Griff1324

Q: Why are My iTunes Downloads so Slow?

I have a 30 Mbps internet connection.  When I run a speed test against my connection I almost always hit 30 Mbps.  However, when I download podcasts and other files from iTunes my download speeds max out at just over 7 Mbps.  I ran the diagnostics in iTunes and everything checked out fine.  Any ideas on why I getting such a slow download speed?

Windows 7

Posted on Apr 17, 2012 5:18 PM

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Q: Why are My iTunes Downloads so Slow?

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  • by JustAnAndroidDeveloper,

    JustAnAndroidDeveloper JustAnAndroidDeveloper Nov 3, 2014 2:57 AM in response to SallyITTech
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 3, 2014 2:57 AM in response to SallyITTech

    I like many people here had the issue of slow downloads due to bad DNS settings. In my case it was much more frustrating, as I'd learned about openDNS a while ago and had installed a proxy caching server (which defaulted to openDNS, in their docs and installation I was made aware of this). So here I thought, shoot! Simple fix, change the DNS in my network settings so connect to the best one around. So I disabled my proxy, re-enabled my desktop for automatic search, but to no avail. Thinking rats maybe there's some other issue with my computer, I kept digging and digging.

     

    However I got curious, what DNS exactly did my computer pick when I left it run wild as opposed to the proxy? My internet speeds were virtually untouched switching from my openDNS proxy to window's automatic selection and that just seemed weird. Suprise suprise after cracking open cmd and using ipconfig /all I found that instead of hooking up to openDNS, my computer determined that 8.8.4.4 was the best DNS. In short the settings jumped from one bad example to use with iTunes (openDNS) to another bad example (google's DNS).

     

    If you have any reason to suspect that something is in fact up with your DNS, because for whatever reason your internet connections are fast, but iTunes is ungodly slow here what I found to be the best tool to hook up your computer to a DNS likely suited for you. https://code.google.com/p/namebench/


    Be aware the testing process will take a while, just leave it be, when it's done it will open up your internet browser with some stats, the important part though are the two ip addresses in the top corner, they described the closest and fastest DNS servers near you, use those in your ip v4 settings, done see if you don't get results.

     

    Have a good day all.

     

    For reference my download speeds before I figured this out: ~0.2 mbs, after? Actually I'm not sure I wasn't paying attention after I got results but it managed to download a 1.52gb video in about 12 minutes, you're free to do the math, I'm just happy.

  • by Mik B,

    Mik B Mik B Nov 3, 2014 3:19 AM in response to JustAnAndroidDeveloper
    Level 1 (20 points)
    Nov 3, 2014 3:19 AM in response to JustAnAndroidDeveloper

    It would seem that I'm missing the relevance of the info you supply here — though it's generally very useful if you want to evaluate your DNS settings— as the issue causing slow iTunes downloads doesn't concern DNS response time as much as the consulted DNS influence on the physical location of the media server from which iTunes media is downloaded.

     

    Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you imply here, because a 500ms difference in DNS response time wouldn't directly affect download speed in itself. Once my machine have consulted a Domain Name Server it caches the IP. My machine won't ask again unless the cache is flushed or deleted. But perhaps this wasn't what you meant?

     

    Is it perhaps that the "near you" factor you mention affect also affect the physical server selected by Apple-associated delivery networks to be more near than when using a DNS further away from where you are?

  • by Joe Siegler,

    Joe Siegler Joe Siegler Feb 16, 2015 7:36 AM in response to Mik B
    Level 1 (21 points)
    Apple TV
    Feb 16, 2015 7:36 AM in response to Mik B

    I wonder, though.  Given this report, it seems like Google & OpenDNS are working with Akmai regarding location issues.  I wonder if blaming that is really an issue anymore.

     

    http://betanews.com/2014/12/15/google-collaborates-with-akamai-to-improve-public -dns-offering/

     

    https://gigaom.com/2014/06/03/akamai-signs-deal-with-opendns-to-make-the-web-fas ter/

     

    I was having this problem, and changed from Google Public DNS back to my ISP's.  Made no difference.  Same sluggish performance.  Which doesn't surprise me as I was getting fast downloads from Apple using Google DNS before the last few days (around Feb 13th or so I started noticing a problem).

  • by trparky,

    trparky trparky Feb 18, 2015 11:23 AM in response to Griff1324
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 18, 2015 11:23 AM in response to Griff1324

    This seems to be happening to not just Apple but other services as well. Everything from Apple, to Amazon, to Microsoft, to NetFlix, and everything in between. This shouldn't be happening. All of these companies should have the resources to be able to fill the pipe of any average home user's Internet connection. They all should have more bandwidth than God!

     

    Then again, it could be because our ISPs are, like Verizon, letting their peering points over-saturate and thus we have this issue.

  • by boolagirl,

    boolagirl boolagirl Mar 18, 2015 12:09 AM in response to Griff1324
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 18, 2015 12:09 AM in response to Griff1324

    What is the point of this page if its just everyone saying yeah, I have the same phuquing problem ???

