application for testing website load capabilities

please suggest

[jrd1mra]

Can anybody suggest please an application/script that is free or inexpensive that I can use to test how much load my website can take? I would like to know the max visitors or download that the site can handle. I have a suspicion that my webhost is hosting too many sites on one server and that my website is not performing well because of it.

[jrzero]

I've used Microsoft Application Center Test on projects that don't have LoadRunner. The Microsoft product comes with Visual Studio and is pretty easy to use.

[bcc1234]

Try an app called http_load.

[bcolflesh]

OpenSTA

[opensta.org...]

Siege

[joedog.org...]

[Matt Probert]

Without meaning to sound glib, try accessing the site yourself and consider how fast it loads.

Of course, remember to clear your own local cache first, and bear in mind ISP caching will affect performance.

A dedicated server is strongly recommended, and they are available for $100 US or less per month and give much more scope for monitoring performance and load.

Matt