Why is my downloading speed so slow?

Question

My internet speed is 2.5 MegaBytes per second so thats around 400 kilobits per second, but I am downloading somthing there is no one else downloading or even on this network except for me and I am doing nothing but on yahoo and the download page and I am getting 25 Kb/s max... That doesn't seem right to me. I have done speed tests and thats how i discovered I had 2.5 mb/s.

Answer 1

Step 1

Check with your Internet service provider about Internet connection options. The speed of your Internet connection is the most significant variable to your download speed. If you have dial-up Internet access, consider upgrading to a Direct Service Line (DSL) or a cable connection. Even if you already have cable, your Internet service provider may have faster cable services available.



Step 2

Understand a fast connection. Connection speed is measured by the amount of data that can be transferred per second, usually kilobits per second (Kbps) or megabits per second (Mbps). There are 1024 kilobits in one megabit. Most dial-up connections are 56 Kbps, while cable can be as fast as 20 Mbps. When you contact your Internet service provider, they should be able to tell you the speed of their connections.



Step 3

Close any open programs you do no need when downloading. This will free up your computer's resources to better handle the data transfer. If possible, have your computer download the files you need while you are away from the computer.



Step 4

Prioritize your downloads. Download only the files you really want first and start other downloads later. The more files you download simultaneously, the slower the files download.



Step 5

Try downloads at different times of the day. The more people who are downloading the same file, the slower the file downloads for everyone. If you are experiencing a slow download, try it at a different time of day when fewer people might be trying to download the same file.



Step 6

Install Download Accelerator. Download Accelerator is a program that optimizes your computer's download capabilities. It not only increases the speed of your downloads, it helps you manage them. When you begin downloading a file, Download Accelerator saves the file so that you can resume downloading it later if necessary. To get Download Accelerator, go to the Download website, search for Download Accelerator, click "Download Now" and follow the directions.

Answer 2

A good way to increase your internet speed is to use an Internet Optimizer like Internet Cyclone. This can improve internet speed by optimizing some registry settings.



You can download it from http://www.jordysoft.com/icyclone/internet-cyclone.aspx

Answer 3

There can be many reasons for that.......

•The upload bandwidth of the person(s) you're downloading from is maxed out. Don't pay attention to the value of the Connection column in the user's list, it's completely subjective and often is not a true reflection on the person's connection type since they can set it.





•The peer you're downloading from is too far from you (maybe in another continent) and there's too many hops in the connection between you and your peer. Its also possible that either your ISP or the other user's provider has limited overseas bandwith available. You can check what country is your peer from in the IP column of the Connections window if the setting Guess user country from IP is enabled in the Appearance settings panel.





•The person who you are downloading from is using a bandwidth limiter. There are two types: client based and third-party program.

•Often the clients with limiting capability have set download and upload speed ratios in place to avoid abuse. (ex. If the upload speed limit is set below 6 KiB/s, then the client will restrict the client download speed to a 2:1 ratio). This varies from client to client and obviously not all support upload limiting. This type of speed limiting only restricts the uploading of files, including user lists. It does not limit chat, private messages, or searches.

•Users could also be using a third-party program to limit the speed of traffic. This type of speed limiting is absolute; it will limit the speed of all traffic by the user, which can include file transfers, searches, chat, and private messages. Since this type of application does not enforce a download speed:upload speed ratio, it may be more prone to abuse. For particularly slow transfers - 1 KiB/s or slower, it may be to blame.



•The person who you are downloading from suffers from one or more constant speed problem



If you experience constant slow downloads with DC++ this can be for one or more of the following reasons:

•Your Internet connection is shared with others on your LAN and they are using up all the available bandwidth. Tell them to knock it off. =) Also your connection speed to the gateway or router on your LAN can be slower than the available speed from your ISP. It could be for reasons like week signal strength on a wireless connection, broken/old network devices, etc... Try to do a file transfer test within your local network to be sure that it's fast enough.





•Your ISP may be limiting your P2P traffic via some method of packet shaping. Call up the ISP and inquire if they do anything with P2P traffic. You can try to connect to ADC hubs and test your downloads there. As ADC is a newer and more efficient DC protocol it can be still unknown to your ISP's throttling system. If the ISP does throttle you, then there is nothing much that can be done to increase the speeds. This is very common at Universities and at the workplace, and is the topic of another FAQ.





•You haven't set up your third party firewall or internet monitor software correctly. Some of these security applications may treat P2P transfer as a DDoS flood attempt and tries to defend your computer from it. Try to disable or even uninstall these applications temporarily and test your downloads again. If it helps refer the application's documentation how to make exception rules for DC++. If you have a router its also possible that it has some anti-DDoS or flood protection feature and it may enabled by default. Check the router's documentation or configuration page for a possible option of this kind.





•You need to optimize your operating system for your current connection speed. First, close all P2P applications. Next run the DSLReports TweakTest. Once you have optimized it, then run a speed test at DSLReports SpeedTest Page or at the nice looking SpeedTest.Net page (select a test site closest to your location for accurate results). This will give you a good idea what your maximum download and upload speeds are. If you're getting within 10% of your connection speed, that's the best you can get! If you are having trouble with your broadband connection, and it relates to packet loss, excessive latency, or Internet or ISP congestion, running the Line Quality Test may help find the cause (requires logon, free signup).





•Your Internet connection is DSL, cable, or satellite one with an asymmetrical connection speed, such as 768/128 Kib/s or 3.0 Mib/s / 256 Kib/s. On such connections, if you upload near the speed of your upload limit (16 KiB/s in the case of the 768/128 connection), it may affect the speeds of your downloads, no matter how much larger your download connection is. If this is happening, you can change the size of the Socket Write Buffer in Experts Only panel of DC++ settings. It defaults to 8 KiB and you can try to change it to a smaller value. You should specify the value in bytes and you may have to try several values to test what size suits your connection best. No