Why do Steam downloads take longer than other downloads?

[PardonTheSuit]

Title says it all.

UPDATE: Well sorry about that everyone! It turns out that I was reading some internet test speeds incorrectly, and I am downloading things at the maximun speed on steam. Thanks for the help!

[Hireath]

Maybe you have put a download limit in the settings ?

[PardonTheSuit]

Originally posted by Carnaka:

Maybe you have put a download limit in the settings ?

My bandwith is set to no limit.

[Spawn of Totoro]

Why do they download faster for me then any other downloads?

The internet is a big place with lots of switches, hubs and lines through out the world. Unfortunetly one route may be slower to one place, then another route to another.

In order to answer your question, one would have to test every one of those switches, hubs and lines along the ever changing route to Steam's servers.

Steam's servers will always transmit data as fast as the connection will allow and it is impossible to located specific issues along said route.

[Vaulty]

Originally posted by Spawn Of Totoro:

Why do they download faster for me then any other downloads?

The internet is a big place with lots of switches, hubs and lines through out the world. Unfortunetly one route may be slower to one place, then another route to another.

In order to answer your question, one would have to test every one of those switches, hubs and lines along the ever changing route to Steam's servers.

Steam's servers will always transmit data as fast as the connection will allow and it is impossible to located specific issues along said route.

This ^^

Also some games download compressed files and uncompressing takes ages (I am talking about you PayDay2 >.>)

[PardonTheSuit]

Originally posted by Vault Hunter 101:

Originally posted by Spawn Of Totoro:

Why do they download faster for me then any other downloads?

The internet is a big place with lots of switches, hubs and lines through out the world. Unfortunetly one route may be slower to one place, then another route to another.

In order to answer your question, one would have to test every one of those switches, hubs and lines along the ever changing route to Steam's servers.

Steam's servers will always transmit data as fast as the connection will allow and it is impossible to located specific issues along said route.

This ^^

Also some games download compressed files and uncompressing takes ages (I am talking about you PayDay2 >.>)

I'm asking because I did a Speedtest by Ookla and I got 7 ms ping (sounds about right) 56 mbps download, 57 mbps upload. I sometimes press tab in online games to check the score, and I see that I have the lowest ping out of everyone in the game, so I guess I have it much better than lots of other people. Still, my steam download peak spead was 7.5 mbps, which is much lower than the test speed. If I could get it to download faster, that would be great.

[HLCinSC]

Originally posted by PardonTheSuit:

Originally posted by Vault Hunter 101:

This ^^

Also some games download compressed files and uncompressing takes ages (I am talking about you PayDay2 >.>)

I'm asking because I did a Speedtest by Ookla and I got 7 ms ping (sounds about right) 56 mbps download, 57 mbps upload. I sometimes press tab in online games to check the score, and I see that I have the lowest ping out of everyone in the game, so I guess I have it much better than lots of other people. Still, my steam download peak spead was 7.5 mbps, which is much lower than the test speed. If I could get it to download faster, that would be great.

Are you sure you are not confusing Mbps with MBps?

[Washell]

Client -> Settings -> Downlaods -> Display download rates in bits per seond.

[PardonTheSuit]

Originally posted by CharlestONE:

Originally posted by PardonTheSuit:

I'm asking because I did a Speedtest by Ookla and I got 7 ms ping (sounds about right) 56 mbps download, 57 mbps upload. I sometimes press tab in online games to check the score, and I see that I have the lowest ping out of everyone in the game, so I guess I have it much better than lots of other people. Still, my steam download peak spead was 7.5 mbps, which is much lower than the test speed. If I could get it to download faster, that would be great.

Are you sure you are not confusing Mbps with MBps?

I actually was confusing mbps with MBps. I wasn't aware that they werent the same thing. Anyways my test results are in mbps, while my steam download speed was in MBps.

[PardonTheSuit]

Well sorry about that everyone! It turns out that I was reading some internet test speeds incorrectly, and I am downloading things at the maximun speed on steam. Thanks for the help!

[HLCinSC]

Originally posted by PardonTheSuit:

Originally posted by CharlestONE:

Are you sure you are not confusing Mbps with MBps?

I actually was confusing mbps with MBps. I wasn't aware that they werent the same thing. Anyways my test results are in mbps, while my steam download speed was in MBps.

No worriies it happens all the time and I don't think anyone can blame you for something that is only differentiated by a capital letter vs a lower case one.