Download Accelerators: Do They Actually Work?

[jmke]

http://www.overclockers.com/articles1335/

So, in conclusion, we have learned, Download Accelerator Plus and probably, IMHO, all download accelerators not only don't work but actually SLOW DOWN the downloading process. However, it is important to note that the download accelerator companies do say the most improvemant is seen in dial-up, but broadband does still speed up!

The next time I need to download a file, I know which way I'll do it, especially with DAP costing $44.90!!!

how could he have spend money on such a piece of software if there is one available for free? http://www.freedownloadmanager.org/

beside this obvious flaw in the "article" ;) I can say that I see a 100% increase in download speed using DAP or Free Download Manager vs single connection to server using either IE or FF.

A Download Accelerator works by splitting up the target file and creating multiple connections to the server in order to speed up the download process, his testing is very limited and should not focus on smaller files; since the files needs to be split up in X parts (the more the better for large downloads) it won't have a very large impact on smaller <1000kb files.

now if the remote server can not serve you more bandwidth you can have the fastest internet connection in the world and it still won't matter; if your home connection is not very speedy a piece of software cannot perform miracles.

only IF the remote server has bandwidth to spare AND you have a fast internet connection you will see a DRASTIC improvement in download speeds.

Simple test

www.easynews.com - create 2GB download "zip" on the server; start download using IE, max transfer speed ~120kb/s.

Now start the download using DAP/Free Download Manager set it to split up the file in many parts and transfer speed here maxes out at ~2600kb/s which is the limit of my 20Mbit connection.

this article should be heavily revised IMHO as it a prime example of misinformation.

[ShadowPho]

A Download Accelerator works by splitting up the target file and creating multiple connections to the server in order to speed up the download process, his testing is very limited and should not focus on smaller files; since the files needs to be split up in X parts (the more the better for large downloads) it won't have a very large impact on smaller <1000kb files.

FF has that option

[jmke]

"natively" without Extensions? :)

[JackNSally]

I would recommend Getbot also. It's free and works great!

[jivetrky]

Download accelerators Do indeed work. I use "DownThemAll", a plugin for firefox.
I've found several sites that only give you like 100 or so KB/s DL ...and if your connection allows for more (I get about 320KB/s max) then it definitely helps (most of the time) to open a few more threads. I usually run 5 threads when I download.

I think if you're going to write a review you have to try downloading from more than one site for each file type/size. And if the site you're downloading from has mega bandwidth (Like most places that would mirror ubuntu) then a download accelerator isn't going to help because you are already maxing your connection with a single thread.

Seems like plain common sense to me.

And I really like Down Them All just because it's integrated into firefox and is simple and easy to use. I used to use flashget and getright...but after using DTA, it seemed the easiet for me!

[NODES]

there is also programs that break down a huge file into small packets, which therfore speeds up the overall d/l of a file...

[Knacko]

DTA has never worked right for me. With the last couple versions, it would randomly save a file without an extention and rename it to 001. Just downloaded the new version, hopefully it works.

[Mr.Guvernment]

there is also programs that break down a huge file into small packets, which therfore speeds up the overall d/l of a file...


How would say

breaking up a 100mb file into 25x 5mb files allow you to download faster.....?

[jivetrky]

I would think that with a large file you connection would be able to maximize it's throughput with a larger download and there would be less overhead....but in the case of a server that is slower than your connection, then a DL man would be good....no?

[The_NME]

I'm on a slow 768k DSL line, but LeechGet looks like it would multitask a download fairly well. I never get to notice a difference on my line though...

[ShadowPho]

"natively" without Extensions? :)

There are plug ins and extensions. FF is not that great without them :bday:
And I just love the spell check!

[ckj]

At the very least, even if it slowed down my download, I would still use them. I use them when I'm ripping a whole bunch of d/l. A situation where I have neither the time, the patience or the hand stamina to right click and save over and over again where a simple click and drag would suffice. Free download manager + flash got extension ftw.

[Richie P]

Woudln't call it an accelerator, but I use Flashget. Really good piece of software and integrates into FF really well with the flashgot extension.

Accelerator's that claim higher speed's for net browsing are just pointless. Esp on slower computer's that are hardware limited anyway!

[InsaneManiac]

I use a cable internet connection. Honestly anytime I tried to adjust or tweak the modem, my connection got worse. All the download accelerators that say it speeds your download speed up, is a boat load of crap. Those kind of programs are used for connections like Dial Up. If there is one thing I learned, If it isnt broke, dont fix it. :eh?:

[jivetrky]

The only thing download managers are good for with dialup is being able to resume a download if you are disconnected. The mutlithreading part of most download managers is something that would be horrible for a dialup connection as the overhead would probably take up 1/5 of your bandwidth! :)

And a download manager doesn't tweak your connection....all it does is open multiple threads to the server in which you are downloading.....it's only logical that if your computers bandwidth is higher than what a server is uploading, then opening more threads would increase it. This of course is only the case if the server is limiting the speed.....if the server simply doesn't have the bandwidth...then it's not oging to make a difference...and then could possibly slow the download because the server is lacking the speed.

