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Still very very slow downloads from Garmin in 2020

Not even sure if there is use in posting this, but updating maps from Garmin servers is still as slow as ever. Currently 20 KBs. Compare to downloads from other sites which routinely are done at 1Mbs.

  • No help to you but my downloads work perfectly well, maybe check with your ISP to see if they throttle the downloads

  • Yup, never experienced any problems re: slow download speeds from Garmin servers myself either.

  • i can confirm this, I have a 100 Mbps connection which tested at 50Mbps while the maps download was barely reaching 300 kbps ... at this rate I need to keep my edge connected for 2 to 3 days for the download to complete. Now this was something we had to leave with back in the day but this is not 1995 anymore. Garmin, please do smth about this issue, it is sad to have to update my device "over the weekend".   

  • This is not an old device either, I am talking about an Edge 1030 Plus

  • Contact Product Support for detailed help with your system.  Most users don't have issues so if you have a problem let Garmin know. 

  • Hi, 

    I had issues with down loading and updating. Firstly my pc took 15mins to recognize the Garmin Drive-assist 50 GPS, then crashed. Second attempt got through with the warning that it would take 3hrs + to download.

    1. Speed of download was eye wateringly slow even though my internet speed test was Down 238Mgbs / Up 72.25Mbps.
    2. I tried just downloading the file to my computer, still slow, so I stopped after 20ming with 3% downloaded.
    3. Checked my PCs hard drive for spaced – only 19 Gigs, so I clean it up to give me 24Gigs.
    4. Cleaned up the GPS external memory card.
    5. Tried another download still the same.
    6. Read through the related slow download issue on this website, I was having the same issues. SUSAMB repeated that he was not having issues and to check all the things that I’d already done.

    Since working from home I’ve had issue logging on to my PC at work and could only connect via NORD VPN (no I don’t work for them). This is how I overcame the slow download issue. 

    1. Disconnect GPS from PC
    2. Turn off the GARMIN app on my PC.
    3. Open NORD VPN and click on an eastern USA location – in my case Charlotte in South Carolina, which was totally random (Sandhill telephone cooperative, Jefferson SC).
    4. Turn on the GARMIN app on my PC.
    5. Connect GPS to the PC.
    6. Go through the GARMIN app to update your GPS – I selected
      1. north America as I live in Canada.
      2. Download to PC
      3. Off it went.
    7. Downloaded in 10 mins. Problem was there was no exe. File to run the update.
    8. Repeated item 1 to 6a.
    9. Went for a normal update.
    10. Wait for 5 mins, then boom off the update went downloading at 17-20Mbps. First part downloaded in 12 mins.
    11. Slow bit was ‘copying files.’ Which was down to 2.3MB/s.
  • Hello

    Thanks for sharing.

    So I'm clear as I'm not sure from your summary above but remain curious: did you use - or not? - any VPN during this process?

    To reiterate what I wrote earlier: I never - never - experienced any problems re: slow download speeds from Garmin servers myself and I've been rather regularly updating all my devices every few months - or purchasing maps - for the last 10+ years. Connection speed was always the maximum I could get (depending on my own connection to ISP).

    But equally: I never used any VP connection either.

  • Hi,

    I did not use the VPN while I was having issues. As soon as I switched on my VPN and used a US VPN server  the problems went away.

  • SUSSAMB:  If you are aware that your statement is of no help, why are you posting the same statement in almost every post dealing pitifully slow download speeds?

    Our ISP's are NOT throttling anything.  Many of us are using fibre optic connections with download speeds ( from other sites ) in excess of 500 Mbps. Mine is currently testing at 651 Mbps while downloading from Garmin at 139 kbps. 

    I am downloading to a brand new, just out of the package, DriveSmart 65.  My PC is less than 1 year old i7 with NVMe drives capable of 2 Gbps.  USB 2.0 is capable of 480 Mbps.  I would assume that a significant number of users experience problems now as they have for the past 13 or 14 years, but almost none take the time to register and say so.

    Why is the same issue being brought up in 2020 that was there in 2007?  This NOTHING to do with my ISP or my system !!!  I just downloaded a 1.5 Gb file from Steam in just over 4 minutes - Garmin is telling me that my update will complete downloading in 19 hours.

  • Well the vast majority don't experience this so why should you unless it's something within your system somewhere. If you're sure it isn't call Garmin for detailed troubleshooting, no one can help you via a forum.