  • by casparvdb,

    casparvdb casparvdb Mar 19, 2015 7:35 AM in response to Griff1324
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 19, 2015 7:35 AM in response to Griff1324

    I'm sure this has nothing to do with DNS or anything related to your own internet connection. I can imagine downloads being slow when a new update for iOS is released and everyone is downloading it at the same time. But now i'm restoring an older iPhone to factory settings and it first downloads the latest iOS for that model. The update is 1.13 GB and it takes about half an our to download on a 100/100 fiber connection.. I would not be surprised if this is by design and they are limiting download speeds from their datacenters...

  • by turingtest2,

    turingtest2 turingtest2 Apr 30, 2015 1:46 PM in response to casparvdb
    Level 10 (87,872 points)
    Apple TV
    Apr 30, 2015 1:46 PM in response to casparvdb

    In a purely unscientific test, but working off the suggestions in this thread, I changed my router's DNS settings from those supplied by the ISP to Google's and I've been able to update a couple of dozen apps in a few minutes that iTunes was saying would each take hours. Several resets of the router and DNS cache flushes earlier in the day hadn't had any effect.

     

    tt2

  • by jyltomten,

    jyltomten jyltomten May 6, 2015 9:13 AM in response to Griff1324
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 6, 2015 9:13 AM in response to Griff1324

    how about 2 hours for a 46 minute album with 250 mb/s ?

  • by Iuse3gs,

    Iuse3gs Iuse3gs Jun 14, 2015 11:55 PM in response to Griff1324
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 14, 2015 11:55 PM in response to Griff1324

    My internet speed is 100mbps I am downloading sims freeplay and its taking too much time.

  • by deonfromfl lauderdle,

    deonfromfl lauderdle deonfromfl lauderdle Jun 15, 2015 12:06 AM in response to StumpyBloke
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 15, 2015 12:06 AM in response to StumpyBloke

    IS working now

  • by Iuse3gs,

    Iuse3gs Iuse3gs Jun 15, 2015 1:58 AM in response to Griff1324
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 15, 2015 1:58 AM in response to Griff1324

    I was downloading a 2gb game from utorrent at same time itunes was downloading about 500mb sims the utorrent download is completed but still the itunes download is not complete

  • by garyzfromclementon,

    garyzfromclementon garyzfromclementon Jun 15, 2015 3:28 AM in response to Michele Gardner
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 15, 2015 3:28 AM in response to Michele Gardner

    I've been wondering about this too.

     

    Saturday night and Sunday morning (6/14 and 6/15) I was listening to track samples in the iTunes Store, planning my next purchases, and it was acting like the 90s with frequent "re-buffering" and "Connecting to URL" messages that I hadn't seen for quite a while. It seemed to get a little better by Sunday night.

  • by DGolden32,

    DGolden32 DGolden32 Jul 6, 2015 1:10 PM in response to DeeHunt
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 6, 2015 1:10 PM in response to DeeHunt

    This worked FANTASTICALLY. 

     

    Downloaded Item:  iOS 8

    File Size : 1.55 Gb

    Original download time: 5 hours

    After Trying this: 15 minutes

  • by stephenfrombailey,

    stephenfrombailey stephenfrombailey Jul 9, 2015 7:57 PM in response to Griff1324
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 9, 2015 7:57 PM in response to Griff1324

    someone removed by reply for reasons that are obvious. why are iTunes updates 155 mb? that is enough for a upgrade not an update.

    go open-sourced software and forget Apple. they are really getting too proprietary and crazy. you can download music and burn them. when

    you buy movies you have to use their software of hardware to view it. unless you understand the software like me and can bypass their so called

    reasons for not being able to burn movies you buy from Apple. Might as well buy the movie. there are ways to burn to blue-ray and/or DVD movies from

    Apple. just look it up online. if you buy it you should be able to burn it.

    the reason the downloads on so called updates are slow is because its on the Apple end NOT YOUR END OF THE NETWORK.

    they will keep asking questions about your network. it is slow on DSL and Fiber-Optic. I know from experience. it is not your network.

    Apple the multi-billion $ company. the one that keeps on getting your money but not allowing you to really own what your buy.

    It's time to go OPEN-SOURCE, IT'S FREE, EASY AND BETTER THAN ANYTHING APPLE CAN OFFER. YES I KNOW THIS WILL BE TAKEN OFFLINE SOON BECAUSE APPLE DOES NOT WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE UP TO.

    SOON APPLE WILL BE SELLING THEIR PRODUCTS TO IRAN. THEY ARE TRYING THEIR BEST TO LOBBY THE PASSAGE OF THE NEW DEAL

    WITH THE IRANIANS. (LIKE THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY) PIGS IS WHAT APPLE IS.

    WHAT A SHAME.

    BILL GATES, I THOUGHT YOU WERE BETTER THAN THAT.

    GOOD LUCK YOU WILL SOON SEE MORE AND BETTER COMPETITION I PRAY.

    I AM SURE THIS WILL BE DELETED AS SOON AS A "WATCHER" SEES IT. (IT CAN ALWAYS GO OTHER PLACES)

    HE OR SHE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT.

    WHAT IS THE UNITED STATES BECOMING?

    READ FAST IT WILL SOON BE DELETED

  • by stephenfrombailey,

    stephenfrombailey stephenfrombailey Jul 9, 2015 8:03 PM in response to jyltomten
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 9, 2015 8:03 PM in response to jyltomten

    APPLE WILL ALWAYS HAVE AN EXCUSE BUT WILL NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM

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