I've noticed that my downloads are super slow at home because my roommates have friends over using the Wi-Fi. My friend's PC seems to download files way faster, around 1 GB per second, and he's not struggling with slow speeds like I am (sometimes only getting 700 KB per second). He mentioned utilizing a disk for downloads, which has me curious. Is there a way to make my computer use a disk for downloading files, or is there something else going on here?
5 Answers
Have you considered that your friend's setup could include some local storage arrangement, like a NAS? That lets them download files at high speeds from their own storage without relying on external internet bandwidth. It’s a different method from standard downloading, which usually involves the internet.
Your friend is likely on a wired connection (like Ethernet) rather than Wi-Fi. Most downloads to a computer go to the hard drive or SSD. If your friend has a solid Internet speed and a wired connection, that would explain the fast downloads. It's not about the disk itself during the download process!
There’s a chance your friend uses a service like Plex, too. It allows them to access files fast because they’re stored locally on a server connected to their network. If you're frequently finding your downloads slow, prioritizing your connection through your router settings might help!
If your friend has already downloaded the content to an external hard drive or something similar, they can quickly transfer it to your PC by copying from the disk. This isn't the same as downloading from the internet but can make access to files much faster locally.
It sounds like there's a bit of confusion here. When you download files, either they're coming through Wi-Fi or a wired Ethernet connection to your computer. Once they arrive, they're stored on your disk. You can't really "use the disk" to download directly; it's more about the speed of your internet connection. Your friend might just have a faster Internet plan or be closer to the router.

Related Questions
How To Get Your Domain Unblocked From Facebook
How To Find A String In a Directory of Files Using Linux