# is 256kbps suppost to be fast? 1 min to d/l 1 mb!



## hayden123

I just logged on to my Australian internet providers website (provider is Bigpond and my internet is Broadband 256kbps) so it said 12gb limit with 256kbps, it takes atleast 60 seconds to download 1 megabyte 4-5 mins to download one song. Is this how it is suppost to be?

Cheers, Hayden


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## tremmor

should be 3 or4 seconds a meg. then again it may be a bottleneck at the source.


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## TrainTrackHack

> should be 3 or4 seconds a meg.


No - internet speeds are measured in Kb(kilobits)/s, not KB(kilobytes)/s - 256kbps is 32KB/s. That would mean exactly 32 seconds if the downloads are running at theoretical maximum, which in practice will ALWAYS be (sometimes significantly) slower - a minute for 1MB sounds quite normal - depends on where you're downloading from, and the time of the day. If there's heaps of traffic on the site you're d'loading from, and it's the time of the day everyone's on the net, it's naturally going to take longer.


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## Kesava

I also have 256kbps and yes that speed is totally normal. It really does suck.
I do have unlimited downloads which is nice... but I'd rather have faster speed and less downloads.

Also, +1 to what hackapelite said. Totally correct.


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## ScOuT

Just be aware that somebody is paying for bandwidth somewhere.  Companies will put limits on the bandwidth that can be transmitted per IP address. That means for you...they might have a limit on the "rate of transfer" of the data. It is not the speed of the internet you bought.....it's the limit that is set at the source. 

At least that is they way the DSL is here in Germany. I made a few complaints to my internet company and they came and did a speed test. I was getting the full package what I paid for but the guy showed me on a test website what I just explained to you.


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## tremmor

*hayden123*

Im sure your right in how its figured from a tech standpoint. Myself i figure it like hayden123. (1meg / 1min) naaaa. mine is depending where i go will be something like 1 meg / 3sec. (newsgroups for example/binaries). downloads pronto and right now.


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## Encryptor

Wow, I remember the 256kbps days (years ago on my old dual II ADSL line), I'm on 20mb download here and it's nice and fast, but like most ISP's these days, it's limited on peak times  

Encryptor
Linux rocks the planet...


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## cohen

That is normal, my ISP (aanet) are very good, 1.5mbps down, 512kbps up.

I love it, i can download a 1.5MB exe file in 30seconds or so.

I recommend aanet, they have good plans - my speed is up ^^^ above and it cost $60 and ou get 20GBs of downloads.


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## bomberboysk

Wow, internet prices are high there. Here in the states we pay $55USD/month for 15mbps up/768k down. Then again, id love to have 100mbps connections like japan does...


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## hayden123

Just upgraded my internet, now it's 1.5mbps with 12Gb of downloads, it's much faster now. This monthly is $69.99AUD

Also THANKS everyone for all your help with my question.


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## cohen

hayden123 said:


> Just upgraded my internet, now it's 1.5mbps with 12Gb of downloads, it's much faster now. This monthly is $69.99AUD
> 
> Also THANKS everyone for all your help with my question.



what company is that with??? Still telstra???


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## diduknowthat

Wow I'm paying $35 for 5mbps down an 2mbps up unlimited download . Verizon Fios is awesome .


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## ScOuT

I pay 35 Euros (about $45) a month for DSL 16,000....it is the fastest you can buy in Germany right now. It is the fastest internet I've ever had.

Download - 15,220 kBit/s
Upload - 1-183 kBit/s

DSL 24,000 should be here by Christmas!


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