Hello, I'm reaching out about a persistent issue when downloading games from Steam. After searching online for solutions, nothing has resolved the problem. My download speeds fluctuate between 3-20mb/s and then drop intermittently. Since I'm based in Romania, I've tried switching download servers and other internet options available online. Speedtest by Ookla shows the current performance.
It's possible your internet service provider might be limiting your speed.
You can check for alternative options. Torrent speeds tend to be quicker and more reliable compared to Steam, though it’s unclear how much they differ from traditional downloads.
Through my investigation, I found indications that your connection might be experiencing throttling. Using a VPN could help safeguard against ISP restrictions, making it a worthwhile step to consider. If the speeds remain steady after connecting to a VPN, it’s likely you’re being throttled.
In the previous screenshot you began at 3:22 pm. By the time the image was taken, 16 minutes had passed and you had downloaded 7.3GB, averaging about 7.6MB/s or 60Mbit/s, which is reasonable but not near your peak. As mentioned before, I plan to use a VPN—though I haven’t tried it yet. It seems I get close to my limit, around 67Mbit/s (or roughly 7.9 MB/s).
Apologies, I didn't note that I rebooted the PC before capturing the screen; the actual start time was when the download resumed. Thank you for your patience—I'll consider using a VPN.
Thank you for the guidance and for dedicating time to your research. I think I’ll just use a VPN.
I rely on PIA, typically receive around a year's subscription for about $29, but it was recently upgraded. My speed is roughly 3-5Mbit/s below the maximum, and I connect to servers in the Netherlands or Germany mostly, occasionally France, from the UK – performance is quite solid.