second packet loss, and any other network quality metric measuring real-time communications.   
     
     
       20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:
 displaying on the visual display the at least one of the one or more first network quality metrics over the first time duration of the online activity.   
     
     
       21. The method of claim 20, wherein:
 the first time duration of the online activity and the second time duration of the online activity correspond to the same time duration of the online activity.   
     
     
       22. The method of claim 20, wherein:
 establishing the private server system comprises providing the private server system.   
     
     
       23. The method of claim 1,
 wherein continually monitoring, by the user computer, the one or more first network quality metrics for the first network connection through the internet from the user computer to the target server comprises continually monitoring, by the user computer, the one or more first network quality metrics for the first network connection through a first route in the internet from the user computer to the target server, and   wherein establishing simultaneously with the first network connection the second network connection additional to the first network connection from the user computer to the target server through the internet and through the private server system comprises establishing simultaneously with the first network connection the second network connection additional to the first network connection from the user computer to the target server through a second route in the internet and through the private server system,   wherein continually monitoring, by the user computer, one or more second network quality metrics for the second network connection through the internet during the second time duration of the online activity, at least one of the one or more second network quality metrics corresponding to the one of the one or more first network quality metrics comprises continually monitoring, by the user computer, the one or more second network quality metrics for the second network connection through the second route in the internet during the second time duration of the online activity, at least one of the one or more second network quality metrics corresponding to the one of the one or more first network quality metrics.