Re: Slow upload speeds on Windows 7

The reason could be many things. Let's start with the question, was the Ookla speed test server at the same distance as Dropbox's server? The answer to that would be maximum time no as speed test servers are hosted very near to customers in ISP network. They do not give real information like say you have 10Mbps connection, but will you really get 10Mbps once you cross your ISP's network? The answer is NO. No ISP will guarantee that once traffic leaves their network. So thats the connectivity part.

Secondly, it is latency that would be very harsh on data transfer speed. Even if you have 10Gbps connection, you can transfer at very low speeds because of how TCP works (a widely protocol used to transfer data). You can search these terms if you want to understand them in deep: "calculate tcp throughput with latency" or "tcp speed calculator according to delay".

Third, different speeds for different paths. I have seen this in the past many times. In your question, you have not mentioned your actual/bought/committed internet speed. I have seen ISPs who would grant you different speeds based on different destinations. Like, for Google/Youtube, they might have a dedicated connection with them and since they pay for that connection at a almost fixed rate every month, they want to utilise that connection as much as possible. So they provide uncapped/more speeds as compared to the committed speeds. I have seen connections with 10Mbps committed speeds getting 100Mbps on youtube to se videos and on microsoft to download windows/office updates.

So these were some of the reasons you can get different speedtest results. You cannot do apple to apple comparison between different destinations.

If you want to dig deeper into this, we can do that but before that, I would need few more information like whats your committed/bought internet speed, who is your ISP (My experience in networking domain helps me in knowing ISPs behaviour and how their service would be), etc.

@mail3dexter - None of that stuff you're talking about produces a straight line in a graph. It's obvious my upload speed is being governed by some setting.

Basically, uploading to dropbox via the web works as it should (10 MB per second). But uploading via dropbox folder is stuck at 1 MB per second, even after selecting the "do not limit" option. Is that setting broken on Windows 7? Could someone check that on their computer?

Sorry, Jay, I'm not getting it. How can my web browser (firefox) upload/download at full speed from www.dropbox.com while an app that was made by dropbox for accessing dropbox can't? It sounds like what you're saying is that the dropbox desktop app doesn't know how to correctly communicate with its own domain? But that's the whole purpose of the app!

Also, I have no idea what you mean by "checking" a domain. Check how? With what tools? Maybe you wouldn't mind giving me an example, if you still think that might be the issue. Thanks!

There can be some apps or services which restrict other apps on your computer. Antivirus and security software can prevent the Dropbox app from connecting to the site, or preventing it from connecting at full speed. 

Try disabling any software which could be related to this. This article also gives more information on what could be causing this.

Hey xerkon  I am too experiencing this issue, and so are others. Windows 7 as well.

This is my post here: https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox-files-folders/Does-Dropbox-limit-the-upload-speed-Very-Slow-uploads/m-p/519825

There is obviously a problem with Dropbox app with Windows 7.

Hi, Soonjas thanks for sending me that link (I put a link in your thread to this one).  I quickly perused your thread and it seems like we have the same problem. It's as if the upload speed is stuck at it's default value even after selecting no limit.

JayI am also not running any security software whatsoever, so it can't be that.

I really hope I'm wrong about this, but it's starting to feel like a "well, windows 7 support has officially ended, so....we can't guarantee that any of our products will continue to work with windows 7" kind of thing.

Here's the response I got. I've already replied with an email that basically said, "Sorry dropbox support, you'll have to do better than that."

[Removed as per Community Guidelines]

Got a response from dropbox support and will update this thread with any resolutions.

I am also experiencing slow upload speeds with windows 7.  There was a notification of system maintenance last week and since then my files upload to 1 second remaining then I get a upload or server error.

xerkon I pretty much got the similar reply =(

I'm on a Mac and I was trying to upload some files and it was giving an ETA that was fluctuating between 1 hour and 3 hours per file.  I took the same files into WeTransfer and the upload estimated 15 minutes for all 3 files.   REALLY frustrating to pay a premium for DropBox and have the free service of WeTransfer blow them out of the water speed-wise.   I really hope Dropbox looks into this seriously.   I will have to seek another option if it persists. 

So I have to confess that I found the source of my problems.  I found that I was experiencing slower internet upload speeds on other sites as well.  I did a factory reset on my modem/router, reconfigured my internet service provider information in the modem/router, and now have much higher upload speeds.  This action solved my issue with dropbox as well.  Thank you all for your inputs.

Respectfully

Just finished typing a response to dropbox support. They keep wanting to blame firewalls and networks. Here's how I see it, as simply as I can put it:

If, under a particular OS, program A uploads a file to dropbox.com at speed X, and program B uploads the same file to dropbox.com at speed .1X, the fault has something to do with Progam B.

Is my logic wrong?

Some good news! My support person is in touch with the software engineers, so maybe I'm making some headway!

Hi Jay,  I don't know how to do the things you are suggesting.  Can you give more detail?   My dropbox uploads are painfully slow and I even upgraded my internet to 20MB per second for uploads. 

Just to update, I am still experience the same issue. The support have not being much help, just going through the same things.........it's very frustating.