"Fast" internet slow download speed

[Domirino]

First post so if I'm doing something wrong just tell me. I pay for 85 mbps, the Ookla speed test is consistently coming back with 70 - 80 mbps download yet all downloads seem to be capped at 1.5 MBps. This is a wired connection, I've tried over wifi with the same results. Please help

[Slottr]

Where are you downloading from? Is there other people on your internet?

 

With that I would expect to see around 8-9 MB

[cr8tor]

11 minutes ago, Domirino said:

yet all downloads seem to be capped at 1.5 MBps

What downloads are you using to test this?

Game downloads, video files, torrents, all of the above?

[Domirino]

Game files from steam and blizzard. Regular downloads from Chrome such as Uplay and AC Valhalla fan pack.

Sorry for the late reply.

[Domirino]

There are other people on the net in the house. However, the same time I get a 70 - 80 Ookla speed test result, I'm stuck with these actual download speeds. 

[cr8tor]

Well on one hand you are getting higher download speeds because the Ookla test shows the speed ok.

However since your actual downloads are slow, especially since they seem to almost be capped at 1.5mb i suspect you might have a firewall somewhere in between you and your internet.

What all do you have connected between your computer and the actual wire that comes out of the wall for internet.

I assume a modem or some kind from your provider as well as a wireless router of your own?

Or are you using a modem and wireless router all in one thing from the ISP?

Pictures might help if you are not sure how to get us model numbers of the exact items.

[Domirino]

There’s a single telephone line coming out of the wall, running about 50’ and connecting to the modem router combo supplied by CenturyLink. From there I have two 50’ network tables connecting my pc to the modem router combo.

[Domirino]

I’ve submitted a photo of a speed test and a steam download over a wired and a Wi-Fi connection. The results are nearly identical. 
 

I really appreciate your time. 
 

It wasn’t always like this. I used to be able to download at the same speed as what the speed test resulted in. 

 

 

 

[Domirino]

Pc specs

MSI z390 Godlike

I9-9900KS

32GB DDR4 3600 Corsair, Dominator Platinum

RTX 3090 FE

Storage Samsung 970 evo plus

[cr8tor]

First, please delete the pictures showing the admin username and password for your modem. You dont want this out there.

Thanks for sharing the model #, but the user/pass shouldnt be on the internetz.

 

So for what its worth, know this.

The speed being reported by CenturyLink is in megabits. 

The speed being reported by steam is in megabytes. 

Megabytes are 8 megabits

 

So Steam is showing 1.5 MB which is equal to 12mb.

Note the size of the B in them. b signifies megabits, B signifies megabytes.

 

You can actually go into steams settings and adjust this so i matches what your ISP shows you, as well as speed tests.

 

This does not resolve your problem though.

However its not uncommon for steam to be a bit slow.

I have a gigabit connection and never see my full download speed from steam.

 

Another thing.

Why do you have 2 cables going from your CenturyLink modem to your pc?

That modem does not support teaming and will give you no benefit, and this very well may be whats causing the issue.

[Domirino]

How can I delete the pic? 

and I connected two because I figured it wouldn't hurt. I'll disconnect one but have always had two without issue. 

 

I understand, according to the speed test od 80mbps i should be downloading at about 10MBps but im only getting 1.5MBps

[Domirino]

took them down, thanks

 

[Mark Kaine]

So slow steam download speeds. 

 

 

You tried resetting your router (aka power cycle)? 

 

 

Also have you tried changing download region in Steam? 

This can make a significant difference as sometimes the server that's set is experiencing issues. 

 

Try other countries too, it can really make a difference... 

 

Also the obvious, tried restarting the pc? 

 

 

Tldr, resetting router and / or changing download server fixes these issues in 99%

 

 

And @cr8tor is right you need only one ethernet plug to your pc, 2 make no sense whatsoever. 

[cr8tor]

12 hours ago, Domirino said:

I understand, according to the speed test od 80mbps i should be downloading at about 10MBps but im only getting 1.5MBps

Correct.

Afte removing the second cable, did you reboot?

If not, reboot and test again.

Can you find a download for testing that is not steam though? Steam is not a reliable method of testing, too many other factors can come into play.

Maybe download a large file from Microsoft or something? Download a windows ISO file or something?

[SpaceGhostC2C]

12 hours ago, Domirino said:

I understand, according to the speed test od 80mbps i should be downloading at about 10MBps but im only getting 1.5MBps

In ideal conditions. Like, if no hop between Steam, or the Steam cache you are accessing, and your house is hitting any constraint either in bandwidth or processing.

It does seem a bit suspicious if it consistently is exactly 1.5, regardless of what you download and where from. But I definitely have never seen my download speeds get anywhere my connection speeds (both advertised and tested) - if anything, Ookla reports slightly higher than advertised speeds).

