Download speeds are terrible

[Philsmeup]

TL:DR at the end of this post.

Hi all, I have been having a horrible issue for a long time and I am finally going to address it. As the title suggests, my download speeds are atrocious. Refer to the first link below for a screenshot. All my downloads are like this more or less, and it has been going on for months.

I tried everything: port forwarding, downloading steam again, shutting services off in the task manager, configuring my network, switching download regions, even a complete reset of my PC does nothing. Everything on the Steam Support section I have tried so please do not send that to me.

I called my ISP and they said everything is fine on their end and it must be my hardware. I call BS on that since my wife's laptop has the same issue. I am also downloading on a brand new SSD I just got this year (2 TB), refer to the second link for a screenshot of read/write test. I know it might not be the best for an SSD, but I can read and write much higher than what the Steam download is.

To give some extra info: I live in Tucson AZ (Phoenix is my region), I pay for Cox Gigablast Internet which gives me a gigabyte download more or less (I know Cox is trash but that is the only thing available in my zip code), and I am hardwired to the Cox panoramic modem/router. Refer to the third link for speed test.

I feel I am out of options, if anyone could help me I would appreciate it.

TL:DR - My internet download speed sucks (first link) and it has been like this for a long time. I have tried everything on the Steam support page including resetting my PC entirely. I am using a new 2 TB SSD for downloads and have a decent read/write test (second link.) I am hardwired using Cox Gigablast Internet (third link speed test.) Please help, thank you!

Help 

Community Created Artwork for Steam Artwork

By: Philsmeup

Used for help

(This is the download screenshot)

Help 2 

Community Created Artwork for Steam Artwork

By: Philsmeup

Used for help

(This is the read/write test screenshot)

Help 3 

Community Created Artwork for Steam Artwork

By: Philsmeup

Used for help

(This is the speed test screenshot)

[Henrik]

It's most likely you have a bad internet speed if you just insalled a new SSD, could you tell me what the download speed is?

[Henrik]

Originally posted by 3C-4 | Henrik R.:

It's most likely you have a bad internet speed if you just insalled a new SSD, could you tell me what the download speed is?

But as i can see it, just really bad internet! Check with this: https://www.speedtest.net/
You can't do anything else than to try connecting a wire between the internet router and your pc if you havent already, or try to get a internet booster in your room/office. To get better internet to your room, if that doesn't work, contact the internet company and ask them to run tests at your house.

[Henrik]

Keep me updated and hope it helps!

[Philsmeup]

Originally posted by 3C-4 | Henrik R.:

Originally posted by 3C-4 | Henrik R.:

It's most likely you have a bad internet speed if you just insalled a new SSD, could you tell me what the download speed is?

But as i can see it, just really bad internet! Check with this: https://www.speedtest.net/
You can't do anything else than to try connecting a wire between the internet router and your pc if you havent already, or try to get a internet booster in your room/office. To get better internet to your room, if that doesn't work, contact the internet company and ask them to run tests at your house.

Hey, read the initial discussion, I put all relevant information there and I updated it with the speed test. Thanks!

[Cathulhu]

For a Gigabit connection that's some lousy upload speed. Wouldn't be surprised if there's a bottleneck due to overhead traffic.

[Philsmeup]

Originally posted by Cathulhu:

For a Gigabit connection that's some lousy upload speed. Wouldn't be surprised if there's a bottleneck due to overhead traffic.

My problem isn't uploading though? I am trying to download.

[19Jäger79]

Crikey, I wish I was ANYWHERE near these numbers!

[Henrik]

Originally posted by Philsmeup:

Originally posted by Cathulhu:

For a Gigabit connection that's some lousy upload speed. Wouldn't be surprised if there's a bottleneck due to overhead traffic.

My problem isn't uploading though? I am trying to download.

Now, with the speedtest and you having a good internet/ssd im really not sure, I have never had this problem myself, and since you have tried in my eyes, everything I really don't know what can be done. One thing my friend did was to go in to download settings,

So click - "Steam" Up on the left side corner
Click - "Settings"
Click - "Dowloads"
Uncheck - "Limit bandwidth to:"
Uncheck - "Allow downloads during gameplay" I don't know if you are in a game while trying but for double checking.
Other stuff you can do whatever you want with but those 2 is the most important you uncheck.

[Cathulhu]

Originally posted by Philsmeup:

Originally posted by Cathulhu:

For a Gigabit connection that's some lousy upload speed. Wouldn't be surprised if there's a bottleneck due to overhead traffic.

My problem isn't uploading though? I am trying to download.

And that needs upload as well. Read up on how the TCP protocol works, which is used to download stuff.

[Ettanin]

Actually, your drive is throttling your download. Nothing to download while the diff definition is being worked into the file (this can be seen in the screenshot: You already downloaded 1 GB and updated 6 GB of the target files).

