Welcome to the world of asymmetric communications! Yep, your download speed WILL tank when you upload (someone downloads from you). Basically, when you download from a server, your computer has to send information back to that server to let it know that you're receiving the data o.k. (these are called ACKs). When other people are downloading from you or you're uploading to another server, the ACKs can't get out to the server you're downloading from as quickly, so the data transfer rate is slowed down, as the download server won't send you more data until the ACK is received.
Google search for tcp+performance+network+asymmetry

FAQ by kadar

got feedback? got feedback?

Any feedback you provide is sent to the owner of this FAQ for possible incorporation and shown publically as well.

by edited by kadar
last modified: 2002-08-26 18:47:41