Does uploads affect your download speed?

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euanandrews

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#8772 28-Jul-2006 15:54

A simple novice question maybe, but one ive never thought of till now for some strange reason...

Broadband or dial-up....

When downloading, will the uploads slow the downloads down by whatever speed its goin at?

example: max download is 500k, max upload is 250k, if someone is uploadin from ya at the max 250k, will that affect your max download speed, meaning you can only download at a new max 250k....

Or do they not affect each other?...meaning ya can download and upload at the max speed at the same time? (as possible)

So in the case of dialup, can ya download at max speed and not worry how many upload, as ya have no quota to worry about?...obviously when dealing with broadband, the quota comes into it

this should be an easy one for you guys

Fraktul

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#42742 28-Jul-2006 16:56

Depends on what protocols you are using but to save complicating the matter - yes. When you transfer data using TCP (you will normally be using this on the net for file transfers, web browsing etc) it requests confirmation that the last lot of packets of data it has sent were received and ok. If these cannot be sent back to the person sending the data because your upstream bandwidth is saturated by your other uploads then this will cause your download to slow as the sending party needs to wait for confirmation before it will continue sending.

euanandrews

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#42758 28-Jul-2006 17:58

Er, yeah....

I try to make out I know lots in IT, but sadly its not true...

Cheers for the answer, but it wasnt the simple direct answer I hoped for....

Lets get more specific, if im using a p2p program, 'Shareaza', which can connect using EDonkey2000, Gnutella, BitTorrent and Gnutella2 (G2)......

Now if I have unlimited dialup (56Kb)....does this mean:

1) if people are uploading from me at say 20Kb, does this mean I will only be able to download at a max of 36Kb?
2) or does those uploading files not affect my download speed at all?...hence they can upload at 20Kb and I am still able to download at 56Kb?

Fraktul

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#42760 28-Jul-2006 18:11

Sorry I thought that was laymans term

In the example below you have 56kbps download speed and its all avaliable for download.

You have 33.6kbps or 40kbps upload speed, this is the max you will get upload and its all avalible for upload...the upload speed is slower than the download, I wont go into explaining why as it will complicate things again!

When you download something using Bittorrent some of the upstream traffic is used to say to the person you are downloading off "yes, I got that". If you are already using all your upstream to send traffic to people downloading off you then you might not be able to respond to the person you are downloading off very quickly to tell them you got the last peices of the file you are downloading OK and to send more.

So yes, it will effect your download speed having somebody uploading off you if you are uploading as fast as you can go. but not in the way you are describing.

euanandrews

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#42766 28-Jul-2006 18:44

Beauty, thanks for that

So thier uploads wont affect my downloads per say, but will affect communication between myself as those im trying to download off, and if i cant communicate with them, i wont be able to download off them....

got it

thank you

Fraktul

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#42767 28-Jul-2006 18:47

Correct, you win a cold beer....which is what I'm now off to find.