Why is My Download on Sprint EVDO Sierra Wireless 597 not as fast as speedtest.net?

Question

Hello,

I have Sprint Wireless broadband and recently I downloaded a 23.3 MB file. The speed downloading was an average around 50kbps, fluctuating between 30kbps and 70kbps. The funny thing is that when I go to speedtest.net, I get a reading that my download speed is 405kbps and upload is 43kbps. not so worried about upload because pages load quickly while I am surfing on the web. I also have the modem hooked up to a Cradlepoint MBR1000 router and I am connected to it wirelessly through my desktop computer running Windows Vista Premium 32 Bit and I use Mozilla Firefox as my internet browser. (NOTE: I just now started using Mozilla, before I used IE but even when I changed browsers there was no difference in download speed except for web pages.)

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you

(b^_^)b

Answer 1

The recommended server on speedtest is usually very close (in nymber of hops) to your provider.  Your download can be coming through dozens of hops, or through a hop that's particularly slow (and the download will proceed as fast as the *slowest* part of the path the file comes through).  That's just how the internet works - your provider sells you speed between you and them - they have no control over the rest of the internet.  (How come your Porsche can't do 120 MPH during the rush hour?  Same thing - Porsche doesn't control the roads.)