Thanks a lot, davehc. Where I used to live, I didn't really need a download manager, but with this connection, you do. The speed is constantly up & down, the dl manager helps to keep it fast as possible.
I'm thinking of getting regular wired router, that may help, too.
I was going to give you a little warning on the manager, which Cliff has put in his link. It is a little confusing, as it appears to be a different program to the one I gave you., but with the same name. The last version, for example, is not the same number designate as mine, and in the blurb, it says 32Bit only. A lilttle odd??
I use JDownloader for all my multi-file or large file needs ( http://jdownloader.org/download/index ). It's not 'attached to IE or Firefox but is a separate install. It is a bit tricky to learn to use but I find it works great for me.
IE7Pro includes Tabbed Browsing Management, Spell Check, Inline Search, Super Drag Drop, Crash Recovery, Proxy Switcher, Mouse Gesture, Tab History Browser, Web Accelerator, User Agent Switcher, Webpage Capturer, AD Blocker, Flash Block, Greasemonkey like User Scripts platform, User Plug-ins, and a mini download manager.
I know it works with 7 & 8, not sure about 9, may only be 32-bit also.
I don't know because I don't like it - it adds an extra toolbar and I hate wasted space. More real estate, more real estate!
Huh? Browsers don't need DL managers. Users with bad connections might, but it is not the browser's responsibility to keep track of swamped dl servers or flakey ISP connections, then re-establish a download. My point is don't blame IE for a lousy or lost connection.
I used to use Orbit Downloader and it worked very well, but the last time I upgraded, the version had "opencandy.com" spyware in it, so I would no longer recommend it. That was for version 2.8.20. The program is now up to version 4.0.0.3 and they claim it is adware and spyware free, but I do not trust them, since I found it in a previous version.
Nonetheless, if you're interested in looking at the program, here's the link: Orbit Downloader.
It's a tool provided by most of the better browses out there that IE is sadly lacking. If you don't need one that's fine but most users who download files find them advantageous.
I am not saying DMs don't have their advantages, I am just saying it is not a function of the browser, and therefore not a fault of IE that one is not built in.
And to that, you say these are tools provided by most of the better browsers but that is not true. DownThemAll! is a 3rd party add-on. Chrome does not have an integrated download manager, neither does Opera - they all depend on 3rd party add-ons. To single out IE by saying that a DM is something that IE is "sadly lacking" is simply not a fair assessment of reality. So I say again, don't blame IE! The truth is, none of the better or most popular browsers provide download managers - nor should they - features that only some users need just adds bloat that no one needs. As long as users can add the add-ons they need, that's good enough - plus it allows the user to chose from available offerings instead of being stuck with something integrated.
Oh, and BTW, I note IE7Pro, which works fine in IE8 and so far in IE9beta, includes a DM manager feature too - though I have never enabled it (I only use the spell checker).
Firefox has a downloads manager, so does Netscape, and Opera comes with a downloads manager packaged free with the standard installation. I don't google so I don't know about chrome.
Like spell checking I think the download manager should be incorporated into the software to make it as efficient as possible.
I find nearly all third-party download managers to be basically superfluous, except for maybe Internet Download Manager, which is a pay program.
I have had better luck using the integrated downloaders in the browsers to work as long as I have my internet settings tweaked properly. Tweaks include the RWIN setting, TCP/IP settings, and others.
I have posted this before but if most users would use the recommended tweaks in the Broadband section at: www.speedguide.com they'll notice a definite difference.
From their Windows 7, Vista and Server 2008 Tweaks Section:
Windows Vista introduces a number of new features to the TCP/IP stack, including CTCP, and TCP Window Auto-Tuning. This new implementation works much better by default than previous Windows versions with broadband internet connections, and is able to adjust the RWIN value on the fly, depending on the BDP (bandwidth-delay product). This, however, introduces some problems with older routers and restricts the user from tweaking some of the TCP/IP parameters. Still, there is always some room for improvement, and this article explains the known tweakable TCP/IP parameters.
To enter some of the commands below, you will need to run "elevated" command prompt. To do so, click the Start icon > Run > type: cmd , then click CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER. Alternatively, you can navigate to Start > All Programs > Accessories > right-click Command Prompt and choose "Run as Administrator".
Check the TCP/IP state
To check the current status of the Vista TCP/IP tweakable parameters, in elevated command prompt type the following command:
netsh int tcp show global
You will be presented with something like the following:
The settings, as well as their default and recommended state are explained below. The two most important tweakable parameters are "Auto-Tuning Level" and "Congestion Control Provider".
When checking the TCP state with the "netsh int tcp show global" command, it is also possible to see the following message below all those parameters:
** The above autotuninglevel setting is the result of Windows Scaling heuristics overriding any local/policy configuration on at least one profile.
