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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
I can't help, but by way of confirmation, I typically get a 12 hour forecast for downloading a SD movie on a PC.
This is not your system.
I have to stay up tending the computer- it may speed up overnite. Sometimes it loses even that which it had and starts over.
It's not my system. Netflix streams away with never a buffering moment, reliably, any time of day.
I wish, when the issue is clearly Itunes/apple only issue , they would stop dishing out the usual suspects which a savvy user will haved tried a million times already. It's a terrible time waster.
I'd fell much better if they said " We have server and distributor issues, we're sorry and we are fixing it."
TallBearNC wrote:
My guesses are
1) Apple just doesn't have the bandwidth during certain times
2) I notice they throttle accounts. If I download an entire hd season, I start out fast, then it slows after a few hrs... Im guessing apple has a max data cap per day then slows you down.
3) I also don't think Apple is capable of handling all the new 35-50Mbit connections that are now readily available from the big cable companies.
First of all, your "priority bandwidth" only stretches to your local ISP - not out in the broader network. That is important to keep in mind. If you have 50 Mbit downstream, you are probably on fiber, i.e. it is enough bandwith all the way to your local ISP - and no congestion there. Eventually, congestion occurs in the «middle-line» of the Internet. Concerning your guesses:
1) I (assume) Apple has money to buy enough bandwidth, and has no reason to not do so. In addition to that, they utilize several content delivery networks (CDN) like Akamai and Level 3. To put it in different terms, you are probably never served directly from Apple.
2) Why should Apple have a max data cap? As mentioned in (1), they have enough money to buy bandwidth. It is more evident that your cable operator has that, (see the Net Neutrality debate). I read on Warner’s web page that "All speeds approximate; no throughput is guaranteed". The problem is that ISPs does not earn enough money on content - therefore they want to manage the traffic to make different pricing plans.
3) Well, again, why should they not? First, they use different CDNs to deliver traffic, which means that they utilize bandwidth within several peering points and ISPs. Second, they probably have more capacity where they connect to the Internet, than you have to your cable company.
My first question is what kind of DNS you are on. I mentioned several articles in my post on May 12th, which describes how DNS affects speed.
My second question is if you would be able to run a traceroute[1] command in your Terminal. E.g. "traceroute trailers.apple.com" and se how many hops before you reach the source? Also, check how many ms. it is to the source.
I have no real slowdowns on the net... I can speed test anywhere in the USA and get full bandwidth. So there's no issues between me and apple... I trace route to apple and the avg roundtrips is around 30ms, and it's only about 20 hops
Correct. My priority bandwidth is only to my ISP, but I have no other issues.. It's ONLY with iTunes downloads to my PC, ipad, iPhone.
I host my own dns server so my DNS lookups are instant down to a ms.... I never use an ISP dns or a router's dns as there is lag or flakey. Having a windows server in my house with a dns server with cached data speeds things up.. But dns is only to start the process... Once a file transfer has started, iTunes has the ip and no longer needs dns services
Maybe ill try lowering the time that cached data can be held.. If iTunes / apple constantly changes downloads, then I need to set my dns cache to expire quickly... However , rebooting, etc never solves my issues... It's just fast one day, slow the next... Super fast for one movie, then the next creeps along... Often I have to pause the download then restart it to get better speed...I guess doing that may get a different ip to DL from...
In any case, apple needs to fix it and guarantee a minimal DL speed
And again ... The more and more I DL in a day, the slower it gets... And that's only iTunes...my ISP doesn't put ANY restrictions on my service as its a business class connection.
To your first post: I have 7 hops, and 10 ms delay, when I traceroute trailers.apple.com. If you have 20 hops and 30 ms, then that is significant more than my records. If I run several traceroutes on http://lg.he.net, I get an average of 4-7 hops. I.e. you have to many.
To your second post: You are right, DNS close by speed things up. BUT. You are not right when you say, "dns is only to start the process". Different CDNs have utilized DNS to optimize content delivery for years. For instance have Akamai low-level DNS servers a TTL on several seconds to one minute. Please read the articles mentioned in my post on May 12th, especially the one from Queue, which ultimately reflects on how CDNs uses DNS in a not intended way. To conclude, you are wrong when you say, "iTunes has the ip and no longer needs dns services". My question, how do you fetch information to your own local DNS, and what happens if you use your ISPs DNS?
To your third post: You are right, lower the time that cached data can be held! But why do you have your own DNS? That will mess things up on several web pages using CDNs [1]. My suggestion is that you try to use your regular DNS - and see if that helps.
The Internet is not perfect, and it is not possible to guarantee a minimal downstream speed, unless you own the network from terminal to terminal. Therefore companies like Apple, buy services from several CDNs to serve people all around the world. These CDNs deal with the congestion problem that is inherent in the Internet. By using several techniques and technologies, the CDNs route around congestion, BGP error, and cable cuts. Also bringing content closer, so that througput will increase.
