internet speed probs

[PsychoticBoy]

i posted this in internet forums but got no replies so ill try here

iv got NTL Broadband 600kb, does this mean that i should be able to download programs at 600kbs cos thats what there website says! but im downloading things at a measly 40kbs and on p2p programs and file sharing etc most of the time its as low as 4kbs average 10kbs, and rarely 35kbs.. im connected through USB as i have ICS through ethnet port, could i have both internet and network through 2 ethnet ports would this make it faster?
if anyone has any sujjestions id much appriceate it

btw my computers stats are prety low
800mhz amd duron
192mb ram
120gb hardrive
need upgrade! would this help?

thanks

Ryan

 

[mikesgroovin]

When downloading P2P there are many important items to consider. Three of which are:

1) Upload speeds. Whomever you are downloading these files from, you have to consider the users upload speed that is uploading the file to you. Most likely, they are also uploading several other files to other users, thus subtracting from their total upload bandwidth.

2) Total download bandwidth may be what is posted on a website, but this is ALWAYS a theoretical speed/bandwidth. I have a 3.3MBps bandwidth at home. This does not mean in any way that I'm always going to be downloading at this speed. But, it means that, in theory, if the uploading bandwidth of the server that I'm downloading from could handle this throughput, then I would be able to utilize this total.

3) Time of day also plays a critical part. The total bandwidth of your connection is controlled by the ISP and also can be affected by other users, using the same ISP in your area.

-Mike

 

[PsychoticBoy]

wow thats learnt me a lot! so it aint exactly my connection that is the problem? but say if im using a 600kbs connection and things are downloading at 40kbs for the maximum site transfer thingy, and i upgraded to a 3.3mb connection surely itd download faster?

 

[hilowe]

No, it doesn't. What's most likely happening is that you're limited by the other person.

Let me try an example. Say I have a 1.5 Mbps T1 connection in my home that I'm hosting a website on. There's always 10 people loading my webpage at once. If the connection is evenly shared among these 10 people, they'll each get .15 Mbps. Their connection may be a 3.3 Mb, but they'll only see .15 from me.

Does that help to explain it?

 

[ChaosBlizzard]

wow thats learnt me a lot! so it aint exactly my connection that is the problem? but say if im using a 600kbs connection and things are downloading at 40kbs for the maximum site transfer thingy, and i upgraded to a 3.3mb connection surely itd download faster?

If you want you can try and optimize your windows system for broadband. Try this program; http://www.cablenut.com .


Also as an example:
If you have had 56k dialup, you would notice you only downloaded at about 3kb/s-6kb/s. The same applys to broadband. With my 3.0mb/s Roadrunner connection I get about 400kb/s off good websites. I have however used dc++ and hit 5.5mb/s and sustained it for the transfer.