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Why is my Dropbox upload speed so slow?

Hello guys, does anyone facing problem with slow uploading to Dropbox?

I'm using 1Gbps connection uploading speed max around 3Mb/s, compared with Google Drive with my connection up to 80Mb/s.

Already tried upload via Dropbox web, Dropbox Apps, Cyberduck, Zoom Uploader and all speed still same.

Transferring 16TB data from Google Drive using Multcloud also average speed around 3Mb/s. Dropbox really capped limit or what? Seriously in 2018 with that speed?

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Jane

Hey @x3inspire, thanks for reaching out for assistance on the Dropbox Community in regards to your uploading issue, I hope you’re doing well today!

Firstly, I’d like to thank you for all your cooperation & prompt replies here, let me follow-up from where you’ve left off previously.

In order to make sure I understand correctly, can you please clarify if you’re uploading your files using the web interface or the desktop Dropbox application? Based on your screenshot, it’s my understanding that you’re using the website to get your files online, therefore I’d like to ask you if you’re getting better results on the client. Could you elaborate on how this option has worked for you?

Based on your description, you may want to avoid using your desktop to sync your files online, as the default setting could be "Available locally". Please note that you may change this, following the steps outlined below:

Click the Dropbox icon from the menu bar.
Click the :gear: icon and select Preferences... from the menu.
Click Sync :arrows_counterclockwise:.
Choose your work Dropbox account.
Change the selection for Smart Sync Default to the last option:
- Admin default: the default setting chosen by your team admin.
- Local: all new content downloads to your computer.
- Online-only: manually download files to your computer when you need them.

Following, I’ve made sure to run a search on our system on my end & I’ve located your open ticket. In order to expedite matters, I’ve raised your support priority internally & I’ve notified my colleague handling the case on your comments, so as to find a viable solution together.

They’ll get back in touch with you on this discussion & rest assured that they’ll do their best to help you over.

I hope that this is helpful to you. Please let me know on how you’d like us to proceed on this discussion & I’ll make sure to check back to you & help you on this matter in any way I can. Happy Monday!

[This thread is now closed. If you have a similar or new question, you can ask here]

All comments

Mark

There is no cap at Dropbox's end, but, that does not mean there are not caps elsewhere.

What is worth noting, however, is that uploads are always very slow with Dropbox initially because it uploads files smallest -> largest after its recreated the directory structure. Because it individually has checks every file it means the overheads can be quite intense. Once it gets to larger files it hash checks each file in 4mb blocks which help speed up the process.

x3inspire

So, because of "hash checks each file in 4mb blocks" upload speed limit to 4Mb/s?

Mark

No, there is no limit. It just slows things down initially as there are overheads on checking each file.

I can quite easily upload movies of a few GB here in a couple of minutes, but, thats because everything else is already sync'd and so the overheads are low.

Have a look at https://help.dropbox.com/syncing-uploads/faster-sync

x3inspire

How you uploading the file? Using Dropbox application?

I tried uploading using Dropbox Apps, but when i paste the file on Dropbox folder the file not saved as online-only, it saved as local. I need to right click for each new file and choose online-only.

Update: uploading using Dropbox Apps also max around 4.5Mb/s

alissa914

I was using my Synology NAS with the great Dropbox client in there. It was getting 45MB/sec upstream (I have 840Mb/ upload speed with FIOS).... so that's 360Mb/sec. It uploaded my 740GB collection in about 12 hours or so? I didn't check how long it took but I set it up after getting annoyed that Amazon Drive lost 20 of my videos and paid to go back to Dropbox where I had 30 days file retention -- Amazon Drive completely lost the files and I couldn't get them back otherwise. I set it up at 4am and when I checked around 4pm, it said it was already done.

If there's a cap, it could be on your machine or at your ISP. Maybe if you try uploading via Wifi it goes slower? I wired my PC here with a Cat6 cable into a 7-port switch and then with one cable into the cable modem across the room. Speeds are much faster than with any other provider I've used.

x3inspire

This is my speedtest result http://www.speedtest.net/result/7326491234

Take a look the upload speed compared with Google Drive LXzPvE1

alissa914

I don't use Google Drive so I can't say if I get the same results. For me, I turn on my Synology NAS, put the files on my drive there, and the system takes care of syncing it to Dropbox. I can have it do 10 files at the same time and each one goes for about 5MB each.... but it does 10 at the same time. Not sure if you're referring to individual upload speed but in terms of syncing a ton of files over, I seem to do OK and pretty much always have. I think sometimes it even matches it up to files in the Deleted files folder and pulls them out to avoid having to use network traffic if it has a match..... When I started to put my files back on Dropbox, it often said "Merged" instead of "Uploaded" as most of those files hadn't changed since I pulled them off 30 days ago.

Jane

Hey @x3inspire, thanks for reaching out for assistance on the Dropbox Community in regards to your uploading issue, I hope you’re doing well today!

Firstly, I’d like to thank you for all your cooperation & prompt replies here, let me follow-up from where you’ve left off previously.

Click the Dropbox icon from the menu bar.
Click the :gear: icon and select Preferences... from the menu.
Click Sync :arrows_counterclockwise:.
Choose your work Dropbox account.
Change the selection for Smart Sync Default to the last option:
- Admin default: the default setting chosen by your team admin.
- Local: all new content downloads to your computer.
- Online-only: manually download files to your computer when you need them.

They’ll get back in touch with you on this discussion & rest assured that they’ll do their best to help you over.

[This thread is now closed. If you have a similar or new question, you can ask here]