Download file getting corrupted

sarahk

I have a 4.5Mb file on my system for downloads which is accessed by http://www.pcpropertymanager.com/v2/downloads/pcpmdemo.exe and we get a few downloads every day. Certainly not so many that you'd expect problems.

However, after a while I start getting emails saying that the file is corrupt and I have to refresh it on the server.

I doubt it is being hacked so what's happening. Do I need to hassle my ISP (http://www.maxnet.co.nz). I'm hosted on a linux box using php4.

Any ideas?

Aeiri

Could be the fact that more than one person is downloading at a time and the information is getting corrupt as it is colliding with the other data... just a thought, but it's probably way off...

Aeiri

Oh, and BTW, I just downloaded it and it was fine... maybe your users are using AOL, if so, tell them to go get a new ISP before getting on the internet ever again or else you will banish them for eternity from your site...

I got a little carried away, I know 😃

sarahk

banish them for life, now that's an idea...

It could be multiple download problem - how do the big sites get around that?

It works now because I've just uploaded the good version 🙂

Aeiri

I see...

I think they do it by paying 50x more for bandwidth... like 1 - 2 zillion dollars a second more... hehe...

Set up mirrors to different servers... it will reduce traffic from one server and split it up and create a more stable connection for everyone, making HAPPY banished AOL users...

sarahk

Set up mirrors to different servers...

We're looking at moving our hosting to the US and I wanted to get this resolved first. Looks like I need to research mirrors first to ensure I get the right ISP. Any pointers?

Aeiri

Do you know what mirrors are?

Mirrors are just other servers with that file on them also so that your server doesn't have all the load of all that transfer...

That's it...

sarahk

I guess I know what they are, just not how they are maintained.

Things I think I need to know

how to ensure that they hit a single database
how to point a download request to the appropriate server

I know it bugs me when the download page asks me to select a mirror, I just want to get on with it. I can certainly identify where the visitor is (internationally anyway) and then point to the mirror.