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Question

speed/reality test

Feb 9, 2012 2:44AM PST

Excuse me if I'm hallucinating here, but every time I download software from Cnet - the speed is just mind-boggling. I have a 1.5MB connection, and I've just downloaded a 30MB file in like 2 seconds! (Try it yourself: http://download.cnet.com/Advanced-SystemCare-Free/3000-2086_4-10407614.html )And it happens almost everytime. I also get weird results like that on other big sites.I'm just curious: anybody knows what technology they're using? How can something that fast come through the ISP's network? Don't they monitor that?What the hell is going on here?Do they know something I don't? (Of course they do)

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Just to be sure
Feb 9, 2012 2:53AM PST

That Download.com page you gave shows the green Download Now button but there's a message under it, "CNET Secure Installer".

Did you download CNET's installer file? It is small and that could account for the apparent speed. You then run that and it downloads the software file for you.

If that is what it is, just be careful when running that file. It may offer you some additional option like a toolbar or similar. If you do not want that, de-select it before continuing.

Mark

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Thanx for your correction
Feb 9, 2012 6:49AM PST

See, I could't post the page for the download - because there is no page:
You download the software by using the installer(And its b.s. toolbar)
Like I said: the file's size is 30Megs - and it downloads almost <span id="INSERTION_MARKER">immediately on
my 1.5MB connection (It should take at least 20 seconds)
You can try: http://www.winamp.com/media-player/all.
Just push the big, orange,"Free Download" button.

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Answer
Sure, absolutly.
Feb 9, 2012 2:55AM PST

Let's start with http://www.isoc.org/inet96/proceedings/a4/a4_3.htm

With that out of the way, it's well known that internet providers install caching servers locally to boost such performance. There's a lot more out there about this. I'll stick with primers.
Bob

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O.K. man - good one. But here's my question:
Feb 9, 2012 6:40AM PST

I'm a little tired right now to go through the entire article you refered me to -
but thnx. I understand that there might be some local server holding the files to
<span id="INSERTION_MARKER">alleviate the workload from the site's server.
<span>But why is it coming in so fast? I'm talking 7 or 8 times faster.
Why would some local ISP in Israel allow me to exceed my bandwidth 8 times
over? How does it help the U.S. side site?
<span>I think that there might be some people who like "Sharing family albums", who might
<span>be interested in something like that.
<span>Now, I'm really not a tech-guy - so maybe I'm completely off course.
<span>If you feel that I'm missing the point - just ignore this (Or feel free to vent your disdain
<span>on the pages of this post).
<span>But if you're interested - I can provide more information on this (For instance:
<span>the fact that win7's Resource Monitor, and other more professional apps
can't even see the port the file comes in through)
<div><span id="INSERTION_MARKER">Try the orange "Free Download" button at:


http://www.winamp.com/media-player/all -</div><span>it works like a charm. You'll see.

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Here it took about 10 seconds.
Feb 9, 2012 7:03AM PST

Yes the popup to save was nearly instant but at 10 seconds for 15MB that is in line with my cable modem speeds I expect.

It's a POPULAR download so my bet is the content is cached by my ISP's servers.
Bob

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OK Bob
Feb 9, 2012 10:28AM PST

Again, this not an argument - this is just me, trying to show you that something is going on here.
You say 10 seconds? I just tried 5 or 6 six time - it's like 3 or 4, still too fast for my line.
It's probably early evening in the states (which, I presume, is where you're from), so things
are a little slow. Also: I'm not sure if this app is very popular in my country - which should make
it easier to download.
What you could try is this: Windows Resource Monitor (Right click Taskbar, choose Task Manager,
click the 'performance' tab and press 'Resource Monitor' - I know you know that) Now: go to the network tab. Press and hold the Win logo button+right arrow, putting the window to the right of your 16:9 screen (I hope). Close the graphs on the right of the window. Put your browser window to the left of the screen on the Winamp download page. Set everything so that you can press the download button on the left - and follow the 'Recieve' column on the right.
Press the download button and see if you notice any 'action' going on on your network activity meter. If it doesn't (Or if the increase is minute, compared to the volume of the download) - I think that you might agree with me that this is strange.
<div>You could try running the same test on a non cashed dowmload like:


http://www.ozspeedtest.com/bandwidth-test/optus-speed-test/1/6-53mb </div>It's a speedtest site, not very popular I guess, so the file is not really known - and therefore cannot be cashed in advance. You'll notice that Resource Monitor shows the exact same increase in data recieved as the meter on the page indicates. So - a regular download is noticed, and a 'cached' download is invisible.
Now you can try to do the same experiment with some specialized apps for network monitoring. I don't remember the ones I used, but I do remember that they use much higher rate of 'sampling' than R.M. - something like once in 250 millionth of a second, and even they don't see it! I also tried looking at ports - nothing.
If it feels like I'm bothering you - by all means, just log off. But if the point I'm trying to make here seems poignant, let me know what you think - because this has been on my mind for awhile now.

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Seems 10 seconds was about right for me. Picture.
Feb 9, 2012 10:34AM PST
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Correction
Feb 9, 2012 2:46PM PST

Hi, Bob. What you are showing me is an 'in your browser' speedtest: a plugin on your browser is 'talking' with the speedtest site. It's not just data flowing: there's a lot of overhead 'chit-chat' going on. Also - if you look at Resource Monitor, you'll see that you're not actually getting the 18.05 Mbps measured. The site is 'conversing' with your computer and simulating file transfer, while saving you the actuall data flow (or most of it). The whole purpose of it is to allow you to measure your speed, without blocking your bandwidth. It's very good for speed testing, but not for measuring how much data is actually flowing your way. You don't need to shut down all your other net activities to get an accurate reading.
What I meant in he last post, was: if you go to a speedtest site that let's you download an actuall file, while measuring the download speed on the page - live, you will see that Resource Monitor shows excatly the increase in 'Bytes Recieved' (Under the 'Network' tab, in 'network activity') as the download speed on the site's page.
But If you measure the same parameter for the winamp download, or the Advanced System care - you know, the 'magic' downloads I'm talking about - you'll see that Resource Monitor does'nt even see it coming in. Not in terms of Bytes recieved, nor in the Tcp Connection section (Double click on the columns row to choose to show the 'Bytes Recieved' column). Also, when I installed a 'Port Watcher', a while back - it couldn't tell me through what port the transfer was coming from.

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ok
Feb 10, 2012 10:06PM PST

nice post and thanks for sharing information very use full

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Just remembered the NAME. It's Akamai
Feb 13, 2012 4:36AM PST
https://www.google.com/search?q=akamai+edge+caching

You seem combative about this discussion. I downloaded your file, did a speed test and more. Now that I remembered Akamai I can share with you a google about the technology.

I wonder why you are coming across with such a combative tone?
Bob