Exactly. There is not a single wireless standard that could actually get the full gigabit speeds (802.11ac won't either) so the only way you could get a valid test is being wired. On top of that, because this is IPv4 and using NAT behind a router, it takes a LOT of power to handle the routing table and most soho routers are not going to be able to deliver 1gbps speeds. If you really want full speed you will either need a commercial appliance or a software solution running on a pc.
It's funny that he compared a download from Apple of all places to try to get a speedtest. Apple is probably one of the slowest sites when it comes to downloads. If he tried to download Windows 7 SP1 from Microsoft I know it would have maxed out his connection. Steam or Origin would have also been better sites to test from. Nvidia is another one that stand out as having really fast downloads for their drivers.
I dunno, @ $70 a month w/ 1 year contract.. google shouldn't be so damned cheap & throw in a decent router.. The router *MUST* have a 1gbit WAN port.. SO many home routers are only 10/100. A 1gbit wan router starts at about $150 and a decent one $200+.. Did I mention you need a gigabit card in the computer as well?
IMO, those who can afford $70/mo shouldn't cheap out on their PC setup... their speed will suffer for it..
Do you think the owner, and customers of "Mud Pie Vegan Bakery" will exceed 176Mbps ? Answer : No. Spending any additional money to upgrade routers and/or NIC would be a waste of money, would it not? Upgrade later when said equipment prices drop, and the speeds are actually needed.
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