1000/50 is standard for gigabit cable, which, due to its architecture of being a broadcast medium, is thinned in the upstream intentionally and often rolled out with CGNAT because the architecture prohibits hosting anyway.

For every 1500 bytes, you need 64 bytes of ACK (minimum IPv4 packet size). 100 MByte/s thus need about 4.27 MByte/s in upload which is fulfilled (albeit with a thin buffer) in this ratio.

If you want to use your gigabit connection to its full potential on Steam, you need a M.2 NVMe based SSD, you likely have a SATA III based SSD. Everything else is too slow.

[Philsmeup]

Originally posted by Ettanin:

Actually, your drive is throttling your download. Nothing to download while the diff definition is being worked into the file (this can be seen in the screenshot: You already downloaded 1 GB and updated 6 GB of the target files).

1000/50 is standard for gigabit cable, which, due to its architecture of being a broadcast medium, is thinned in the upstream intentionally and often rolled out with CGNAT because the architecture prohibits hosting anyway.

For every 1500 bytes, you need 64 bytes of ACK (minimum IPv4 packet size). 100 MByte/s thus need about 4.27 MByte/s in upload which is fulfilled (albeit with a thin buffer) in this ratio.

If you want to use your gigabit connection to its full potential on Steam, you need a M.2 NVMe based SSD, you likely have a SATA III based SSD. Everything else is too slow.

Are you positive about this? I tried limiting my bandwidth to 300 Mbps and disk line still drops and downloads just stop and start like my picture shows. It can't be that SATA is that bad, I have been using SATA forever and this only started happening when I moved. There must be some sort of fix besides just buying a new SSD.

[Philsmeup]

Originally posted by Cathulhu:

Originally posted by Philsmeup:

My problem isn't uploading though? I am trying to download.

And that needs upload as well. Read up on how the TCP protocol works, which is used to download stuff.

So, whats the fix?

[Ettanin]

Originally posted by Philsmeup:

Originally posted by Ettanin:

Actually, your drive is throttling your download. Nothing to download while the diff definition is being worked into the file (this can be seen in the screenshot: You already downloaded 1 GB and updated 6 GB of the target files).

1000/50 is standard for gigabit cable, which, due to its architecture of being a broadcast medium, is thinned in the upstream intentionally and often rolled out with CGNAT because the architecture prohibits hosting anyway.

For every 1500 bytes, you need 64 bytes of ACK (minimum IPv4 packet size). 100 MByte/s thus need about 4.27 MByte/s in upload which is fulfilled (albeit with a thin buffer) in this ratio.

If you want to use your gigabit connection to its full potential on Steam, you need a M.2 NVMe based SSD, you likely have a SATA III based SSD. Everything else is too slow.

Are you positive about this? I tried limiting my bandwidth to 300 Mbps and disk line still drops and downloads just stop and start like my picture shows. It can't be that SATA is that bad, I have been using SATA forever and this only started happening when I moved. There must be some sort of fix besides just buying a new SSD.

Yes i am. I got gigabit fiber with half a gig up (E.ON Highspeed 1000 aka VSE NET). Whenever a file is getting changed by a large diff such as yours my download stops and resumes on downloading the next diff after the previous diff is written.

M.2 alleviated that bottleneck but didn't eliminate it entirely.

Also, as the Crystaldiskmark screenshot showed, the writing speed at random locations of that SSD is pretty slow and it matches the disk speed in the download screenshot pretty closely.

You should see a different behaviour when installing a new game instead of updating an existing one (on new installs, there is no diff to work with). It's perfectly normal. Steam aims to minimize internet traffic, which is why such monstrous speeds get to idle most of the time. It should also be a lot faster because a new installation is of sequential nature, something that your drive doesn't have an issue with.

There is no fix for this because that installation system is optimized to use as little traffic as possible as in more common cases the bottleneck is the download speed of the user instead of the drive. Most users on more common speeds within 100 MBit/s shouldn't come across this kind of bottleneck.

EDIT: Some things for comparison:

Speedtest 

Community Created Artwork for Steam Artwork

By: Ettanin

CDM result M2 drive 

Community Created Artwork for Steam Artwork

By: Ettanin

DL rate for comparison 

Community Created Artwork for Steam Artwork

By: Ettanin

And here is an example where the drive is a bottleneck (a SATA III SSD i still have in my system for storage). Also, this game uses compression during installation which makes matters worse.

Another example with a game using compression, on a SATA III SSD 

Community Created Artwork for Steam Artwork

By: Ettanin

It might basically boil down to the fact that you are downloading (compressed) data faster than your drive can write it down after decompression.

[Ettanin]

A CAREFUL workaround is completely reinstalling the game instead of patching it if its size is negligible* (<10GB) to force sequential writes. However, make a backup of your saves and settings, especially if the game does not have cloud support.

*) negligible for those blessed with speeds such as ours.

[RubiaSabrosa]

It's most likely you have a bad internet speed if you just insalled a new SSD, could you tell me what the download speed is?