It is displayed when the "Receive Window Auto-Tuning Level" is not explicitly set, or if the system deemed it necessary to make a change because of user prompted "repairing" of your network connection, for example.
Disable Windows Scaling heuristics
Windows Vista/7 has the ability to automatically change its own TCP Window auto-tuning behavior to a more conservative state regardless of any user settings. It is possible for Windows to override the autotuninlevel even after an user sets their custom TCP auto-tuning level. When that behavior occurs, the "netsh int tcp show global" command displays the following message:
** The above autotuninglevel setting is the result of Windows Scaling heuristics
overriding any local/policy configuration on at least one profile.
To prevent that behavior and enforce any user-set TCP Window auto-tunning level, you should execute the following command:
netsh int tcp set heuristics disabled
possible settings are: disabled,enabled,default (sets to the Windows default state)
recommended: disabled (to retain user-set auto-tuning level)
Note this should be executed in elevated command prompt (with admin priviledges) before setting the autotuninlevel in next section. If the command is accepted by the OS you will see an "Ok." on a new line.
The corresponding Registry value (not necessary to edit if setting via netsh) is located in: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Tcpip\Parameters EnableWsd=0 (default: 1, recommended: 0)
TCP Auto-Tuning
To turn off the default RWIN auto tuning behavior, (in elevated command prompt) type:
netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled
The default auto-tuning level is "normal", and the possible settings for the above command are:
disabled: uses a fixed value for the tcp receive window. Limits it to 64KB (limited at 65535). highlyrestricted: allows the receive window to grow beyond its default value, very conservatively restricted: somewhat restricted growth of the tcp receive window beyond its default value normal: default value, allows the receive window to grow to accommodate most conditions experimental: allows the receive window to grow to accommodate extreme scenarios (not recommended, it can degrade performance in common scenarios, only intended for research purposes. It enables RWIN values of over 16 MB)
Our recommendation: normal (unless you're experiencing problems).
If you're experiencing problems with your NAT router or SPI firewall, try the "restricted", "highlyrestricted", or even "disabled" state. Notes:
- Reportedly, some older residential NAT routers with a SPI firewall may have problems with enabled tcp auto-tuning in it's "normal" state, resulting in slow speeds, packet loss, reduced network performance in general.
- auto-tuning also causes problems with really old routers that do not support TCP Windows scaling. See MSKB 935400
- netsh set commands take effect immediately after executing, there is no need to reboot.
- sometimes when using "normal" mode and long lasting connections (p2p software / torrents), tcp windows can get very large and consume too much resources, if you're experiencing problems try a more conservative (restricted) setting.
If you're experiencing problems with Auto-Tuning, see also: MS KB 835400 - email issues MS KB 934430 - network connectivity behind firewall problems MS KB 940646 - 3G WWAN throughput issues MS KB 929868 - web browsing issues MS KB 932170 - slow network file transfer
Compound TCP - Improve throughput Add-On Congestion Control Provider
The traditional slow-start and congestion avoidance algorithms in TCP help avoid network congestion by gradually increasing the TCP window at the beginning of transfers until the TCP Receive Window boundary is reached, or packet loss occurs. For broadband internet connections that combine high TCP Window with higher latency (high BDP), these algorithms do not increase the TCP windows fast enough to fully utilize the bandwidth of the connection.
Compound TCP (CTCP) is a newer method, available in Vista and Server 2008 (there is also a hotfix available for XP/2003). CTCP increases the TCP send window more aggressively for broadband connections (with large RWIN and BDP). CTCP attempts to maximize throughput by monitoring delay variations and packet loss. It also ensures that its behavior does not impact other TCP connections negatively.
By default, Vista and Windows 7 have CTCP turned off, it is only on by default under Server 2008. Turning this option on can significantly increase throughput.
To enable CTCP, in elevated command prompt type:
netsh int tcp set global congestionprovider=ctcp
To disable CTCP:
netsh int tcp set global congestionprovider=none
Possible options are: ctcp, none, default (restores the system default value).
Recommended setting: ctcp It is better to use this newer generation CTCP congestion control algorithm for most broadband connections, we highly recommend it being turned on.
ECN Capability
ECN (Explicit Congestion Notification, RFC 3168) is a mechanism that provides routers with an alternate method of communicating network congestion. It is aimed to decrease retransmissions. In essence, ECN assumes that the cause of any packet loss is router congestion. It allows routers experiencing congestion to mark packets and allow clients to automatically lower their transfer rate to prevent further packet loss. Traditionally, TCP/IP networks signal congestion by dropping packets. When ECN is successfully negotiated, an ECN-aware router may set a bit in the IP header (in the DiffServ field) instead of dropping a packet in order to signal congestion. The receiver echoes the congestion indication to the sender, which must react as though a packet drop were detected.
