Member Avatar for chopficaro

i just switched from comcast hish speed internet which advertise that they would give me 8mb/s of bandwidth, to fios, and i signed up for their 5mb/s plan. im getting way faster downloads now! did comcast lie? whats going on?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by bondi007

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As discovered, real-world downloads can be faster after a provider change even when the plan label is lower. correctly pointed out that advertised speeds are not always what you will see, and 's torrent idea is a useful way to test multi-source throughput. The key is where the bottleneck actually sits: last-mile architecture, the remote server, or equipment and settings in your home.

Fiber-to-the-premises generally gives steadier last-mile capacity and lower latency than shared-coax cable, so it often feels faster for large transfers. At the same time a single TCP connection can be limited by the remote server, latency, and the TCP window; a simple way to think about it is throughput <= TCP_window_size / RTT. Multi-source downloads (torrents or multi-threaded managers) or high-capacity CDN mirrors are much better at filling a fast link than a single slow HTTP/FTP stream.

Quick, controlled checks to reproduce and diagnose what you saw:

  • Connect a PC by wired Ethernet and confirm the NIC link speed (100 Mbps vs 1 Gbps).
  • Stop all other uploads/downloads and background syncing before testing.
  • Run several long tests at different times of day to catch congestion patterns.
  • Compare a single-connection download to a multi-connection download (or torrent) and to a large-file mirror.
  • Run ping/traceroute to check latency and packet loss to the server or ISP gateway.
  • Inspect router/modem link speeds, firmware, QoS or shaping rules, and cabling (Cat5 vs Cat5e/Cat6).
  • If tests show poor results, save screenshots/logs and ask the ISP to run line diagnostics.

Bottom line: perceived speed depends on both the ISP path and the remote server. Controlled wired tests will show whether Fios is truly delivering a better sustained throughput for your use.

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Member Avatar for jbennet

"did comcast lie?"

the keyword is in the small print where it says "UP TO 8mb/s"

Member Avatar for chopficaro

but they showed me, when the guy from comcast came by he downloaded something at 8mb/s just to proove it to me. what tom foolery is this?

Member Avatar for bondi007

Could of been a really really fast datacanter lol try downloading a torrent ;)

Member Avatar for jbennet

yeah the fact is that most sites wont let a single client download that much that fast anyway. I know that most dl sites are capped at ~256kbps

Member Avatar for bondi007

Yep it is, unless it is a really good service like the sun microsystems download mirror, it is fast even on my connection


Bondi

Member Avatar for jbennet

im on 20mb cable (virgin media) and i rarely get more than 512kbps per connection, most sites cap it.

Member Avatar for bondi007

Im on 2mb, YES MOCK ME! how much do you pay for the 20mb if I may ask?

Member Avatar for jbennet

cheaper because we get landline, mobile, tv and internet all from Virgin

otheriwse i think the 20mb cable broadband is £20 a month, but i think new members get half price for the first couple.

Only available in some areas + theres an installation fee

Member Avatar for bondi007

We have TV and Phone and Internet atm would it just be upgrading the service! :D

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