Different Reasons for a Slow Download

There are quite a few different ways to increase your download speed. If you have already tried several, you may be wondering what is causing your slow download. Causes of slow downloads can be either on your end, or a slow download can be caused by the source you are downloading from. Here are some reasons your computer may be the cause of a slow download:

1. Your internet connection is the primary contributor to your download speed. The faster your internet connection, the faster the download speeds will be. This is not the only factor, but it is a constant. If you have a dial up modem, your connection speed is either 28.8 or 56.6 kilobits per second. In comparison, there are 1024 kilobits in a megabit, and a cable connection can be anywhere from 1 to 20 megabits per second. So the first of the potential causes of slow downloads is your connection speed.
2. No matter how fast a connection you have, the amount of work your computer can do at once depends on the amount of available memory and the number of tasks your computer is undertaking at once. If you are running more than one program at a time, or if you are low on available memory this may cause a slow download.
3. If you have previously seen faster downloads, but now you are having slow downloads consistently, your computer may be infected. Viruses on a computer are a common problem. A virus will affect the hard drive, often diverting much of a computer’s resources. This can significantly slow download speeds. Trojans work in a similar fashion, taking control of software on your hard drive and diverting resources. Spyware and adware are obnoxious programs companies put on their sites that will automatically load onto your computer when you visit. This is to track your browsing habits for the purposes of ad campaigns and email campaigns. All of these things can significantly slow download time for your computer. A good way to guard against this intrusion is with a good virus protection program.

Factors that Contribute to Slow Downloads

Those are the three main factors on your own computer that may be contributing to slow download times. It isn’t always your fault though. Quite often it is the host site’s fault you are having a slow download, this is what can happen:

1. Regardless of your own bandwidth, you will not be able to upload anything any faster than the bandwidth the host computer allows. So internet speed is a problem for both host computer and the person downloading programs. There are many factors, and even if the host shows a good connection it can be misleading because the host is often able to change these settings to say whatever they like.
2. Especially if you are downloading music or some other entertainment, there is a very good chance that multiple people are downloading at the same time. Because space is limited, not matter how fast your computer is heavy traffic will slow download time.
3. Distance. Even though we think of the internet as one connected thing, distance does make a difference. A download from the other side of the world will have to make many more “stops” along the way. This may lead to a slow download, at least slower than you are used to.

Hopefully this has given you some insight as to why you may be experiencing a slow download.