Throttling browsers

[EtherealN]

Yo,

 

This is more "PC Software" than "PC Hardware", but it's close enough I think to fit in here.

 

Basically, on some occassions we all end up downloading really large files, sometimes from slow servers. My personal "record" is when I bought Empire: Total War over Steam on release, and the extremely overloaded (pre-loading didn't happen) servers had issues delivering good bandwidth to all the people that needed to download the same 15GB game at the same time. The issue is, sometimes you want to do things at the same time as waiting for that download to complete, like playing a game. Like DCS.

 

But when I'm downloading a large file from a server that supplies me at or near my bandwidth limit, I would suffer huge pings if I play online, and to be quite honest - nowadays my DCS is mainly on the Midget Tossers because well... It's so damn hard to survive on that server that the simple act of flying from point A to B is a thrill. But if I am downloading something important at the same time (distro ISO's and such) I simply cannot play because ping will be in the stupid range.

 

So: since the download is happening through browsers, does anyone know of a way that I might have overlooked to throttle the browser - basically something similar to setting process priority but for the utilization of bandwidth. I've considered the option of setting priorities on ports through the router, but since I am a cheap bastard I am leeching net connection through the office of my family's business which is located one floor above me - and they would revoke my admin privs if I made DCS have higher priority on the router than their silly e-mail. (Not to mention that the secretary would throw a hissy if her streamed radio was hickuped by me playing with the simulator.)

 

Therefore, I need a way to do this locally at my computer, while booted into Vista 64. I am using Chrome but can consider a change of browser for this feature.

[Feuerfalke]

There is a software available for IE and FF, that works like a plugin. You can install it and choose which bandwidth FF is allowed to use. It does not work with all websites, servers and of course it does not limit the bandwith use of Steam.

 

Check out this link for the Plugin:

http://www.uselessapplications.com/en/Application/FirefoxThrottle.aspx

 

If you want to include Steam and other programs, you can also use programs like "Traffic Shaper XP" for XP-based OS. For Vista, most of them are commercial programs.

 

In general though, I can only recommend using download-managers. There are different programs available, like FreeDownloadManager (FDM), for example. It is able to retry or continue paused downloads, download files from different resources simultaniously, to use your bandwith to the max and it also has options to restrict bandwith for background downloads. IMHO that would be the most suitable solution for your problem.

[EtherealN]

Doh... I'm an idiot. Download managers is of course the obvious solution. >.<

 

I used getright back in the modem days but ever since ADSL and fiber proliferation I've just forgotten that they exist. :P

 

Thanks!

[Panzertard]

Doh... I'm an idiot. Download managers is of course the obvious solution. >.<

 

I used getright back in the modem days but ever since ADSL and fiber proliferation I've just forgotten that they exist. :P

 

Thanks!

 

Swedish ... ^^

*** Panzertard runs off in the general direction of Denmark.

[EtherealN]

If you run, i.e travel by land, you have to pass through sweden. I'll be waiting. :D

[Panzertard]

If you run, i.e travel by land, you have to pass through sweden. I'll be waiting. :D

 

Lol. You know how I came up with looking for that avatar for you?

Sort of in the random Friday-mood .. the chain of thoughs was something like this;

~ Eth is swedish, mkay ...

~ ...mm, donuts ...

~ I'll leave a comment on his profile ...

~ .. hm, why did I think muppet ... midget muppets? ^^

~ oh wait, muppet ... swedish ...

~ DANG! Chef! :D

 

hehe, sorry, a tad OT ;)

Ah well, it's friday - weeeekend .. *phew* :)

Edited August 21, 2009 by Panzertard

[EtherealN]

Hahah, I imagined it would be something like that. :P

 

But yes, friday indeed! Skål! (Once my blood-ethanol is high enough I'll come visit the server, ready to cause hilarity.)

[Panzertard]

That reminds me, I have forgot to check if it's still running - I kinda left it to it's own devices for the week there.

I may need to grab some cognac and share some stories with you on TS ;)

But first, some dinner ..

~..... mmmm, donuts ...