Q: Software updates download is very  slow

I had 22+ hour download estimates using my FIOS 50/50 service. On a whim I turned on my VPN service and downloads dropped to under 5 minutes. I tried again a week after the iOS release on another device with the same results. I suspect that Verizon might be trying to get money from Apple like they did from Netflix.

Same problem for me, it takes hours to download even small updates using the apple Software updater in OS X 10.9.5. Even in 10.10 Beta i have the same problem. Apple has a big problem with their bandwidth for the Software Services.

Matt--

Have you checked out both the DNS and MTU solutions described in this thread on your system?

I don't know which one of them was the one that worked for me, but at least one of them did, and since then I've had no problems at all with Apple server download speed, and have been doing all the Yosemite Public Beta and iOS 8 updates, latest one last night.

same for me. this started late last week and continued to be a pita during this week. it's not resolved. i'm in europe...

update:

it really depends, which host of apple's content delivery network (cdn) you get:

i concurrently downloaded itunes 11.4 and os x update 10.9.5.

itunes was slow, os x update was fast:

mba:~ raoul$ netstat -W | grep ESTA

tcp4       0      0  mba.home.49281         defra1-vip-sx-005.aaplimg.com.http  ESTABLISHED

tcp4       0      0  mba.home.49279         nlams2-vip-lx-002.aaplimg.com.http  ESTABLISHED

defra could be germany, frankfurt (slow). nlams could be the netherlands, amsterdam (fast).

apple has to do some homework, it seems.

I have been updating an iMac which was on 10.7.4 for a while this afternoon, just to the latest Lion versions, not to Yosemite at this time, and it is astonishing how slow updates are downloading through Software Update. I have now been stopping them and downloading them via the web from Apple Support, and they download just fine and relatively fast with Safari on the same computer which said the 10.7.5 update would take 18 hours through software update (did it in about 10 minutes via Safari). After 10.7.5 was installed, it said it needed the 2014-04 security update. It was again slow as molasses, but I switched to Safari, and it only took a couple minutes. Then Software Update showed Safari 6.1.6 as needed. Again, slow slow, I stopped it, found download with Safari, fast download. Something is definitely messed up with Software Update.

Hello,

I am using Free operator in France.

Thanks to you for your solution to change my local DNS by the google public DNS.

It was 8 hours for iOS 8 update, now its only 15 minutes !!

For Everyone who still have the delay after changing DNS. Download a free VPN Software and Change your Location to the Westcoast. A VPN will restrict the full speed but it only takes 1 hour. As you finished u can remove the software.

I live 6 miles from Apple HQ in Silicon Valley and it was taking 5 hours to download the lartest iphone update, I have AT&T uverse at home and changing the DNS to google or someone else than AT&T fixed the issues. I did some checking and for some reason the AT&T DNS is extremely slow. Its been like this for a month until I finally dug into it. I guess their DNS load balances are not working.... Its rare that the MTU has to be adjusted on home routers so for those who is just reading this thread start with DNS as that's very easy. Its ideal to do it on your home router but you can just change your laptop/desktop (Windows/MacOS) to use hard coded DNS vs. getting it as part of the DHCP info from your router, the downside of that is that you have to change every device that has download issues..

Also on at&t uverse and changing the dns servers to google worked like a charm.  Went from over a 12 hour download to 12 minutes.

Apply knows about it and does nothing...they dont even respond.  Google phone is next...done with this junk.

My download speed averages 10Mb/s, but when attempting to download the software update for iOS 8.1.3, I get download rates of maybe 5KB/s and have been consistently getting such rates such its release (37 days ago). Thankfully I don't suffer any such issues when streaming via Apple TV, but it's frustrating nonetheless.

Why there is so many people who don't realize, this slow thing on apple updates it's not related to traffic is the cheapest excuse from someone who is so blind by the apple brand and it can't see the reality of everything. read this: you tube is accessed by million and millions of people every day and the videos are always crystal clear. simple: apple needs to expense more money on their server. and one day we the ones who makes them rich will have a fast download. REPARACION DE COMPUTADORAS APPLE EN PUERTO RICO 787-780-0000.

Thanks everyone for all the great suggestions!  After a day of trying everything to update my Apple TV, 69chgr's list of free DNSs did the trick.  Here is the link to the servers that he posted: http://pcsupport.about.com/od/tipstricks/a/free-public-dns-servers.htm

I ended up using #5 The Norton ConnectSafe free DNS servers (199.85.126.20 and 199.85.127.20). That took my 666.2 MB download from 6 to 10 hours down to a much more reasonable 27 minutes. (I am on a slow DSL circuit)

April 13, 2015: Downloads for routine Mac/iPhone/iPad updates have been unbearably slow for several weeks. 20 hours for the current iPhone update. Luckily, Mac updaters can be downloaded outside the App Store in a fraction of the time. Not so lucky for mobiles, alas.