20 mb/s download speed but only get 2 mb/s when downloading?

[Kahlo kahlow]

I've done 2 tests on 2 different websites (http://www.speedtest.net/ and http://speedtest.shaw.ca/) and they both show me 11 mb/s down and 11 mb/s up (internet is a bit slow today). Yet when I download stuff the max speed I get is about 2 mb/s. Why is that? Should I tell my internet provider? I am using a 802.11n usb 2.0 wifi adapter and I'm about 2.5 meters away from the router and there's a small wall in between. Could anybody help please?

 

[getochkn]

are you sure you're not getting 2MB/s not mb. Big difference and most browser downloads, torrents, etc show speed in MB, megaBYTE, not mb, megabit.

 

[Kahlo kahlow]

are you sure you're not getting 2MB/s not mb. Big difference and most browser downloads, torrents, etc show speed in MB, megaBYTE, not mb, megabit.

I don't know which it is really... Are you familiar with Steam? Because I get 2 mb/s download speed there too. If you know if it's Byte or Bit that they use there. Speaking of torrents, when I use utorrent I also get around 2mb/s speed on downloads I don't know if it's different though.

 

[USAFRet]

are you sure you're not getting 2MB/s not mb. Big difference and most browser downloads, torrents, etc show speed in MB, megaBYTE, not mb, megabit.

I don't know which it is really... Are you familiar with Steam? Because I get 2 mb/s download speed there too. If you know if it's Byte or Bit that they use there. Speaking of torrents, when I use utorrent I also get around 2mb/s speed on downloads I don't know if it's different though.

You ISP and speedtest.net report in megabits.
Steam reports in megabytes.

Approx 8:1
So..11 megabits from speedtest.net, and 2 megabytes from Steam is almost exactly correct.

 

[R_1]

in this case spelling is everything

I have a 50m connection, whenever I download with steam it is usually 5MB.
Steam likes to use all available bandwidth when downloading and so downloads from steam are the fastest downloads I see. from here it looks fine to me MB=/= mb

 

[Kahlo kahlow]

are you sure you're not getting 2MB/s not mb. Big difference and most browser downloads, torrents, etc show speed in MB, megaBYTE, not mb, megabit.

I don't know which it is really... Are you familiar with Steam? Because I get 2 mb/s download speed there too. If you know if it's Byte or Bit that they use there. Speaking of torrents, when I use utorrent I also get around 2mb/s speed on downloads I don't know if it's different though.

You ISP and speedtest.net report in megabits.
Steam reports in megabytes.

Approx 8:1
So..11 megabits from speedtest.net, and 2 megabytes from Steam is almost exactly correct.

So if I want 20 megabytes/s I would need 160 megabit/s?

 

[R_1]

are you sure you're not getting 2MB/s not mb. Big difference and most browser downloads, torrents, etc show speed in MB, megaBYTE, not mb, megabit.

I don't know which it is really... Are you familiar with Steam? Because I get 2 mb/s download speed there too. If you know if it's Byte or Bit that they use there. Speaking of torrents, when I use utorrent I also get around 2mb/s speed on downloads I don't know if it's different though.

You ISP and speedtest.net report in megabits.
Steam reports in megabytes.

Approx 8:1
So..11 megabits from speedtest.net, and 2 megabytes from Steam is almost exactly correct.

So if I want 20 megabytes/s I would need 160 megabit/s?

that is about the size of it. and then you will only achieve 20MB if the source can send at those speeds.

 

[USAFRet]

So if I want 20 megabytes/s I would need 160 megabit/s?

It's downloading at the same speed. Just a different measurement system.

Just like miles per hour vs kilometers per hour.
Which is faster? 60mph or 100kph?

 

[boosted1g]

are you sure you're not getting 2MB/s not mb. Big difference and most browser downloads, torrents, etc show speed in MB, megaBYTE, not mb, megabit.

I don't know which it is really... Are you familiar with Steam? Because I get 2 mb/s download speed there too. If you know if it's Byte or Bit that they use there. Speaking of torrents, when I use utorrent I also get around 2mb/s speed on downloads I don't know if it's different though.

You ISP and speedtest.net report in megabits.
Steam reports in megabytes.

Approx 8:1
So..11 megabits from speedtest.net, and 2 megabytes from Steam is almost exactly correct.

So if I want 20 megabytes/s I would need 160 megabit/s?

correct