Steam is very inconsistent with downloading

[SapientAsh]

When I first started downloading a game today, it was downloading at about 2-3 MB/s, and estimated an hour or two. It peaked at around 6 MB/s, then plummeted. I've gone as low as 60 KB/s, and in the last 20 minutes, as high as 400 KB/s. What the hell is Steam smokig that it can't reach the 1.5 MB/s I got before I upgraded my internet? It often reaches around 3. MB/s, but it's SO inconsistent.

(I've turned off pretty much every device in the house that's using internet, to no avail.)

[IceKohl.eXe]

Welcome to a sale. Downloads will be poor until the sale is over. There is anywhere from 10-15 million people on steam at any given time. If only 10% of them buy a game during the sale thats still 1-1.5 million games being downloaded these 2 weeks. Add that to regular patching, re-installs and vid streams, you've got a ton of data being used. I'm sure they ramp up capacity for the sales but it has to be nearly impossible to have enough infrastructure to serve every game possible in every region.

[SapientAsh]

Originally posted by IceKohl.eXe:

Welcome to a sale. Downloads will be poor until the sale is over. There is anywhere from 10-15 million people on steam at any given time. If only 10% of them buy a game during the sale thats still 1-1.5 million games being downloaded these 2 weeks. Add that to regular patching, re-installs and vid streams, you've got a ton of data being used. I'm sure they ramp up capacity for the sales but it has to be nearly impossible to have enough infrastructure to serve every game possible in every region.

That makes sense. I also started using LAN, and my download speed went up 16 times, (to 8 MB/s) and stayed there, so I guess my wireless connection just sucks

[Huntsman S. Thompson]

I think you may be off on your end/computer, mabye malware or someone else using your internet connection?

Steam does one thing consistently, and thats download speeds.
In fact, steam will download to the max speed that your ISP allows, so if you are supposed to get 6mb/s, steam will download at that.

If steam is not downloading at your full ISP rate, then your internet is being used by someone in the house or elsewhere.

Before downloading, use TESTMY.NET to test your internet speeds, you'd be surprised how many people know how and are stealing neighbor's internet (via jacking it at the pole or via your wifi).

[SapientAsh]

I switched to LAN and immediately got speeds up to 16 times faster than my consistent speed previously (450 KB/s-8MB/s)

[ForFatCocks 𒉭]

realy

[SapientAsh]

Apparently my wireless just sucks.

[illuminaughty]

after years of chalking it up to ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ or client sucking, its nice to have a simple explanation for why steam is so inconsistent
thank you

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Originally posted by illuminaughty:

after years of chalking it up to ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ or client sucking, its nice to have a simple explanation for why steam is so inconsistent
thank you

Really? No issues here...

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3320179351

[Pierce Dalton]

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

Originally posted by illuminaughty:

after years of chalking it up to ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ or client sucking, its nice to have a simple explanation for why steam is so inconsistent
thank you

Really? No issues here...

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3320179351

:nkCool:

I don't have any issues when I download stuff from other sources too, only Steam. Why is that? Like, downloading something from GD is much faster and stable.

[76561199209629721]

This thread was quite old before the recent post, so we're locking it to prevent confusion.