Show true dialup connection rate?

[lkjkhjsadfh]

Greetings,
As the title implies, I'm looking for a utility or the means to display what my true connected rate is when I connect my Ubuntu 8.0.4.1 box to my dialup ISP.
If I always connected at the same maximum rate it wouldn't be an issue as it would just be assumed, but I know for a fact that it varies.
On a Windows box I dial up on the same line and connect at 4.8 or 14.4 or 26.4, etc. due to the very old copper running from my house to wherever it runs to.
Whenever I connect at a very low rate I disconnect and redial until I get a (relatively) decent connection. In Windows I know what I'm connected at because it displays it on the task bar. Is there something similar for Linux because right now I'm kind of flying blind and just guessing at my rate based on transfer rates when DLing a web page, ftp, etc.
Thanks much for any input you can provide.

[lkjkhjsadfh]

Shamefull bump,...
Is there an app, widget, screenlet, etc. that allows for this or is it possibly a native addition to an upcoming Ubuntu release at all?
Many thanks.