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Drajen's avatar
Drajen
Helpful | Level 5
2 years ago

Why is the Dropbox app slow when syncing?

I see there is a common issue when it comes to Download speeds. I just can't believe how frustrating my experience was using Dropbox for big files. The lack of transparency, the lack of compatibility with mac users is nuts! I had to leave my computer on for 3 days in a row, downloading stuff at, apparently unknown download speeds (they just display the time that it will take, which fluctuates a lot and believe me, I have a solid internet connection and a CAT8 ethernet cable)
My clients send me big size files all the time and I am used to long download times but with Dropbox, it takes 10 times more. Why??? They blame ISPs in other posts, they blame people's setups but they NEVER blame themselves for having old tech. What is the point of SYNCING stuff, making it available offline or online as a fancy way to say we are downloading or uploading files?? So many things are wrong with this service, which is not that cheap btw. The only thing I am thankful for is for the 30-day trial so I can get a glimpse of what abhorrent option Dropbox is.

5 Replies

  • Jay's avatar
    Jay
    Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
    2 years ago

    Hi Drajen, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

     

    Could you check if there is a limit on the bandwidth in the Dropbox desktop application?

     

    Do you have any proxy, VPN, firewall, security software, or even ISP/router settings that could be restricting traffic to the following Dropbox domains?

     

    This will help me to assist further!

  • Drajen's avatar
    Drajen
    Helpful | Level 5
    2 years ago
    The so-called app has no limit under Preferences > Network > Bandwith. I tried with a big number and tried it with 'Don't limit' options, they BOTH suck and had the same results. Anyone reading this, do not bother changing that because it has no effect.
    I don't have any other uncommon settings regarding proxies, firewalls, I don't use VPN not security softwares (again, I am MAC user). Hopefully someone at Dropbox can stop blaming people's setups and start giving real solutions.
  • Megan's avatar
    Megan
    Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
    2 years ago

    Hey Drajen, would you mind clarifying the exact version of the OS you're using, along with the Dropbox version installed on your device? 

     

    I'm asking, just to get a clear vision and idea of what we're talking about. 

     

    Also, what is the file size of the content we're talking about, and how long did it take for the content to sync? 

  • Pedw's avatar
    Pedw
    New member | Level 2
    2 years ago

    Many users have reported slow syncing with the desktop application and the answers are never useful.  Google Drive syncs instantly, so lack of bandwidth, etc., are generally not the cause.    Can't dropbox fix the problem?

  • Hannah's avatar
    Hannah
    Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
    2 years ago

    Hey Pedw, thanks for reaching out.

     

    I moved your post to a relevant thread that includes some steps for you to check, in case your issue has to do with bandwidth settings.

     

    Can you check them out and let me know if they help?

     

    Thanks.

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