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General discussion

I am confused about the truth in internet download speeds

Oct 2, 2009 9:13PM PDT

I have comcast and when clocked I get download speeds of about 15MBPS at the moment, however I NEVER actually am able to download anywhere near that speed. When I discuss this with the ISP they tell me that there are many things that can affect the actual download speed such as the server I am downloading from, my computer, internet traffic and several other things. When I am able to get a download speed of over 1MB/ps the ISP tells me I am doing well.

However in a current article on ISP's and download statistics there are people that claim that they are actually getting 4-5 MBPS download speed (this individuals ISP was Virgin).

What is the truth here, I hear they are going to come out with 100-600 MBS download speed from some ISP's but what is the realistic download speed I am going to have when I download a mp3 or radio show or program or even a simple game from Comcast which I get the highest download speed of 1.5 MPBS and just use the trial and throw the game away.

Thanks Much.

Discussion is locked

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To figure this out, you would learn what the internet is.
Oct 2, 2009 10:29PM PDT

Then and only then you can know that Comcast can't guarantee that speed from a server that isn't theirs and not on their network.

Have you done this?
Bob

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Comcast about this
Oct 2, 2009 10:51PM PDT

The rep told me that the download speed claimed by them (or other ISP's) was dependent on things like how fast a certain server was capable of handling the speed and even downloading from the comcast site I dont get but a small fraction of the claimed speed or the speed clocked on one of these programs. They said how far away from the server could even make a difference. I am not trying to call them to the carpet over a download speed of 14 instead of 15 MBPS but even downloading from the comcast site I get a max speed of 1.5 MBPS.

I am not sure I understand your answer. I can see a huge expensive private server downloading to its related ISP at higher rates but when one uses intenet for general browsing and downloading it is never consistent nor anywhere close to what comcasts posted speeds or figures from the tests report.

Is it MY ISP that cant live up to the numbers or do all ISPs have the same isues?

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Connection vs File Download Speed
Oct 3, 2009 12:06AM PDT

It sounds like you are confusing the connection speed with the file download speed seen in most applications.

The connection speed with your ISP is expressed in megabits per second (Mbps), which is what you see when you do a speed test. You said that you clocked your speed at 15Mbps, so that is the number you use to compare with others.

The file download speed you see in most applications (downloading something via IE) is expressed in megabytes per second (MBps). One byte is equal to eight bits. With your connection speed, you will see (at maximum) roughly 1.8MBps.

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Ok I think you are correct about my thinking...
Oct 3, 2009 11:15AM PDT

Perhaps understanding the significance of the two will allow me to understand why connection speed is important. I dont think I have that one down.

When I am on the internet I want to have the file or program download as fast as this can possibly happen. When I hear that my connection was tested and is running at 15 MBPS it leads me to believe that it should only take one second to download a 15MB file.

So I called my ISP Comcast and the rep said that the clocked speed was "ideal" but that depending on where the site is located and how fast the server I am downloading from and things such as this dictate what my actual download speed is going to be and that the speeds I am getting downloading was actually good and offered to sell me more bandwidth but said that would not likely make the speed any faster.

When I download something from the Comcast site I get a maximum download speed of 1.5 MBPS.

Is the Comcast rep correctly describing this or is that not how things work>?

Thanks for your help.

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Your Speed Seems Fine
Oct 3, 2009 4:26PM PDT

Yes, the Comcast rep is correct when stating that there are other factors that affect the speed at which a file can be downloaded.

One of the main ones is the server you are downloading from. The administrators of a server may limit the download speed of each user in order to prevent the server from crashing. There is no way for you or your ISP to control that aspect of the internet.

But remember that files themselves are measured in megabytes, not bits. So, with your connection speed of 15 megabits per second your example of a 15 megabyte file will actually take roughly 10 seconds to download. That is, your download speed is actually 1.5 megabytes per second.

Compared with many other ISPs, you appear to have a very good connection speed that compares favorably with the advertised speed. You shouldn't worry that you are not getting what you paid for.

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THANKS
Oct 3, 2009 8:06PM PDT

Thanks for the explainaition

It sounds like the speed tests are a bit misleading because it is the potential of the connection but while that sounds great it is the speed at which you can actually download in real use that matters.

When I have had old time radio shows to download (over 1500) I would use a download manager and download 12 at a time, while individual speed was not quite as high when multiplied by 12 it was much faster.

Have a good one.