Decreasing Download Rate

[{AG}Sgt.Stryker]

Can somebody 'splain this to me? I have RoadRunner cable at an advertised (yeah, I know!) 5mbps. I'm using Firefox. When I start a download (more apparent with larger files) I see as much as 2mbps to start, but it steadily decreases over the next minute or so, stabilizing at anywhere from 200kbps down to 30 or 40kbps. I realize it has a lot to do with the load on the server, but it looks to me that RoadRunner or my cable modem is throttling the download speed. Why would it start so high and then gradually decrease to a stabilized rate?

[Archer36]

Hmm I have Charter Pipeline and run the speed test at BBR every month or so because i have caught them twice only giving me half of my download speed. Have you ran a speed test yet?

[nstabl]

they are not throttling anything, firefox starts downloading the SECOND you click on that link, even while you are typing in the file name you want to save it as! then when you start it just shows high numbers to make up for what its already downloaded... its gonna be the server thats your bottleneck, find some speedtest sites and go from there.. and more than 1 speedtest site to be sure.. post results, pm me when they are up

--nstabl

ISP level 2 technician

[electrorcamd]

I don't think it is throttling it. It probably starts out with a burst type speed and then slows down, either because of your connection or the server that you are downloading from is maxed. I have DSL rated at 1.5Mbps down, and sometimes I have downloaded at 1MB (not Mb)/second, then it will drop down to a more typical speed, like 160KBps. I'm not sure why yours would be doing that, as your connection shouldn't be maxed. I would try to run one of the speed tests to make sure it is your connection and not the server you are d/ling from.
Edit:
I didn't see the previous post before I typed this, but I didn't know that. That explains my download speed burst though.

[nstabl]

i have to add this: you are prob on a 384-1.5 connection, which is 384-1536 kilobits MINUS overhead which is the transport to your house and header packets sent.. the max anyone should get on dsl is about 1300 kilobits and avg is 900-1200, anything lower they have you capped, and most likely for a reason of being too far out or having a weak signal..

[{AG}Sgt.Stryker]

I should have been more specific. Speeds are in bits per second. I am about 1000 FEET away from my cable provider (headquarters (MUX) building!). I switched from DSL to cable because the cable provider (TimeWarner aka RoadRunner) was advertising 5 megabits per second download speeds versus SBC DSL's 1.5 mbps. I know the differences between cable and DSL and understand how big a deal the server load is. I just was wondering why it started out so great then stablilized at a considerably lower rate. Still better than DSL, though!

[RJARRRPCGP]

But, down to the speeds slower than 56k dial-up. You have a major problem.
That's terrible!!!

[redwraith94]

I have DSL 384kbps up 1.5Mbps down, and it will start out around 212kBps, for two seconds max, and then drop to a respectable ~170kBps, I actually ran the cable for the phone to the basement myself (in my apartment building). It is a CAT3 cable that I got from the phone repair guy, and I tied the other six pairs of wires to a water pipe (ground).

I would also like to know why it drops off, if the reason is similar to the cable problem?

[daniel_dynasty]

nstabl: I have a problem similar to this, my ISP is Verizon and they doubled their speeds to 3mbps down and 768up if I recall. My upload rate used to be 40kb/sec now it is 80kb/sec but very recently it will go from 40kb up to about 4kb/sec. Any help?

[nstabl]

dynasty, the upload is set very specific in the routers.. they can do a line test to check the power (in DB) on your upload because upload and download are segregated on the line itself, but if your downloads are good, most likely its not you having the upload problem but the recepient. because the upload portion of the line uses only about 15-20% of the capacity, if your downloads are ok, you can bet your uploads are just fine. you may hear the same from you isp -uploads are rarely ever looked at for issues, the isp would rather send out a technician with a laptop out to prove to you that your uploads are fine. are you having the problem at ALL sites, or just a few?
768 up is a very nice upload for dsl

[daniel_dynasty]

Yeah it is very nice when it is operational ;P. A speed test from DSLReports show that my down/up speeds are perfectly normal. But when I want to upload a file or image to a server it drops, constantly. From 40 to 30kb in about 8 seconds. That is horrible if you ask me

[ghettocomp]

I have the impression that Cox throttles the downloads as well. I start at their advertised sppeed, does not matter the softwere used. then it drops to much much less. speed tests always make them look like they are fast, but the throttling becomes apparent after 10-20 seconds.

I think it has something to do with just browsing. If doing just that (browsing) you get the D/L at the adv rate. Anything else is cut back?