Solved Fast Download on Certain Files, Slow on Others

I downloaded a 302 MB file, which was a driver update.. It downloaded at almost 3 MB per second. I then downloaded a 160 MB YouTube file. It started downloading 1 MB per second, but proceeded to drop to 150 KB per second and didn't go any higher than that for the remainder of the download. Why? I completely reset my laptop because of this but it didn't do anything. I've reset and unplugged my router. Is it my laptop? Or my ISP?

I've re downloaded both files multiple times just to see if it was a fluke, but I get the same speeds.

I've also flushed the DNS. It did nothing. I get great speed when I'm doing anything other than downloading certain things. I just don't get why a larger download downloaded quickly when a smaller one takes so long.

Many factors go into speed. The server can be busy and thus everything is slower. The driver update server may not have been busy plus they may have a high speed internet link.

YouTube has a lot of users at any one time, the servers are always busy and the same with their internet links.

Some sites are always slow and others always fast.

Another scenario, you can download something from a site, and be fast. Then download something else from the same site and be slow due loading on lines.

Unless all of these files were coming from the exact same server, there are a myriad of factors that play a part, almost all of them are completely out of your control because the problem is with someone else's computer/server. So it's like the old breakup line: It's not you, it's me. Or maybe some clogged relay between you and the other site.

Also, just FYI, if Google wanted people downloading YouTube videos they'd have big download buttons all over the place. Grabbing those videos is almost certainly a violation of their ToS and thus talking about it puts you on shaky ground per the rules of this forum.

Violating terms of service certainly isn't my intention. The video was a home recording tutorial, there was a link by the creator to his site to download the video, but his site was down. So I grabbed a Firefox add-on and downloaded it. I apologize if this causes any issues here on the forums.

The fact that the thread is still here suggests the moderators have either not seen this thread or decided it's still on the right side of the rules, I was just letting you know you're flirting with the line, especially when you left out the bit about how the creator of the video made it freely available for download elsewhere. That's still something of a legal gray area, but you're on somewhat firmer ground.