[SOLVED] I should have 100 Mbps download, yet games only download at around 20 Mbps, how come?

ninjakarlsej

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I should be able to download at around 100 Mbps, which is also the case when doing a speedtest online.

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When I try to download from either Steam og Blizzard App (Battle.net), my download seems to be capped at around 25 Mbps (2.5 MB/s).

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I have checked to see if the download speed is capped in both programs, which it isn't. Weird thing is, sometimes it's completely fine and downloads at my promised 100 Mbps.

If anybody has any idea why this could be, please let me know :)
 
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I do know that mbps and MB/s isn't the same, but it still doesn't make sense that my download speed in say steam or blizzard app would go from 11 MB/s to 2 MB/s from one day to another.
If speedtest.net is giving you a consistent 95-100mbps, then the issue is not your PC or your connection.
It is completely due to Steam, and what they are delivering to you.

Lutfij

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You might want to check and see if you're on the latest drivers for your networking adapter. Also check and see that you're on the latest BIOS update for your platform/motherboard. Have you see if Windows 10 is taking some of that bandwidth in order to update itself?

Speaking of which, what version of Windows 10 are you on?
 

ninjakarlsej

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You might want to check and see if you're on the latest drivers for your networking adapter. Also check and see that you're on the latest BIOS update for your platform/motherboard. Have you see if Windows 10 is taking some of that bandwidth in order to update itself?

Speaking of which, what version of Windows 10 are you on?

I'm on Windows 10 Home version 1903, I've just recently reset everything and installed a fresh copy. The problem was happening before the reset too though, it seemed to just start from one day to another. Windows is not taking any bandwith, I'll try to find some drivers, thanks :)
 

ninjakarlsej

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Different reporting units.

speedtest.net and your ISP report in megabits/sec.

Steam reports in megabytes/sec.
Approx 8:1 ratio.

Nothing is wrong, nothing is broken, nothing needs to be fixed.
It is all working as expected.

Alright I might have gotten the units wrong but everything is most definitly not okay. While downloading stuff from Blizzard and Steam I used to, and still sometimes have, a download speed of around 11 MB/s.
 

USAFRet

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Alright I might have gotten the units wrong but everything is most definitly not okay. While downloading stuff from Blizzard and Steam I used to, and still sometimes have, a download speed of around 11 MB/s.
11* 8 = 88.
Close enough to "94" to not make a difference.

Also, that don't necessarily give you 100% of you can receive all the time. They have traffic issues as well.

Lastly, is this wired or WiFi?
If wired, and you're getting the advertised speed from speedtest.net...there is no problem. Or at least, no problem that is in your sphere of influence.
 

ninjakarlsej

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11* 8 = 88.
Close enough to "94" to not make a difference.

Also, that don't necessarily give you 100% of you can receive all the time. They have traffic issues as well.

Lastly, is this wired or WiFi?
If wired, and you're getting the advertised speed from speedtest.net...there is no problem. Or at least, no problem that is in your sphere of influence.

It's wired. The problem is that it downloads at those 2 MB/s like 98% of the time and it's been going on for a bit over a month.
 

Randi Poling

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It's wired. The problem is that it downloads at those 2 MB/s like 98% of the time and it's been going on for a bit over a month.

Other people using the network, server traffic. I dont see anything wrong with the numbers. If you have steam installed and its updating games, that will kill your network bandwidth as well. Ive noticed and tested if I am downloading something on the xbox (usually get around 20-40mbps) if i download something on steam, the xbox download will drop to like 3-7, same for Battle.net.
 

ninjakarlsej

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Other people using the network, server traffic. I dont see anything wrong with the numbers. If you have steam installed and its updating games, that will kill your network bandwidth as well. Ive noticed and tested if I am downloading something on the xbox (usually get around 20-40mbps) if i download something on steam, the xbox download will drop to like 3-7, same for Battle.net.

I'm only downloading one thing at a time, I've even tried having my computer as the only device connected. The problem with the numbers is that my speedtest always has given the same results (95-100 Mbps) yet my Steam and Blizzard App download has gone from ~11 MB/s to a maximum of 2.5 MB/s (most of the time).
 

Randi Poling

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I'm only downloading one thing at a time, I've even tried having my computer as the only device connected. The problem with the numbers is that my speedtest always has given the same results (95-100 Mbps) yet my Steam and Blizzard App download has gone from ~11 MB/s to a maximum of 2.5 MB/s (most of the time).


Like someone else stated earlier, 100mbps does not equal 100MB/s megabits is different than megabytes. Your numbers arent wrong.
 

USAFRet

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I do know that mbps and MB/s isn't the same, but it still doesn't make sense that my download speed in say steam or blizzard app would go from 11 MB/s to 2 MB/s from one day to another.
If speedtest.net is giving you a consistent 95-100mbps, then the issue is not your PC or your connection.
It is completely due to Steam, and what they are delivering to you.
 
Solution
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People who just say "Your units are just wrong" have no idea how to read the question properly and understand problem, dismissing it by saying "must be network issue".

I've had those similar problems too, i have 300mbps speed internet which speedtest.net advertises me. Which should let me download anything at 30mb/s in a very good day. i had it at maximum 5mb/s for whole month and i have tried downloading at all times and it's still giving me the same limit.

After i explored everything with little experience in networking, I've found out that the cables and the ports which you connect to could be defective, or a bit loose. You can open your network adapter here..


And double click on your adapter which is connected to the network..
and then check the speed of the network port on your pc which is here..

Yours should be at least 100mbps, otherwise you have a problem with either your network adapter on your PC, or the ports on either ends are defective and the last problem could be your cable is defective or loose.
 

beers

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Approx 8:1 ratio.
Actual 8:1 ratio ;)
People who just say "Your units are just wrong" have no idea how to read the question properly and understand problem
The amount of mixed unit posts are honestly insane, the vast majority of people have no idea bits vs bytes. Also you quoted a division of 10, there's 8 bits in a byte and not 10.
When I try to download from either Steam og Blizzard App (Battle.net), my download seems to be capped at around 25 Mbps (2.5 MB/s).
In Blizzard do you have the 'allow other users' torrent-style option enabled? Also, it may depend on your local ISP traffic and similar, with everyone WFH my aggregate WAN bandwidth def took a hit. Otherwise you may be able to try to use a different Steam download location depending on how your ISP backhauls traffic.