ECN is disabled by default in Vista and other modern TCP/IP implementations, as it is possible that it may cause problems with some outdated routers that drop packets with the ECN bit set, rather than ignoring the bit. To check whether your router supports ECN, you can use the Microsoft Internet Connectivity Evaluation Tool. The results will be displayed under "Traffic Congestion Test".
To enable ECN, in elevated command prompt type:
netsh int tcp set global ecncapability=enabled
Possible settings are: enabled, disabled, default (restores the state to the system default).
The default state is: disabled
Recommendation: enabled (only for short-lived, interactive connections and HTTP requests with routers that support it, in the presense of congestion/packet loss), disabled otherwise (for pure bulk throughput with large TCP Window, no regular congestion/packet loss, or outdated routers without ECN support).
Notes: ECN is only effective in combination with AQM (Active Queue Management) router policy. It has more noticeable effect on performance with interactive connections and HTTP requests, in the presense of router congestion/packet loss. Its effect on bulk throughput with large TCP Window are less clear.
More information on ECN: Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) for TCP/IP
RSS - Receive-side Scaling
The receive-side scaling setting enables parallelized processing of received packets on multiple processors, while avoiding packet reordering. It avoids packet reordering y separating packets into "flows", and using a single processor for processing all the packets for a given flow. Packets are separated into flows by computing a hash value based on specific fields in each packet, and the resulting hash values are used to select a processor for processing the flow. This approach ensures that all packets belonging to a given TCP connection will be queued to the same processor, in the same order that they were received by the network adapter.
To set RSS:
netsh int tcp set global rss=enabled
Possible rss settings are: disabled, enabled, default (restores rss state to the system default).
Default state is: enabled
Recommended: enabled (if you have 2 or more processor cores and a NIC that can handle RSS)
TCP Chimney Offload
TCP chimney offload enables Windows to offload all TCP processing for a connection to a network adapter. Offloads are initiated on a per-connection basis. Compared to task offload, TCP chimney offload further reduces networking-related CPU overhead, enabling better overall system performance by freeing up CPU time for other tasks.
To set TCP Chimney Offload:
netsh int tcp set global chimney=enabled
Default state: disabled (under Vista), automatic (under Windows 7 and 2008 Server)
Recommended: enabled
The possible states are disabled, enabled, default (Vista), automatic (only Windows 7 and 2008 Server) as follows:
automatic - This default setting is only available under Windows 7 and 2008 Server, it is not available udner Vista. It offloads if the connection is 10 GbE, has a RTT < 20ms, and the connection has exchanged at least 130KB of data. The device driver must also have TCP Chimney enabled. default - this setting restores chimney offload to the system default. Setting this "default" state under Windows 7 and 2008 Server is possible, but it sets the system to the "automatic" mode described above. disabled - this setting is maually configured as disabled. enabled - this setting is manually configured as enabled.
Notes:
Under Windows 7 and Server 2008 the "default" and the additional "automatic" parameter set the system to the same "automatic" state.
For Chimney Offload to work, it needs to be enabled in both the OS and NIC. To enable the "TCP Offloading" setting in your NIC, navigate to the Device Manager, under Network Adapters, in the Advanced tab, and check "Enabled" in the box next to the TCP offload entry.
Direct Cache Access (DCA)
Windows 7 and 2008 Server (but not Vista) add NETDMA 2.0 Direct cache access support. Direct Cache Access (DCA) allows a capable I/O device, such as a network controller, to deliver data directly into a CPU cache. The objective of DCA is to reduce memory latency and the memory bandwidth requirement in high bandwidth (Gigabit) environments. DCA requires support from the I/O device, system chipset, and CPUs.
To enable DCA:
netsh int tcp set global dca=enabled
Available states are: enabled, disabled.
Default state: disabled
Recommended: enabled (provided the CPU/Chipset/NIC support it)
It is also possible to enable this setting by editing the Windows Registry instead of using netsh as follows: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters EnableDCA=1(DWORD, entry does not exist by default. Set to 1 to enable, 0 to disable)
Setting MTU
It is sometimes useful to view and set the MTU value for a specific network interface manually. To view a list of active network interfaces and their MTU values in Vista using netsh, open command prompt as administrator and execute the following command:
netsh interface ipv4 show subinterface
You will be presented with a list of interfaces, and their respective MTU values as follows:
To change the MTU value of a specific network card, type the following in command prompt:
Where "network interface name" is your specific network adapter name as obtained above (or viewable under Network adapters), and mtu=#### is the desired MTU value.
