In this paper, we address the problem of comparing the performance
perceived by end users when they use different technologies to access the Internet.
We focus on three key technologies: Cellular, ADSL and FTTH. Users primarily
interact with the network through the networking applications they use.We tackle
the comparison task by focusing on Web search services, which are arguably a
key service for end users.We first demonstrate that RTT and packet loss alone are
not enough to fully understand the observed differences or similarities of performance
between the different access technologies. We then present an approach
based on a fine-grained profiling of the data time of transfers that sheds light on
the interplay between service, access and usage, for the client and server side.We
use a clustering approach to identify groups of connections experiencing similar
performance over the different access technologies. This technique allows to attribute
performance differences perceived by the client separately to the specific
characteristics of the access technology, behavior of the server, and behavior of
the client.
