• From: Hasselt, Belgium
  • Registered: 2006-05-26
  • Posts: 2,609

Topic: Noticed the fast downloads? Thank SimpleCDN!

Our downloads had been either slow or excruciatingly slow (speeds varying between 15 and 100 KBps) for at least a year. DreamHost is not just bad, but they're liars too. They promised multiple terabytes per month of bandwidth (a multitude of the 1.2-2 terabytes we were consuming), but they could not deliver that. At some points, they just stopped our downloads, because their servers couldn't pull it off. Essentially, they broke their contract. So a new solution was definitely needed.

On April 24, I was pointed to a new Content Delivery Network service: SimpleCDN. Normally, such a service is not affordable for an open source project. But this seemed to be, because of their unique approach: Pay Per File. You only pay once per file. No matter how many times it's downloaded.
That was exactly what we needed!

I just tested it while writing this post: I'm getting 1.4 MB/sec. I downloaded DriverPack Graphics A 8.04, 84.8 MB in 1:04. That's 1.325 MB/sec on average. Not bad. Not bad at all! While I was downloading it, there were 10 other concurrent downloads, whom had, I'm sure, similar speeds. Now that's no longer "not bad" but "pretty amazing".

Thanks to this massively improved download setup, the number of downloads has grown exponentially. Since April 24, there have been 2,864,350 downloads, worth 124,350.16 GB in traffic! That's more than 32,000 downloads per day, more than 1300 per hour, more than 22 per minute and more than 1 every 3 seconds. Or, in traffic: more than 1.4 TB per day, more than 58 GB per hour, or an average of more than 16 MB/sec!
That's nothing short of astonishing. It also is a pretty good indicator of how popular DriverPacks.net is smile


So, if you're looking for a CDN, go to http://simplecdn.com. Mention you found them via DriverPacks.net. Not because DriverPacks.net would get some money thanks to an affiliate reward system. But simply to thank them: SimpleCDN is sponsoring all downloads of DriverPacks.net!

Thanks SimpleCDN. I don't know what we'd be doing without you!

Founder of DriverPacks.net — wimleers.com

Wim Leers's Website

  • Registered: 2007-11-07
  • Posts: 310

Re: Noticed the fast downloads? Thank SimpleCDN!

Bashrat, have you also though about approaching mirrors.tds.net (Madison, WI, USA) about some mirror space?  They mirror a pile of Linux distros as well as OpenOffice as a 'public service' with loads of bandwidth.  TDS is about 200 kms northwest of SimpleCDN (they are in Chicago, yes) and are on several big fiber pipes as well as Internet2.

Last edited by newsposter (2008-07-21 04:27:29)

  • From: Hasselt, Belgium
  • Registered: 2006-05-26
  • Posts: 2,609

Re: Noticed the fast downloads? Thank SimpleCDN!

newsposter wrote:

Bashrat, have you also though about approaching mirrors.tds.net (Madison, WI, USA) about some mirror space?  They mirror a pile of Linux distros as well as OpenOffice as a 'public service' with loads of bandwidth.

That means extra work to keep it in sync. So, I won't even consider it.

This works extremely well, all over the world, and requires zero extra effort. What more could I want? smile

Founder of DriverPacks.net — wimleers.com

Wim Leers's Website

  • From: Cambridgeshire, UK
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 6,226

Re: Noticed the fast downloads? Thank SimpleCDN!

Sounds great!
Now how about some extra storage space for the nightlies? smile
I had to throw out some older nightlies to make space for the newer uploads.  "Disk Quota exceeded" errors all over the place.

Welcome back Boss! smile

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  • OverFlow
  • DriverPacks Administrator & BASE Developer
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  • From: Cincinnati
  • Registered: 2006-12-02
  • Posts: 6,730

Re: Noticed the fast downloads? Thank SimpleCDN!

I agree. We get about one post a month from someone with an access issue.
those few posts are likely related to other problems than the host. If it were the host we would be clobbered with posts.

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  • From: Hasselt, Belgium
  • Registered: 2006-05-26
  • Posts: 2,609

Re: Noticed the fast downloads? Thank SimpleCDN!

mr_smartepants wrote:

Sounds great!
Now how about some extra storage space for the nightlies? smile
I had to throw out some older nightlies to make space for the newer uploads.  "Disk Quota exceeded" errors all over the place.

Welcome back Boss! smile

Size limit doubled! smile

Founder of DriverPacks.net — wimleers.com

Wim Leers's Website

  • Jaak
  • Old Timer Rookie
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  • From: Eeklo, in the East Flanders
  • Registered: 2006-07-23
  • Posts: 3,594

Re: Noticed the fast downloads? Thank SimpleCDN!

when you consider how many downloads happened between april 24th and july 20th, it is amazing we see so few reports and requests.
We may have a large user base, but we have only a small active group of helpers, and they have to work in a poor environment (the forum can act up.. as we all know.)

DriverPacks are not ever going to be perfect, but they are pretty good, I guess.

edit;
I think each major update will trigger peak demand.
There are a few pending requests, and there are also a few solutions (in testing) which contain contradictions, and there are offered solutions we may not be able to implement because they are about "unofficial support of a chip".
I was hoping the new site will make work on DriverPacks a lot easier.

