Why can download manager can help?

From: KY Wong ([email protected])
Date: Thu May 31 2001 - 00:00:06 EDT

  • Next message: Jon Mansey: "Re: Why can download manager can help?"

    Some download managers such as NetAnts claim to be designed to maximize
    throughput by making multiple HTTP connections, each of which downloads
    a separate part of a single big file.

    I wonder why doing this is helpful.

    Suppose a user connects to the Internet via a 56kbps line. His first
    HTTP connection should consume all the bandwidth of his line, how can
    the multiple simultanous connections help?

    Assume the Web server haven't limited the transfer rate for the requests
    to it. If the user had a 1.5Mbps line now, then his first HTTP
    connection could still transfer the file at 1.5Mbps (assume the network
    is not the bottleneck), how can the multiple connections help?

    Now suppose the network is the performance bottleneck (maybe network
    congestion), then no matter how many simultanous connections are used,
    the overall transfer speed is limited by the network. How can the
    multiple connections help?

    However, by real experience, this kind of download manager is helpful
    and reduce the overall respond time. Why? Is it related to the HTTP 1.1?

    Thank you for your attention.

    Angus Wong

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