How can I speed up a download?

My internet connection speed shows 100Mbps in my laptop. However, when I download a software, the speed barely goes beyond 120KBps. How can I increase the download speed?

• Answer:

  And your connection speed to your ISP (the 10mbps John is talking bout) isn't the speed from your provider to the server you're downloading from.  If that server is heavily overloaded, it has a slow upload connection, or there's a lot of traffic between the server and your ISP, your download speed will go down.  The individual packets are still traveling from your router to your laptop at 100mbps, but there's a LOT of space between packets, so the average download speed is lower. How can you increase the download speed?  By downloading from servers topographically (by connection length and number of nodes, not necessarily by air miles) closer to you.  How do you find them?  Use a service like http://speedtest.net to test your speed to the various locations the site you're downloading from lists, then choose the server that seems as if it would have the fastest path to you. Or learn patience.