[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”” custom_padding_phone=”” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”7b1bf5ad-cc2a-4448-981c-4963d88bd6e8″ custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px|143px|0px|141px|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”0px|0px||0px|false|true” custom_padding_phone=”25px|0px||0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ width=”100%” custom_margin=”|-54px||||” custom_padding=”0px||0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
No one likes slowdowns and delays when downloading large files\u2014especially on a deadline. Like a video editor who needs to download a batch of footage for a last-minute project.<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s some advice that\u2019s sure to save significant time the next time you download large files: <\/strong><\/span> don\u2019t download to an external hard drive.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n I know, I know. You don\u2019t have much space on your local disk. None of us do. We get it.<\/span><\/p>\n But here\u2019s the thing: external drives and their connections are one of the most common causes of download speed bottlenecks and slowdowns. An external drive-induced performance drop-off can occur at several stops along the data transfer pathway, including:<\/span><\/p>\n Downloads are only as fast as your slowest bottleneck, after all. It doesn\u2019t matter if everything else is blazing fast: If you\u2019ve got a bottleneck, your download will be slow.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ width=”100%” custom_margin=”|-54px||||” custom_padding=”0px||0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In an ideal world, downloading files to your local drive is always your fastest option. It requires far fewer input\/output (I\/O) operations to move data than an external peripheral.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ width=”100%” custom_margin=”|-54px||||” custom_padding=”0px||1px|0px||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n But life isn\u2019t always ideal. Sometimes we absolutely have to download large files to an external drive. If that\u2019s the case, here\u2019s what to do for the best performance.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”7b1bf5ad-cc2a-4448-981c-4963d88bd6e8″ custom_padding=”0px|143px||141px|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”0px|0px||0px|false|true” custom_padding_phone=”0px|0px||0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ width=”100%” custom_margin=”|-54px||||” custom_padding=”0px|||0px||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Jump to section:<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” module_id=”how-did-the-role-come-to-be” _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px|143px||141px|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”|0px||0px|false|true” custom_padding_phone=”30px|0px||0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_id=”internet-speed” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ custom_margin_tablet=”||12px||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_padding_tablet=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ width=”100%” custom_margin=”|-54px||||” custom_padding=”0px|||0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Before doing anything else, we recommend running a quick internet speed test<\/a> on your upload and download speeds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Running a test takes just a few seconds. You may be surprised to learn your actual download speed isn\u2019t quite as fast as you thought (or you were told by your ISP).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Also\u2014if you\u2019re running ethernet, try the Wi-Fi.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We suggest a quick download test (using a small-ish file) to compare ethernet performance with that of your W-Fi. Newer Wi-Fi standards are faster than legacy 100BASE-TX ethernet, which tops out at 100 Mbps and can limit you either via your ethernet port or network router.<\/span><\/p>\n If any of this testing shows you can only download at 100 Mbps or something similarly languid\u2014well, you\u2019ve found your bottleneck.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_cta title=”Need to Send or Receive Large Files?” button_url=”https:\/\/app.massive.io\/en\/signup” button_text=”Sign Up For Free” module_class=”starttrial” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” header_level=”h5″ header_font=”||||||||” header_font_size=”27px” header_line_height=”1.3em” background_color=”#03D6B3″ custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#03D6B3″ button_bg_color=”#FFFFFF” button_border_width=”0px” button_border_radius=”50px” button_font=”|700|||||||” button_use_icon=”off” button_custom_padding=”10px|42px|10px|42px|true|true” link_option_url=”https:\/\/app.massive.io\/en\/signup” button_text_size_tablet=”” button_text_size_phone=”19px” button_text_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”on|hover” button_custom_padding__hover_enabled=”on|hover” button_custom_padding__hover=”|2em|||false|false” button_border_width__hover=”0px”][\/et_pb_cta][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” module_id=”how-did-the-role-come-to-be” _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”45px|143px||141px|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”|0px||0px|false|true” custom_padding_phone=”30px|0px||0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_id=”external-hard-drive” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ custom_margin_tablet=”||12px||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_padding_tablet=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ width=”100%” custom_margin=”|-54px||||” custom_padding=”0px|||0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n If internet speeds are solid and you absolutely must use an external hard drive to download large files, you can optimize your drive setup for the fastest possible download speeds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In terms of the actual drive itself, you should:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>SSDs are super fast and write data at speeds that keep up with most file transfer interactions. Generally, if you\u2019re using an SSD, the drive itself is probably not your bottleneck. Mechanical spinning drives that read or write at 7200 or 5400 RPM, on the other hand, definitely could be. Especially older drives that may need disk cleanup or defragmentation (we recommend just buying a new drive).<\/span><\/p>\n This one\u2019s pretty obvious, right? Here\u2019s a list<\/span>\u00a0of some of the fastest external hard drives<\/a> on the market. <\/span>If you’re a video professional, you’ll like to read the top 5 external hard drives for video pros<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n MacBook Pro users should use an Apple drive, for example. Doing so avoids slowdowns from any potential hardware or software conflicts.<\/span><\/p>\n For best results, make sure the drive is connected to <\/span>your computer\u2019s fastest port<\/span>. Speaking of ports, your bottleneck could also be the type of port connecting the hard drive to your computer.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” module_id=”how-did-the-role-come-to-be” _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”45px|143px||141px|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”|0px||0px|false|true” custom_padding_phone=”30px|0px||0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_id=”usb” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ custom_margin_tablet=”||12px||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_padding_tablet=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ width=”100%” custom_margin=”|-54px||||” custom_padding=”0px|||0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n While newer Thunderbolt and Universal Serial Bus (USB) connections are more than able to keep up with the fastest large file transfers, other common ports\u2014such as USB 2.0\u2014just don\u2019t have the bandwidth.<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s a breakdown of the <\/span>speed limitations<\/span> of the most popular connection ports:<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ width=”100%” custom_margin=”|-54px||||” custom_padding=”0px|||0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ width=”100%” custom_margin=”|-54px||||” custom_padding=”0px|||0px|false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n As the table shows, any equipment using USB 2.0 ports or below are going to have serious issues keeping up. Good news is, it\u2019s highly unlikely you\u2019ll have anything below USB 2.0, unless your equipment is fairly out of date.<\/span><\/p>\n But this all begs the question: how do you know which USB connector you\u2019ve got?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s actually pretty simple, because their receptacles are different. USB-A standard receptacles are <\/span>color coded<\/span> on the inside: USB 1 and 2 connections are typically either white or black, while USB 3 connectors are blue (and sometimes include an \u201cSS\u201d marking for \u201cSuperSpeed\u201d beside the port).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Mac users can also follow <\/span>these instructions<\/span> to confirm their port types<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/massive.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/download-large-files_external-drive_usb-3.0.jpg” alt=”close up of a USB 3.0 connector” title_text=”download large files_external drive_usb 3.0″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ width=”100%” custom_margin=”|-54px||||” custom_padding=”0px|||0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n\n
\n
<\/blockquote>\n
<\/blockquote>\n
\n
Check your internet speed (and try the WiFi)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Check your external hard drive<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Use a solid-state drive (SSD)<\/b>.<\/span><\/h3>\n
2. Use the fastest external drive you can.<\/b><\/h3>\n
3. Use a drive that\u2019s native to your computer<\/b>.<\/span><\/h3>\n
Check USB and other connections<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n\n
\n Port<\/strong><\/td>\n Speed<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Thunderbolt 3 & 4<\/span><\/td>\n 40 Gbps<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Thunderbolt 2<\/span><\/td>\n 20 Gbps<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n USB 4<\/span><\/td>\n 40 Gbps<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n USB 3.1 (SuperSpeed)<\/span><\/td>\n 10 Gbps<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n USB 3.0 (SuperSpeed)<\/span><\/td>\n 5 Gbps<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed)<\/span><\/td>\n 480 Mbps<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n USB 1.1 (Full-Speed)\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n 12 Mbps<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n USB 1.0 (Low-Speed)<\/span><\/td>\n 1.5 Mbps<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n