Internet connection issue

[NoOp]

On 05/31/2011 12:41 AM, Alex wrote:
> Hey all,
> 
> I've had this issue for a while, and since I just found this mailing
> list, I figured I'd give it a shot. I've been using Ubuntu for about six
> months now, and one thing I noticed is that whenever I'm downloading
> anything (Ubuntu updates, random files in Firefox, torrents etc..) my
> internet connection slows to a crawl. It affects the rest of the network
> as well. If I'm downloading Ubuntu updates for example, it takes 2-3
> minutes just to load Google sometimes, and the other people in the house
> on the computer at the same time notice it as well. I've gotten to the
> point where I have to wait until late at night to download anything. 
> 

When you use the update manager it uses the full bandwidth of the
network link. See:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-manager/+bug/193558
[[Wishlist] Include limit-rate bandwidth option ]
(my bug report dating back to Feb 2008)

You can limit the the bandwidth that update-manager takes by following
my instructions in comment #7. Just set the limit to whatever you think
reasonable for your connection. For example, if you've a 1.5MB down
connection, then:

$ gksu gedit /etc/apt/apt.conf

Then insert (you can copy & paste):

//---------------------------
// Options for limiting Update Manager download speeds
Acquire
{
Queue-Mode "access"; // host|access
http
{
Dl-Limit "100"; // 100Kb/sec maximum download rate
};
};
//--------------------------

Save the file. Now your update-manager will use no more than 1MB (100Kb)
of the bandwidth & you (and the others) should still be able to browse,
read emails, communicate with this list, etc.  You can adjust the limit
according to your ISP bandwidth & what you wish to reserve for other
applications & other users on your network; just modify the 'Dl-Limit'
line in the file. For example if you've a 3Mb download DSL you may want
to set the limit to 2Mb:

Dl-Limit "200"; // 200Kb/sec maximum download rate