But in most cases a server that you're downloading something from (such as the ubuntu image that was used in the test) would certainly have more bandwidth then you do. If not, I wanna move in with you!

[InsaneManiac]

I was thinking about trying to get a T1 connection, but you really have to pay out the wazoo for them. I get what your saying about the server limiting my bandwidth. But I learned not to mess with cable modem.

[jivetrky]

yeah T1's are way too expensive for home use. It would be nice if you could get decently priced DSL that offered better upload speeds.

As far as messing with your cable modem....a download manager doesn't do anything like that. All it is doing is, when you start a download for something, it starts 5 or 10 downloads of that file to maximize the bandwidth. It downloads seperate chunks of the file...and then when it's all done...it splices them back together to one file. There's no settings being changed or anything like that.

[InsaneManiac]

I wouldnt go with DSL if someone payed me money too. The best service I can get without any real strings attached is Cox. They have a 4 Mbps service. Pretty dang good. No contracts, so that equals awesomeness to the extreme.

[jivetrky]

Eh, my DSL is quite nice ....get 3 down and 512 up for $20/mo
Haven't measured my up, but down I never dip below 320...and sometimes will get 340

[InsaneManiac]

Thats nice that you have a cable connection. Here in San Diego, the major guys for dsl are SBC Yahoo DSL. They want a two year contract with you. Not only that you have to jump through all these hoops to get the service. What does that equal for the college student who barely makes anything? Pure, unrated crap. There is an upside though, Cox has increased their download bandwidth by 5 Mbps now. So a faster download time for me and my parents.

[Thingi]

From past experience download accel programs really do pretty much diddly squat these days....... here's why:-

1. I've got 10mb cable in the UK, If the server I'm connecting to has enough bandwidth there seems little point in using software that can lower performance in many situations.

2. Tweaking network settings is a better route to greater download speeds - (tweaks seem to work less on XP & Vista than on OSX 10.4 because ms os's have better defaults than macs out of the box).

3. Many servers hate d.l accel programs = pain in the ass. When I click a d/l I expect it to work 100% time, no exceptions.

4. Servers which have d/l caps have those caps for a reason, d/l accel programs are for people who are just plain greedy. It's not fair on everybody else. Good job point 3 has become more and more the norm.

5. Why waste your time using accel programs when you can just find a server which has more bandwidth and is closer.... less hops often = greater performance. Instead of just clicking on that d/l link spend a few mins finding a decent server near you instead, you'll get much better performace than any accel program will ever give you.



thingi

[ghettocomp]

My experiences with Download Accelerators has pretty much left a bad taste with me. the last couple I tried, also downloaded and installed a buttload of spyware on me. These were from some supposedly reputible companies. I have since those days gone from modem - DSL - Satellite - Cable Modem. Cable is where I stop, Download speeds are more than adequate there. Now if only I can get Fiber optic...

Not to get off topic, the downloaders installed this spyware and cost me many hours of trying to remove them. So because of that little stint, I will never use any of those again.

[TollhouseFrank]

yeah.. but when you are on Dial-Up, they are a godsend (especially thier resume-later capabilities). Another thing is, even with the DSL I have $50 a month for 1Meg down and 192k up), a download accellerator helps a bunch.

[jiggamanjb]

I downloaded one of those accelerators the other day, just to see what advances have been made. I uninstalled it in about 2min....

[petteyg359]

I can say that I see a 100% increase in download speed using DAP or Free Download Manager vs single connection to server using either IE or FF.

IE / FF use exactly as many connection as you tell them to. I'm not sure how to change it in FF, but there's likely many places to find the information. In IE it is two registry keys that can be changed either manually or through a tool like Xteq's X-Setup. I can download at 320KB/s (maximum my connection will support) straight through IE, no plugins, no external software. I simply changed the maximum number of connections from the default of 4 to 20.
Many sites will limit the number of connections from download "accelerators", but AFAIK none limit the number of connections that IE can make. The only useful feature of 'accelerators' IMHO is their support for resuming and pausing with sites that support it, and throttling speed to 3/4 of my connection so I still have bandwidth for other things.

[SiliconSlick]

there is a download acc for people with dial-up, how it works is you pay a monthly fee and the service downloads the file with a faster connection, compresses it and then hosts the compressed file on the net for you to download. it is fairly popular in rural australia when you have to go for dial-up
i cant for the life of me remember its name but it was in the newspapers tech section about a year ago.

[Douken]

Well I actually use the flashget & flashgot combo for fire fox, but if its a large download like 100> I use get right since I can divide the file into 10 sections. Too bad I have a 256K/128K connection u.u and pay $50 for it

[jiggamanjb]

IE / FF use exactly as many connection as you tell them to. I'm not sure how to change it in FF, but there's likely many places to find the information. In IE it is two registry keys that can be changed either manually or through a tool like Xteq's X-Setup. I can download at 320KB/s (maximum my connection will support) straight through IE, no plugins, no external software. I simply changed the maximum number of connections from the default of 4 to 20.
Many sites will limit the number of connections from download "accelerators", but AFAIK none limit the number of connections that IE can make. The only useful feature of 'accelerators' IMHO is their support for resuming and pausing with sites that support it, and throttling speed to 3/4 of my connection so I still have bandwidth for other things.


