Numion homepage Measure your speed Measure your website Measure the time it takes to download any page on the internet. A collection of bandwidth calculators. SiteSpeed statistics for this website Copyright 2005 J.C. Kessels Goto Numion homepage Frequently asked questions Interesting Links Contact page, to report a problem or ask a question Copyright 2005 J.C. Kessels


SiteSpeed v2.15

Step 1: download

Select a download. The downloads are exactly the same, but one is archived as a ZIP, the other archived in the Unix TAR format.

*  SiteSpeed-2.15.tar.gz for Linux/Unix servers (43Kb)
*  SiteSpeed-2.15.zip for Windows servers (46Kb)
Prerequisites

To install and use SiteSpeed you will need the following.

Webserver
SiteSpeed is not intended for your desktop. It can only be installed on a webserver. All virtual webspace is fine, such as the free webspace most providers include in their dial-up subscriptions.
PHP
The webserver must have support for PHP scripting, any version. PHP is a general internet programming language, very common, offered and supported by most providers.
Write access
The PHP scripts need to create logfiles on the webserver, and therefore need write access. Some providers do not allow this.
Java-enabled browser
To see the graphs you will need a browser with support for Java. Not all Microsoft browsers come with Java (you will need to install it separately), and Opera browsers are available with and without Java.
You don't need:
Administrator permissions
No special permissions are needed, you can install with standard user permissions.
PHP extensions
No special PHP extensions are needed. SiteSpeed only uses elements from the core PHP language.

Step 2: upload

Extract the files from the download, create a new folder on your website, and upload all the files to that folder. You can place the folder anywhere you like, the following instructions assume a folder "SiteSpeed" in the root (top) of your website. The intention is to publish the files on your website so they are accessible to visitors. The URL after uploading will be something like "http://www.yourdomain.com/SiteSpeed/....."

You do not have to make any changes to the files. Everything is automatic, there is no configuration file and there are no settings that need to be configured.

Windows
If your server is a Windows server then the scripts should work straight from the box, you don't have to worry about permissions.
Linux/Unix
If your server is a Unix server then chances are the scripts will work straight from the box, but you could also run into a permissions problem. The scripts need to store data in a "Logs" subfolder in the "SiteSpeed" folder (where you've uploaded the scripts). You have to make sure the scripts have permissions to do so, but I cannot tell you how. It depends on your server, you will have to figure it out for yourself. Here are two tips:
  • Change the permissions of the "SiteSpeed" folder into "777", run the scripts (see below), verify that the "Logs" subfolder has been created, and then change the permissions back to their original setting.
  • Manually create the "Logs" subfolder and set it's permissions to "777". Later change the permissions to a secure setting, leaving it like this is potentially dangerous.
If these tips don't help then ask your provider! It's no use asking me, I cannot help. Take a look at the "Save.php" script (open with a flat text editor). All it does is open a logfile and append a textline. This is so basic, if it doesn't work then it's definitely a webserver configuration problem.
The distribution includes a small "index.html" file to test the scripts. Open it now with a browser ("http://www.yourdomain.com/SiteSpeed/index.html").
  • If everything is allright you will see the animated SiteSpeed icon. Click it to see your very first statistics. If everything looks allright (no error messages) continue to Step 3.
  • If the scripts have a problem creating/accessing the "Logs" subfolder (insufficient write permissions) you will see a flashing "error" icon.
  • If your server has a problem executing the PHP scripts you will see a broken image. You may get useful information for solving the problem by entering "http://www.yourdomain.com/SiteSpeed/Save.php" in your browser. If you don't know how to get your webserver to execute the PHP scripts you'll have to ask your provider for help.

Step 3: add lines

Choose one of the following:

*  Basic
The setup instructions for pages that do not use frames. This is the basic workhorse and most people will use this version. It measures the download time of all the images in a page.
*  Frames
The setup instructions for pages that use frames. It measures the download time of all frames, both html and images.
*  Links
The setup instructions for measuring applications such as databases and cgi-scripts. It is an expansion of the "Basic" and "Frames" versions. First-time users should try the "Basic" version before attempting the "Links" version.