Testing Website Performance on a Contabo VPS
This tutorial demonstrates performance benchmarking of a website hosted on a Contabo VPS configured with the Webmin control panel. The presenter showcases the server setup and…
This tutorial demonstrates performance benchmarking of a website hosted on a Contabo VPS configured with the Webmin control panel. The presenter showcases the server setup and navigates through the live site to demonstrate real-world loading speed and responsiveness.
To provide quantitative data, the host evaluates the website using three industry-standard speed testing tools: Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, and Pingdom Website Speed Test. Across all platforms, the site maintains high performance grades, low loading times, and solid structural metrics without post-deployment tuning.
Section 1: Webmin Setup and Website Responsiveness
Webmin Setup and Website Responsiveness • Google PageSpeed Insights Analysis • Benchmarking with GTmetrix and Pingdom Tools
Lesson 1.1: Webmin Setup and Website Responsiveness
- Webmin acts as the server control panel on the Contabo VPS.
- Website source files reside in the standard public directory /var/www/html.
- Direct browsing shows fast page loads and smooth interactions.
The presenter displays a Contabo VPS managed via Webmin File Manager, showing the deployed website files under /var/www/html. He then opens the live site (arosoft.io) to demonstrate fluid navigation, login transitions, and sign-up page responsiveness before running formal tests.
Practical work
- Reproduce the demonstrated step for: Webmin acts as the server control panel on the Contabo VPS. and verify the result yourself.
Lesson 1.2: Google PageSpeed Insights Analysis
- PageSpeed Insights assesses both mobile and desktop profiles.
- Mobile performance achieved a 98 score with minimal blocking time.
- Desktop performance retained equivalent 98/100 tier metrics.
Running a live audit on Google PageSpeed Insights evaluates both mobile and desktop configurations. On mobile, the site scores a 98 Performance rating with a 2.0-second First Contentful Paint. On desktop, performance reaches 98 with high scores across accessibility, best practices, and SEO.
Practical work
- Reproduce the demonstrated step for: PageSpeed Insights assesses both mobile and desktop profiles. and verify the result yourself.
Lesson 1.3: Benchmarking with GTmetrix and Pingdom Tools
- GTmetrix scored an A grade with 91% performance and 1.4s LCP.
- Pingdom returned a performance grade of 96 with 5 asset requests.
- Waterfall diagrams help pinpoint specific assets impacting network load.
To validate findings across multiple global testing nodes, the site is analyzed with GTmetrix and Pingdom Tools. GTmetrix reports an 'A' grade with 91% Performance, 94% Structure, and a 1.4s Largest Contentful Paint. Pingdom Tools yields a 96 Performance grade with a 171.8 KB page size and detailed request breakdowns.
Practical work
- Reproduce the demonstrated step for: GTmetrix scored an A grade with 91% performance and 1.4s LCP. and verify the result yourself.