I would just like to say big thanks! I now max my downloads at 9Kb/s was 6Kb/s.

[ps2cho]

I mainly used it when i was on dial up and i had to pause/resume my downloads. But yes i do agree it showed some extra speed. Not a whole lot, but i saw some.

[jmke]

IE / FF use exactly as many connection as you tell them to. I'm not sure how to change it in FF, but there's likely many places to find the information. In IE it is two registry keys that can be changed either manually or through a tool like Xteq's X-Setup. I can download at 320KB/s (maximum my connection will support) straight through IE, no plugins, no external software. I simply changed the maximum number of connections from the default of 4 to 20.
Many sites will limit the number of connections from download "accelerators", but AFAIK none limit the number of connections that IE can make. The only useful feature of 'accelerators' IMHO is their support for resuming and pausing with sites that support it, and throttling speed to 3/4 of my connection so I still have bandwidth for other things.

let's not forget finding multiple sources of the same file, scheduled downloads, queued downloads, throtteling, auto-resume and many other nifty additions which make a dedicated software, like the free downloadmanager, a must to be able to fully utilise your internet connection when doing larger than a few MB downloads, I'm not using dail-up either, on cable modem, max out connection at 2600Kb/s.

if it doesn't work for you, or you dont need the extra features, fine, but the article's conclusion could not be more wrong.

[twoeyes]

DL managers are only useful IMO if the server is serving the files slower then your DL speed will allow.

[jmke]

I don't agree, but you already know that;) it's not all about speed, having the ability to schedule your downloads to run during the night has become an essential feature for me

[syrian_gamer]

IE / FF use exactly as many connection as you tell them to. I'm not sure how to change it in FF, but there's likely many places to find the information. In IE it is two registry keys that can be changed either manually or through a tool like Xteq's X-Setup. I can download at 320KB/s (maximum my connection will support) straight through IE, no plugins, no external software. I simply changed the maximum number of connections from the default of 4 to 20.
Many sites will limit the number of connections from download "accelerators", but AFAIK none limit the number of connections that IE can make. The only useful feature of 'accelerators' IMHO is their support for resuming and pausing with sites that support it, and throttling speed to 3/4 of my connection so I still have bandwidth for other things.
:drool: how do u do that please tell me!!!

[jiggamanjb]

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=282402


SUMMARY

This article describes how to configure Internet Explorer to have more than two download sessions.
MORE INFORMATION

Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To comply with current Internet standards (Request for Comments 2068), Internet Explorer limits the number of simultaneous downloads to two downloads, plus one queued download. This configuration is a function of the browser. However, as connection speeds increase, and the number of total connections that are allowed to Internet servers increase, the two-connection limit may be restrictive. To increase the number of simultaneous connections that are allowed to 10, follow these steps:
1. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
2. Locate the following key in the registry:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Internet Settings

3. On the Edit menu, point to New click DWORD Value, and then add the following registry values:

Value name: MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server
Value data: 10
Base: Decimal

Value Name: MaxConnectionsPerServer
Value data: 10
Base: Decimal

4. Quit Registry Editor.

This procedure is for informational purposes only. Changing the maximum number of connections beyond two is a violation of Internet standards; Microsoft does not recommend this procedure for use outside closed networks.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[syrian_gamer]

nice, ok so can u explain a bit what it does? from what i understand it lets u be able to download more then 1 file at a time?:confused: or does it connect 10 times to the server to download the same file like a download accelerator?

[jiggamanjb]

nice, ok so can u explain a bit what it does? from what i understand it lets u be able to download more then 1 file at a time?:confused: or does it connect 10 times to the server to download the same file like a download accelerator?

However, as connection speeds increase, and the number of total connections that are allowed to Internet servers increase, the two-connection limit may be restrictive. To increase the number of simultaneous connections that are allowed to 10...

It basically allows more than 2 'sessions or pipes' to a server. What you do with it after that is up to you. Think of your PC as garden and the internet as a water main. You get default 2 hoses to your garden. This makes it 10 hoses.

[jmke]

nice, ok so can u explain a bit what it does? from what i understand it lets u be able to download more then 1 file at a time?:confused: or does it connect 10 times to the server to download the same file like a download accelerator?

not quite no; it allows you download more different files at the same time for the same server and/or others.

it's not like a download accelerator which cuts the to be downloaded file in pieces and opens multiple connections to the server to download the same file

[syrian_gamer]

ok so jiggamanjb sais that yes allows more connections to the server ie faster dl. but jmke sais " it allows you download more different files at the same time for the same server and/or others." are these guys saying the same thing and im just not understanding:confused:

also could i enter a value greater then 10? mabye 20? or 10000000? or there is a limit so people dont abuse it?

[jmke]

the reg hack won't speed up Internet Explorer downloads, but allow you to download more "different" files at the same

use the recommended values, don't set it to 100000 it won't do no good:)

if you want speedier downloads for a single file, try free download manager (google it)

[pctec]

I have never had any luck with download accelerators :(