For example, if the name of your network card is "Wireless Network Connection" and you'd like to set its MTU to 1500, you'd have to type:
DM's certainly have their advantages, and although many of the popular ones are "add ons", it is a feature that every browser should have. When I download from TechNet, Microsoft provides what's called "Microsoft File Transfer Manager". This alone shows that one is needed. Otherwise, why would they be providing it?
But the real issue at hand, is the one that Digerati brought up, our overloaded and flakey ISP's. If the ISP's did their job, which means give us what we pay for, 24/7, the need for a DL manager would be greatly reduced.
For instance, when I first signed up for Road Runner, it was the "lite" version, 1.5 mbps (or whatever the measurement is). I was actually getting what I was paying for, no ups and downs, a steady 186KB/sec. But since "upgrading", if that's what it's called, to "high speed", or 7 mbps, if it weren't for the DL's, I'd never get work done. Without the DL, the speed peaks at 760KB/sec, and falls as low as 12KB/sec. Average around 250KB/sec. That's not high speed internet.
In the morning, for the fifth time since signing up with Time Warner, they're having to come out again to replace my wireless router. They are going to call prior to coming, I'm going to get them to give me a standard router, I'm paying $10 monthly for "home networking", if you want to call it that. If my desktop is running wired, and I connect to the modem with my notebook, then I almost always have to run the troubleshooter to repair the problem on the desktop.
I would be doing myself a huge favor by going with a standard modem, saving $10 a month, then when I get some cash saved, buy myself a decent wireless router that will work properly. Time Warner buys the cheapest crap that they can, then charges you like crazy, especially for "home networking". This router that I have looks as though it was pulled from the trash can, and I'm not exaggerating. It has to be at least five years old, and that's giving them the benefit of the doubt. Truth is, it looks like a primitive "G" wireless router.
Seems like every other month, I have to get on their asses. The last time, I told them to shove their service, to come and get everything of theirs out of my home.
Three hours later, they were calling me, begging me to stay. I agreed, provided that all I was going to pay for was internet service, and that I had better get some speed. For a month or so, all was fine. Then, I decided to go wired with my desktop (for security), I plugged into one of the four ports on the router, and my problems started again. It's not my desktop that's the problem, it has updated drivers.
The problem is the router, it runs hot (as the others did). If only Time Warner would buy modern equipment for their customers, they would save money spent in the long run. Today's wireless standard is "N", not "G", just as the standard of hard drives are measured by TB's, not GB's. I believe the century turned almost 11 years ago, and it's high time that not only Time Warner, but all ISP's, realize the year that we're in is 2010, not 1999.
760 Kilobytes per second is the same as 5.94 Megabits per seconds which is real close to the advertised speed you're paying for. Plus 250 Kilobytes per second is 1.94 Megabits per second and that IS high speed internet regardless of what you may think. My connection is 1.79 Megabits per second and it is "high speed" internet.
I have mentioned this in the past, if you remember, that ALL cable internet is based on the WAN - Wide Area Network type of arrangement. You and all other RR users are cable technology is based on shared bandwidth, with many factors influencing a users download speed. With shared bandwidth the speed fluctuates depending on the number of subscribers on the network at that time.
Ask Time Warner if you can use your own Cable Router & Modem. I know DSL providers allow that, and so does Grande' Communications cable internet here in Texas. All that they need is the MAC address of the modem to ping it. I also know that here in Austin several of my geek friends do use third-party modem/router units with RoadRunner from Time-Warner.
So if it's the modem and routers giving you issues then go with a third-party hardware setup and then you won't have anyone to blame so far as hardware is concerned.
If you'll remember, about two months ago or so CORE bought a new cable modem/router unit and he says it kicks butt big time. He's on Grande' cable here in Texas.
So far as wireless technology is concerned, the reason wireless G is the "norm" is because the vast majority of users still have it rather than the newer N protocol.
Time Warner provided me with a new (wired) router this morning. Now, I'm finally getting the speed that I pay for, w/o using a DL manager. It varies from 920KB/sec to 725KB/sec.
I asked him, why couldn't they do this to begin with? He said that the ports on those old wireless routers just cant put out the speed. He also said that the emphasis on a wireless router is wireless, not wired.
Whether his statements are true or not, I'm finally glad to get what I pay for, and I was given new equipment, not that of the previous century. It's a RCA wired router, very small, but effective.
Now, hopefully I don't have to worry over speed issues anymore.
I tried out another download (WD's version of Acronis), it downloaded at speeds ranging from 1.4MB/sec to 868KB/sec. Now, that's what you call "high speed" internet.
If I don't have any problems with this, I doubt I'll go wireless again.
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