Speedtest.net says that I can get to 17MB/s. Yet, when downloading files online, I find them horribly slow at around 500kb/s. Why is this occurring? What determines the speed once it reaches my computer? Does having a 2.4Ghz frequency (with 2.4Ghz phones) on 802.11g bottleneck this usage? Would upgrading to 802.11n (and having a frequency without interference) increase my real-life download speeds (comparable to the 500kb/s I'm getting now)?

The speed is also related to the upload speed of the person or server you are downloading from. If you are downloading from a very large site, such as Microsoft, they may be experiencing heavy volume and that divides the speed of their connection.

This is just in general. I have never experienced speeds over ~5mb/s.

Same concept. The connection can only go as fast as its weakest link. If somewhere along the way there is a slower connection, the data has to slow down as it passes through. The opposite end of the connection probably has a slower upload speed than your download speed.

 

 

 

Kind of like pipes. If you have a small pipe leading into a big pipe, only so much water can pass in a given amount of time.

Same concept. The connection can only go as fast as its weakest link. If somewhere along the way there is a slower connection, the data has to slow down as it passes through. The opposite end of the connection probably has a slower upload speed than your download speed.

 

 

 

Kind of like pipes. If you have a small pipe leading into a big pipe, only so much water can pass in a given amount of time.

I understand now, thank you. So buying a new router would be pointless as far as speed is concerned? Considering now that my router isn't the "smallest pipe."

More than likely, yes. The only thing it would increase the speed in is your internal network. So, if you stream video from one computer to the next inside your household, it may be worth it (Apple TV, for instance). If you need extra range, it may be worth it. But to get to the outside, your router isn't limiting your speeds.

Ok, thank you very much!