killnine

So do you want to max out your downloads? Well, I recently came across a few sweet programs that really help out when downloading files. They are called “Free Download Manager” and the Firefox extension “Flashgot”.
Now, the first really sounds like crappy spyware but its just AWESOME for downloading files. The beauty of this combination is that you can start downloads with Firefox and use mirrors and multiple connections to be 600+ k/s transfer rates on large files.

Step one: Get the programs

1) Go to www.freedownloadmanager.org and download the program. Install it, but don’t create a desktop icon, don’t create a quicklaunch icon or let it launch at startup. Firefox will do all this for you.


2) Go to the “extensions” section of Firefox using the top bar Tools>Extensions



Click on “Get More Extensions”. Now just search for “flashgot” and install it. Restart Firefox.

Step Two: Configuring Free Download Manager

1) Go into the actual program Free Download Manager and select the Options>Download Options menu at the top. Change your options to reflect these settings.









Step 3: Using the Manager

1) Now, go to a place like Filemirrors.com and type something in. My example is going to be the Prey Demo (awesome demo).



Notice that they are all the same size, so we are looking at the same file. Just click on one file and wait for the download window to open.

2) Now, make sure to select the “flashgot” option for your download



This should open up Free Download Manager. Just click “Okay” to continue.

3)




By hitting plus on your keyboard (+), you will tell download manager to add another connection by finding a mirror. It will search Filemirrors for another server and add it.




This is the same file just a few seconds later with 6 peers. Now, my internet is capped at about 600k/s under the best conditions. This was during peak time so I couldn’t even get that, but you get the idea. This can REALLY speed up your download!

Hope this helps!

JacKz5o

Whats the speed of your connection line? And is there something like this that can speed up BT downloads?

Pwnjohnson

BT works differently, it works on a peer connection system, not servers. So no, there wouldn't be anything other than the upload speed of the other peers connected that determines your d/l speed.

SimpleAndClean

what is you connection speed? sometimes download speed depends on internet connection rite?

Retrospekt

Only works with firefox, huh? Me gusta opera.

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ouroboros1827

Right. My DSL Line will not give me any more than 178kB/s, like...ever. Other than when I'm starting a download... So, this won't let me get 600kB/s.

A good way of nearly maxing out your download is downloading a linux kernel image from kernel.org -> they have some of the fastest servers I've ever heard of...

rippon

Yeah. This just helps you utilize all the bandwidth you have. As someone above asked, this isn't going to magically raise your 56k to broadband speed :). But if you have broadband, say 1000KBs max DL speed, and you a certain mirror maxes out or is limited to 200KBs per slot, then this will open multiple connections, say 5, and each will download a different part, then you are using your MAX DL bandwidth, and their limit, 5 times.
I hope that made sense.

Fishie36

You should change the title. People on dialup aren't going to be getting 600k with flashgot.

sniperscope

Flashget + Flashgit + Flashgot = Ultimate download manager. You may want to add that in there, I highly reccommend the flashget family. I use it all the time

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danm

Nice find :)