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1MB/sec cap on FTP downloads with Magnet?

  • 27-02-2014 08:00PM
    #1
    seanp_25
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 230 ✭✭


    I've noticed there seems to be a hard cap when I try to download from FTP with Magnet.

    Can someone on Magnet check with this file (for example) ftp://ftp.heanet.ie/debian-cd/7.4.0/amd64/iso-dvd/debian-7.4.0-amd64-DVD-1.iso

    My download speed doesn't go above ~100-110KB/sec.

    Other downloads, torrents, etc are OK.

    I know Magnet say there's a 1MB/sec cap for downloading over 4GB but I haven't today and I thought that cap would apply to all protocols.


Comments

  • #2
    seanp_25
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 230 ✭✭seanp_25


    Anyone else on Magnet able to quickly check that download?

    Four days in a row now it seems FTP links are limited to 1MB/sec, everything else downloads OK.


  • #3
    dalta5billion
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,034 ✭✭✭dalta5billion


    Not defending Magnet, but you can download all of HEAnet's stuff over HTTP as well.

    http://ftp.heanet.ie/


    Considering how much Magnet complains about UPC's contention ratios, I'd be surprised at them throttling.


  • #4
    apm0003
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 48 ✭apm0003


    Hi,
    I just got Magnet Fatpipe 70 last week and I have been testing stuff over the weekend. I also have their ADSL service on a different line. I plan to cancel the old ADSL line once I am happy with the VDSL service but for the moment I have the luxury of being able to compare both at the same time.

    Magnet are definitely doing some throttling/traffic shaping on their VDSL service that do NOT do on their ADSL service.

    If I try to ftp the iso you linked to above then I get same results as you ... max download speed is capped at 1Mbit. If I then connect to a VPN service I get much higher download speed and that is probably limited by the VPN service. I have tested this at several times and result is always the same. As suggested, I also tried this ftp download over port 80 and it works at full speed.

    I also use Giganews Usenet service and if I use their accelerator add-on I get capped at 1Mbit/sec and if I use the VPN I get full speed. If I configure my newsreader to connect directly over port 80 then I get full speed as well.

    When I do the tests above using my ADSL connection I get my full speed (about 18Mbit) all the time so they do not seem to be doing any traffic shaping on the ADSL link.

    I am going to ask Magnet about this. The benefit of having no contract is that I can switch to another provider if they look to be playing silly buggers.


  • #5
    apm0003
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 48 ✭apm0003


    One additional point, when I ordered the Fatpipe 70 I asked about the 4GB limit at peak hours and was told they have abandoned this as it was causing them too much grief from their customers.


  • #6
    seanp_25
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 230 ✭✭seanp_25


    dalta5billion wrote: »
    Not defending Magnet, but you can download all of HEAnet's stuff over HTTP as well.

    http://ftp.heanet.ie/

    Thanks, I'll see if I can download from my seedbox over HTTP.

    Great analysis apm0003, thanks a lot for confirming what I've been seeing. Interesting that they've dropped the 4GB cap but seem to have implemented other limitations. Do let us know if you hear anything back from them about this.
    apm0003 wrote: »
    I also use Giganews Usenet service and if I use their accelerator add-on I get capped at 1Mbit/sec and if I use the VPN I get full speed.
    What port does the Giganews downloader use? It could be that they've selected certain ports to throttle. I doubt they're doing any deep packet inspection. Throttling to 1MB/sec from what should be 70MB/sec seems very restrictive.


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  • #7
    grimr33f
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3 ✭grimr33f


    Hey I just registered purely from reading this post and I'm having the exact same issue on Magnet's 70mb fatpipe.

    I've tried transferring to/from multiple servers via FTP and it's the exact same download speeds 120kb/s, which as you said is extremely restrictive to say the least. I brought this up with their support team and was told they aren't throttling FTP, though it does just seem to be on the default FTP port 21 as when I transfer via a different port I get full speeds. Unfortunately my host doesn't like me moving the FTP port so I'm having to use HTTP based file managers which is far from acceptable.

    After all the recent issues connection wise I'm honestly sick of Magnet and regret moving to them. I brought up the FTP throttling recently as I have a 15 mail long thread going on at the moment with their support team. Last I heard the support rep is taking it to their management to ask if this is going on as it seems they are completely unaware of the issue on the frontline.


  • #8
    seanp_25
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 230 ✭✭seanp_25


    Speed test from tonight: http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/3379862663

    Confirm this with the Glasnost tester, seems to be no specific limiting of BitTorrent, FTP, SSH, HTTP etc, and uploads aren't limited (15-18MBps). But download is only getting 6MBps or so.


  • #9
    grimr33f
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3 ✭grimr33f


    Just checked downloading from my server, 5gb file running at 120kb/s, so still being throttled.

    My line is supposed to be the 70mb down, 20 up: http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/3382066779

    Though at the moment it's not too bad, I have had issues for the last month with high packet loss causing any online gaming to be out of the question. I contacted support multiple times and submit all the diagnostic files they wanted, they stopped replying 2 weeks ago now. I was also supposed to be receiving a call back from their tech support and one of their CS managers, though this was supposed to be Fri/Mon and I've not heard anything at all.

    I've already decided to change ISP (Only been with Magnet for 3 months) and have an engineer coming out next week to switch me over.


  • #10
    Tooorbooo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16 ✭Tooorbooo


    same here my ftp downloads being throttled 100-120kbps ..... how to get proper speed? :(


  • #11
    grimr33f
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3 ✭grimr33f


    As far as I know, you can't. They couldn't even confirm that the throttle was in place when I was with them. Switched to Eircom and it worked fine immediately.


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  • #12
    seanp_25
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 230 ✭✭seanp_25


    Tooorbooo wrote: »
    same here my ftp downloads being throttled 100-120kbps ..... how to get proper speed? :(

    Try SFTP (port 22) instead. Works fine for me.

    Using a VPN also works.


  • #13
    seanp_25
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 230 ✭✭seanp_25


    Seems like there is real shaping on torrent traffic now also.

    I've tested this downloading very well seeded torrents from private trackers (these used to max out the 100MB connection a few months ago).

    Now it seems they're capped at 1MB/sec (ie downloading at ~100kB/sec in uTorrent) for the first 60 seconds or so of the transfer before slowly ramping up to higher speeds in some cases.

    I'm going to check this shortly on a VPN to see if there's any difference. I am using a newer version of uTorrent which may have this kind of shaping built-in, not sure.

    Anyone else see this? It should be easy to see a cap at 1MB/sec even if you try on a well seeded Linux ISO torrent or similar.

    EDIT: Confirmed this using the Glasnost test. Magnet is throttling torrent downloads. Port 6881 was limited to 7% of the 100MB connection speed, another port was limited to less than 1%.

    Results:
    http://i.imgur.com/2RMuhuv.png
    http://i.imgur.com/XDJul89.png


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