Method and apparatus for evalutating service to a user over the internet

A system for assembling performance data related to the downloading of information from a computer network comprising:

• a Web server configured to automatically send a browser agent to a user in response to a user request, wherein the browser agent is downloaded and configured to initiate the sending of a user HTTP GET request, wherein the browser agent is operable to automatically log a first time corresponding to the sending of the user HTTP GET request, and wherein the browser agent is configured to automatically measure a download time interval, the download time interval being determined according to the difference between the first time corresponding to the sending of the user HTTP GET request and a second time corresponding to the loading of the Web page;
• and
• a relay server configured to receive from the user a modified HTTP GET request, wherein the modified HTTP GET request contains a performance parameter indicative of the measured download time interval;
• whereby the download time interval experienced by the user is measured and a parameter indicative of the measured download time interval is received as part of the modified HTTP GET request.

A system for assembling performance data related to the downloading of information from a computer network comprising:

• a Web server configured to automatically send a browser agent to a user in response to a user request to access a Web page, wherein the browser agent is downloaded before the Web page and configured to initiate sending a user HTTP GET request, wherein the browser agent is operable to log a first time corresponding to the sending of the user HTTP GET request, and wherein the browser agent is configured to measure a download time interval automatically, the download time interval being determined according to the difference between the first time corresponding to the sending of the user HTTP GET request and a second time corresponding to the loading of the Web page;
• and
• wherein the browser agent is configured to send a modified HTTP GET request, the modified HTTP GET request containing a performance parameter indicative of the measured download time interval;
• whereby the download time interval experienced by the user is measured and a parameter indicative of the measured download time interval is sent as part of the modified HTTP GET request.

A method of gathering information regarding a loading time experienced at a target location on a network comprising:

• connecting a data acquisition agent to the network at the target location in response to a user request at the target location;
• automatically sending a request for information from the data acquisition agent to an information source connected to the network;
• recording a first time corresponding to the sending of the request for information;
• loading data responsive to the request for information onto the data acquisition agent;
• automatically measuring a loading time interval, the loading time interval being determined according to the difference between the first time corresponding to the request for information from the data acquisition agent and a second time corresponding to the completion of the loading of data responsive to the request from the data acquisition agent;
• and
• automatically sending a performance parameter indicative of the measured loading time interval to a relay server.