[1] http://www.cdnplanet.com/blog/which-cdns-support-edns-client-subnet/
The point that all of you are missing is that we are not Apple's IT deportment. Why are you trying so solve a problem for a company that doesn't care enough about their customers to solve it themselves? They could, if they values their customers, solve this problem themselves.
Apple doesn't care. Choose another service.
What does it mean when iTunes says something is 'ready to watch,' but the downloads window still says it has 6 hours to finish downloading??
Even my i devices are slow when using the app and iTunes apps :(
Having slowness when downloading from iTunes via my Comcast cable connection at home. iTunes says that it will be 17 hours to download my movie. Speedtest shows 51.16Mb down and 11.21Mb up, so it's not a bandwidth problem. Recognized that I am in fact using OpenDNS. Changed to my regular Comcast DNS (68.87.85.98 and 68.87.69.146) and found that after quitting and relaunching iTunes, it says 29 minutes remaining. Knowing how DNS works leads me to think that the DNS service that is being employed _SHOULDN'T_ matter, but experience is proving to me otherwise.
In short, changing my DNS settings sped up my iTunes performance. Go figure.
Josh Ausborne wrote:
In short, changing my DNS settings sped up my iTunes performance. Go figure.
Very good! In short: Akamai and Level 3 connect you to a cache server based on your DNS servers IP. If you are in NY, and the DNS server is in LA, well, then you are served from LA. Bottom line is, DNS matters.
If you would like to have more insight in the subject, I suggest the section in "The Next Page"[1] from page 8-15, or Paul Vixies article "What DNS Is Not" [2].
[1] http://www.nsa.gov/research/tnw/tnw183/articles/pdfs/TNW_18_3_Web.pdf
Clearly as much as you many would like to make this a technical issue, it isn't its a business issue.
People, me included have been upset with the download speeds of movies and many will not use Apple to stream rented movies into the future because of this.
Now I live in the UK a small island with 60-70 million people. I live in a high populated area which is well served by internet, I get 50mbs.
My expectation of time to download a movie is 20 minutes maximum, which is poor level of service when compared to Netflix, ILovefilm etc.
Of course if Apple does not want to extend its service to the UK, put in servers located to the major network hubs etc then I really would prefer that either:
a) Apple indicated that service quality is poor in my area
b) Apple did not offer the service in my area.
Then my expectations would be lower and I would use the service with lower expectation probably as a l;ast resort.
Now as a technologist and IT software engineer I know quite a lot about computing but do not claim to be networking expert.
But when I am in relaxing in "Consumer" mode I don't want to worry about how my DNS is set up, which really should need to be altered for using a service such as Apple.
Afterall I don't need to update when using Netflix or ILoveFilm.
Therefore I have written off Apple as a supplier for movies until I get a sensible answer direcetd at the consumer level explaining why they have had problems and what they intend to do into the future.
It's a problem of expectation, Apple are failing in this area in the area of movies.
AJSouthall wrote:
Clearly as much as you many would like to make this a technical issue, it isn't its a business issue.
Well, I disagree. It is a technical issue, but these problems are solvable with different business agreements, e.g. using CDNs to cache content closer to the user. Apple does that, but they do not own the entire network. As such, they cannot guarantee for your speed. But they can do as much as possible to eliminate the problems that is inherent in the Internet, like congestion - which they do.
You don't need to worry about your DNS. But if you have changed your DNS prior to using iTunes, you need to understand that it will affect download speed. Also, bear in mind that your bandwith speed is not equal to your actual throughput[2].
Can I ask what kind of DNS you are using? How many hops do you get to the server that actually serves you on both Ilovefilm and Netflix[1]? I bet that you don't get 50 Mbit to either of these in actual throughput. But you can of course get better QoE, if Netflix and Ilovefilm have placed servers inside your ISPs network, and Akamai has not. What kind of ISP do you use?
I feel this DNS business is getting overplayed in this discussion and is marketed as a "fits all"-solution. Which it is not. I never changed my DNS and as I've reported I feel downloads via iTunes take too long time even if they are not dead slow. Software updates from Apple is much faster.
Great services should mean fast downloads. Apple and outfits like Akamai are all over the world and together should be able to cache at least popular films near the viewers also with some anticipation, no matter where they are geographically.
The reason for bringing up the facts about DNS, was that many in the discussion had misconceptions about how content is delivered, and DNS has implications for download speed. But if that does not solve your issue, we could try something else.
1) If you run "traceroute swcdn.apple.com" - and "traceroute trailers.apple.com".
2) Which ISP do you use?
3) How long time does a regular movie take to download?
4) How long time do you expect it to take?
Look, I use several services including Netflix and Amazon. They stream and in the case of Amazon, download well. However itunes movies sometimes take days to complete.
Why should I be asked to do detailed investigations into my operating system and my ISP network which require
expertise beyond a normal user.?
I get the same lame advice when I raise the topic or itunes hanging my computer especially when syncing.
I don't have Apple tv - tell me - is Apple streaming the same miserable process as Apple downloading?
Why are My iTunes Downloads so Slow?
