Testing Slow User Connections

After one of my recent posts about testing Flash preloaders locally, I received an email from a reader pointing me in the direction of "mod_bandwidth" -- a free module for Apache web server (which is built into OS X) that simulates web connections for dial-up users.

Considering that most web developers (at least ones I know) use broadband connections, and/or develop content locally, simulating the experience of your average Joe surfing the web on a 56k modem has always been a guessing game. But after installing mod_bandwidth, testing slow user connections is as easy as copying your content over to a special folder in your web server directory and loading it in your browser.

Jim Ray has written an excellent installation walkthrough for mod_bandwidth which does require some Terminal gymnastics, but the instructions are clear and easy to follow. Essential reading for any OS X web developer.