[angevine41]

MacObserver had positive review. (www.multimania.com/simplemacs/SpeedDownloadDocs/)

But I can't make it work!

Using 8.6. Downloaded program, created download folder on desktop, put contextual menu in system folder, restarted. Went to mp3, control-clicked a music download, selected \"download with speed download.\"

Download dialogue box appeared at top; new box popped up: \"You have been redirected to a html file....This may not be the file you wished to download.\"

Clicked proceed. New box: \"Server did not specify file size.\"

Click OK, resume download. Then get \"Choose File\" box, with \"Speed Download\" folder showing; but, no matter what, I can\'t get Choose File to accept \"Speed Download\" folder for download.

Went to macdownload.com and tried to download a small program there; same result.

Am I doing something wrong? Or is my ISP (jps.net, now onemain) not allowing, or what?

[Cipher13]

Sorry, I can't help with your problem - I just use it as it came (except with 20 connections and a bigger buffer) and its awesome - got 300K/s out of 30 connections to a file that got me 7K/s through communicator...

Cipher13

[angevine41]

Cipher, What "kinds" of files have you been downloading? Have you, specifically, tried downloading from mp3 or macdownload?

You're right, SD sometimes chokes on download links that use a redirect CGI script, just like MP3.com does - I also had some mishaps with versiontracker.com links.

But don't blame SD for all the error messages you'll be getting: SD's documentation does mention that in order to work properly, the server you whish to download from must support resumable downloads. If it doesn't, SD won't work... But otherwise, from my experience, SD rocks!!! I only whish they'd explain more how to set the # of ports and buffer size correctly to fit your type of connection.

Maybe you where just very unlucky to try unsupported d/l links the first times you tried it. But believe me, when it works, it really works!!! Good luck =)

[angevine41]

OK, "unsupported d/l links" may be part of the problem. But, for experiment, I control-clicked the "next newest topic" just below here: Didn't get the "redirected" box, but went into the unending "specify file" box loop, and got "server did not specify file size" box. Every time I clicked "resume download," I got "specify file" box, and it would not accept the folder I'd created on desktop.

Why would you ever try SD on this kind of link? If there's no file to d/l, you're sure to get some kind of error message. Try this:
http://www.kaleidoscope.net/cgi-bin/...ummerblues.sit

Worked like a charm for me... Maybe you're behind a firewall of have a http/ftp proxy that you'd need to specify for SD to work. Just a thought...

[Cipher13]

That 300K/s was with the 166 meg Halo trailer. I normally use SD with large files I can get a URL for and have a normally slow connection (through netscape or whatever). Unfortunately, most of my downloads are through Macster and Hotline, so I can't use speed download with them as far as I know.
Does anyone know if it can handle something like Hotline://xxx.xx.xxx.xx/folder/file.sit or what?
I will try that later and post my results.

Cipher13

[angevine41]

OK, OK, I was just trying the nearest link....

Just tried the summertimeblues link, both ways. Using normal d/l, it was averaging 4.5-5k per sec, which is about typical. Then used SD, and, yes, this time everything worked as it should have. However, speed averaged 5-5.5k sec. Have number of connections set at 4, which SD says is best you can do w/ dialup. Maybe I should try with more connections, for kicks.

[Kenneth]

angevine41,

I download MP3 files all the time with SD0.9b without any problem. I guess the file you wanted to download was no longer in the server since GeoCities or other free web site companies do not want memebers to store MP3 files, so it will come out a error 404 or just a html file when you want to download those no-existing MP3 files..hope this help.=)


------------------
"With technology in all corners, learning to unplug can be particularly difficult."

[Cipher13]

Word of warning for anyone using SD with NetBarrier installed, NetBarrier, depending on your settings, may think you are getting connection flooded if you try to open too many connections.
Tone down the security or turn if of if you plan on using more than 20 connections.
If this has happened, make sure you take their IP our of your stop list or you won't be able to access them.

Cipher13

[tioga]

For example, if I want to d/l the August Virex update and use SD, how do I find out its URL or FTP? Normally I would just click on the link in versiontracker...

[Cipher13]

Copy the URL location instead of clicking it (click and hold mouse button, then go to copy link to clipboard or whatever), and paste into SD. That what you mean?

Cipher13

tioga,

If you've installed SD correctly, all you have to do is contol-click on the link and you should have this option in the pop-up menu: "Download with Speed Download". That's it... If you don't have this option, then you have to reinstall SD correctly by putting the file "Speed Download CMM" into the "Contextual Menu Items" inside your Sytem Folder. Reboot and it should work like magic!!!

[tioga]

Cipher: Thanks, that's exactly what I meant. Your method worked fine.
Shapeshifter: I tried dropping that cmm file into the contextual menu folder in the sytem folder, and re-started but it did not come up as a choice in the contextual menu. Hmmm...
Anyway, did a test on the summertimeblues link listed above:
With a 48000 connection on my modem the d/l took 2:36 with 2 ports, 2:39 with 4 ports, and 2:29 not using SD.
I look forward to trying it on a large d/l.

I appreciate both of you taking the time.

tioga,

I noticed that SpeedDownload's CMM doesn't show up in Netscape, but does in IE and iCab. In that case, I'd suggest you use the copy/paste technique when using Netscape. And yes, you're right, download speeds aren't significant with small files. From my experience, you get the best results with files over 10MB downloaded from an FTP server - I've seen my d/l times cut by as much as 5 minutes on a 72MB file download on our 384k ISDN line @ an average 35k/sec.