There will be updates on a few main DriverPacks in july. (I am trying to find wether there are conflicts between ATI HDMI and sound, and mass storage needs an update too.

They will be based on reports by the 'few' active members.
I've not posted testpacks for a couple weeks now, but am still working on DriverPacks.

Last edited by Jaak (2008-07-21 14:40:57)

The answer was 42?
Kind regards, Jaak.
  • Registered: 2007-02-02
  • Posts: 14

Re: Noticed the fast downloads? Thank SimpleCDN!

As another resort, there's always uploading as Torrents, and letting the userbase support each other's bandwidth.  What would be the downside?

  • Registered: 2008-01-28
  • Posts: 10

Re: Noticed the fast downloads? Thank SimpleCDN!

I've never had any problem with DreamHost ... when i use it as A WebHost - PHP site !!

But, never tryed as a FileShare Server ... but i think they were not designed to do this ... it's not the focus of the service.

But why not consider a SourceForge project, as they have many many mirros based on IPGeo ... so you can download from a mirror near you. Since DriverPack is an open project, i think you will not have any problem to have one site for driverpack.

  • Helmi
  • Moderator & Translator (German)
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  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2006-05-27
  • Posts: 1,799

Re: Noticed the fast downloads? Thank SimpleCDN!

Hmm, open project, I think not.

While the source code has been laid out, it is not available to just anyone.
You have to become a member of the Code Team to get access and that means you have to show you are willing and capable to contribute to the project.

Also, the DriverPacks themselves do not contain OS software, quite the contrary (proprietary drivers!).
Dunno SF.net's usage policy but I doubt they'd want to host that.

All we could host would be BASE if we decided to fully OS it.
And granted, that is the least of the hosting problems, right?

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  • OverFlow
  • DriverPacks Administrator & BASE Developer
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  • From: Cincinnati
  • Registered: 2006-12-02
  • Posts: 6,730

Re: Noticed the fast downloads? Thank SimpleCDN!

We appreciate your input although i think Bâshrat the Sneaky's mesasge is quite clear.

We no longer have any problems
Simple CDN has solved our mirror and download problems
and a new location for our site is easy enough to find.


re "but i think they were not designed to do this"

They sold us a package that included a certain amount of bandwidth - if they were not designed to do this then they shouldnt sell the service.

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  • From: Hasselt, Belgium
  • Registered: 2006-05-26
  • Posts: 2,609

Re: Noticed the fast downloads? Thank SimpleCDN!

Helmi: actually, it is an open source project, I just never have gotten to the point to make the source widely available. The reasons? Lack of time and lack of interest. Only once every couple of months people here ask for the source. The DriverPacks attract sysadmins, not coders.

Founder of DriverPacks.net — wimleers.com

Wim Leers's Website

  • From: Vavuniya, Sri Lanka
  • Registered: 2007-07-31
  • Posts: 25

Re: Noticed the fast downloads? Thank SimpleCDN!

yeah simple CDN works better than the previous provider. Inbetween just one suggestion. Wouldn't it be better if we host the files in free sites like Microsoft skydrive? rather than on a paid site.

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  • OverFlow
  • DriverPacks Administrator & BASE Developer
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  • From: Cincinnati
  • Registered: 2006-12-02
  • Posts: 6,730

Re: Noticed the fast downloads? Thank SimpleCDN!

It would be if we had to pay for the service wink 
they donate our space in trade for a few banners and the exposure we have to offer.

as Bâshrat the Sneaky said clearly in the first post... "SimpleCDN is sponsoring all downloads of DriverPacks.net!"

So it already is on a free site big_smile (Free for DriverPacks anyway)

When he originaly looked at this it was not going to cost that much even at thier full price.

http://www.simplecdn.com/pricing

from the chart you can see that the packs would have incured a one time (lifetime) fee to upload a pack
they mirror it they back it up and they deliver at blazing speeds... no limits on bandwith (and no hidden fees or other charges)
Wow!

we were looking at 4 ~ 9 USD per pack that is a "released" version
(nightlies are kept elsewhere)

But not only do these guys sell a service dirt cheap that just rocks -
they also are supporting our project because simple CDN the company rocks too wink

I agree with; why would Wim even consider _______ fill in the blank...

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  • Helmi
  • Moderator & Translator (German)
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  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2006-05-27
  • Posts: 1,799

Re: Noticed the fast downloads? Thank SimpleCDN!

umapathy wrote:

yeah simple CDN works better than the previous provider. Inbetween just one suggestion. Wouldn't it be better if we host the files in free sites like Microsoft skydrive? rather than on a paid site.

And thereby losing the ability to directly deep-link to the files so you can start the DL right away instead of being transferred to the DL site, needing to find the DL link again, then, maybe having it Dl (I also experienced where the files were present on Skydrive but I could not Dl them for a whole day with no error given)?

No, thanks.

While OCHs might be great for hosting you latest private file for a couple of friends, it's certainly not as professional as a big project like this needs.

One could always use OCHs as a temporal solution if there's problems with the main host, but I don't see them as our priemiere choice.

Plus, as it has already been said, it doesn't cost us anything, so why not use CDN? big_smile

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Coming up next - useful links:
• If you like this project, please support it with your donation!      • Grab your HW info (HWIDs) here!     
• If you are a newbie, be sure to check out the DriverPacks tutorial!     • Here's how to create your own DP!