Easy Ways to Increase Download Speed

Chances are no matter how fast your computer is, you would like to be able to increase download speeds. This is especially true with larger files, but regardless of the size of the file you are trying to download, there are some simple ways to increase your download speed.

A download is a file transfer of any type from a host computer to your computer through the internet or a network. Network downloads are usually done in a work setting where multiple work computers are connected on a secure network. Far more common are downloads to a personal computer over the internet. This can be a movie, a song, pictures, a game, or a document. Many of the programs you use on your computer now were probably downloaded. In fact, more and more the programs which once were only available via a disk can be downloaded directly from the host company’s site. A download should not be confused with an upload, though the same things which can slow down a download can also slow down an upload. Essentially the processes are quite similar, but if you have a host computer which is being used by several remote computers to upload files, then this can affect your performance even more than a single download to your computer. By the same token, if your computer is able to download a file from multiple sources at the same time, this will increase download speeds. Much of this has to do with the amount of traffic on a particular site though. We will go over some of the things that can affect your download speed and ways to increase your download speed.

Improve Connection Speed to Increase Download Speed

The most important aspect of the download process is your connection speed. The faster your internet connection, the faster your download speed will be. If you have dial up even small files may take some time to download. Internet speeds are always increasing, and today the most common super fast connection is called T3. Other, much faster internet connections based on optical networks are being developed and in some cases are available, but they are rare. For most though, you have the choice of either a dial up connection, or a cable connection. Dial up connections are usually 28.8 kbps or 56.6 kbps. 1024 kilobits make 1 megabit and cable can be up to 20Mbps so it is quite a bit faster. If you do a lot of downloading and would like to increase download speed you may want to see what options are available in your area.

Quick Tips for Increasing Download Speeds

Maybe you already have a fast connection, or do not want to spend the extra money to upgrade. That’s okay, there are other easy was to increase download speed:

1. It sounds simple enough, but when you are downloading and it is taking too long try closing all other programs running. This should increase download speed a little.
2. It is tempting if you have multiple downloads to do them all at once. It is faster though to do one download at a time. If you know that you are going to be away from your computer for awhile doing them all at once could be a good idea.
3. Because a host computer’s upload speed is affected by the number of downloads going on at one time, try downloading at times when the host computer will not be busy. If your download is taking particularly long, try downloading at a later time and this may increase download speed.
4. Finally, there are programs available for free on the internet that will increase download speed. Download accelerators work different ways, usually by breaking the download into smaller parts and by going to multiple sources for the download. A simple search for download accelerators will give you several free and safe results, always be careful you trust the company you are downloading from though. You will increase download speed in no time.