[cr8tor]

5 minutes ago, SpaceGhostC2C said:

if anything, Ookla reports slightly higher than advertised speeds

It reports actual speed accurately.

Its no uncommon for ISP's allow for slightly higher than advertised speeds though. 

[SpaceGhostC2C]

1 hour ago, cr8tor said:

It reports actual speed accurately.

Its no uncommon for ISP's allow for slightly higher than advertised speeds though. 

That's exactly what I meant (well, I have no basis to say that Ookla's measurement is accurate, but I wasn't questioning it - I meant that my measured speeds are above advertised ones, yet downloads never hit the implied theoretical speed).

[cr8tor]

Gotcha.

 

I have a hunch...

Download hdinfo and start logging, then kick of a download and let it run for a bit.

Then stop the log and share it.

The log files have all sorts of things, and i have an idea of what to look at but its a lot of words and i may be wrong.

 

Download HWiNFO here - https://www.hwinfo.com/

 

When you open HWiNFO, choose the option for Sensors only, and if prompted, hit continue. 
Also if prompted, do not download the beta version.

 

How to create a log:
Open HWiNFO and choose sensors only.
Then in the bottom right there is an icon that looks like a spreadsheet with a green plus on it.
Click that button to start logging, the green plus will switch to a red X to let you know its saving data. 
It will also ask you for a file name and where to save it. I save them to my desktop, name it whatever you want.
Let it run for a few moments or until the machine locks up, resets, or does whatever its not supposed to do,
Then click the spreadsheet again so the red X turns back to a green +.
You now have a log file, share it with us.

 

How to view the log file:
You can view the log using the GenericLogViewer addon here https://www.hwinfo.com/add-ons/
Download, extract, run GenericLogViewer.exe, click the open file button in the top right and point it to the log file you made above.
Use the dropdown in the upper right to choose which category to view 

[Bad5ector]

Do you have QoS enabled perhaps?

[truescot]

have you checked what your mtu is set at throughout your network?

[Domirino]

@Mark Kaine

 

 

All downloads are capped at 1.5 MBps, regardless of where they're from. I've tried downloads from Steam, Blizzard and multiple files from Chrome.

 

I have tried power cycling the router / Modem combo.

 

I haven't changed my steam region because results are the same everywhere. 

 

I've restarted the pc several times.

 

What does TLDR mean?

 

I've disconnected one of the two network cables.

 

@cr8tor

 

 

After removing the second cable I did reboot. Several times as I have been making some changes and testing another problem I've been having.

 

I've tried downloads from several locations.

 

The 17.8MB HWiNFO download took a little over 17 seconds

 

Here's the file

 

@Bad5ector

 

QoS is not enabled. The speed test yields consistent, 70 - 80mbps download speed results.

 

@truescot 

 

No I have not.

HWiNFO Test 1.CSV

[Bad5ector]

Do you have any Internet Security software installed?

[cr8tor]

11 hours ago, Domirino said:

What does TLDR mean?

It means To Long Did not Read.

It doesnt really make sense in regards to how the previous posts used it?

 

11 hours ago, Domirino said:

I've disconnected one of the two network cables.

Cool, leave it that way.

While 2 wont break anything, it can cause issues. 

And when you are transferring data, it will only use one cable unless you have set up "teaming" which has to be both supported and manually configured on each end. The CenturyLink modem does not support it so its not an option.

20 hours ago, truescot said:

what your mtu is set at throughout your network

This should be fine unless you have mucked with settings. Leave it alone if you havent touched it already, defaults should work fine.

 

 

7 hours ago, Bad5ector said:

Do you have any Internet Security software installed?

I agree with this question.

It very much seems that something is filtering your connection.

Meaning it see's the data packets from the speed test and lets them through at normal speed.

It see's the data packets for something else and is slowing it down.

This could be antivirus, this could be "internet speed helper software", this could be a setting on the router if its enabled.

Make sure you log into your router and check for QoS related items. I highly suspect its on the routers end, something in configuration, a default that is supposed to help the network run smoothly for everyone, but is doing so by slowing everything down to what it thinks is good enough.

It is very likely that there is something somewhere that is purposefully restricting your data transfers.

 

You might create a new windows profile for testing purposes, this would help eliminate software on your PC.

 

And also, what about others in the house? Do they experience the same slow speeds for downloads, or is it just your PC?

Again, its possible that they see the same thing, and that would point us back to the router.

If they do not experience the same thing, this points us to your PC.

A very valid step to check other PC's in the house. They should be connected via wire also for the test.

 

And have you tried wireless?

That might tell you if the network card or its driver/settings is somehow causing this.

 

[ugonnagetpwned]

bro u are getting pwned i just took photos of ur ip u didnt delete the photos lol