Very slow download speeds from App Store

[rev.b]

Hi there.

Finally returned to Macs after some years of absence, with a MB Air 15 M3. Loving it, apple silicon was a bold but great move, this thing has nothing to do with old Intel Macbooks.

Only issue I noticed so far - App Store downloads are painfully slow.

Everything network related works fine, using wifi, did a speed test almost 500 Mb/s, everything downloads as fast as expected exept apps from App Store.

I'm trying to download Resident Evil 4 at speeds from 300-600 K(!)B/sec, it's a bit inconvenient for a 64 Gb download.

I already tried some tutorials, logged off App Store and in back again, changed DNS to 8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4, to no avail. Dowload speed remains at KB/s range.

Can someone help? Surely something is wrong here.

 

[Bigwaff]

Everything network related works fine, using wifi, did a speed test almost 500 Mb/s, everything downloads as fast as expected exept apps from App Store.

If everything isn't effected than the issue is with network traffic directly related to Mac App store. Even if you install a network monitor (like Little Snitch.. there are others) which will provide connection host details for this specific download network traffic, your download speed is determined by so many factors in the routing of network packets across internet networks which are out of your control, you'll probably never even begin to determine the cause for the slow download speed. I'm afraid you'll just have to suffer through it.

 

[TJFDenver]

same issue ... 2020 iMac 5k/128gb/8tb ... all other software/connections/udpates/downloads/upload work great ... but the App Store updates is painfully slow ... painfully

 

[star-affinity]

Interesting. May I ask where you're located?

I'm in Sweden and I have the same problem for two IPS I'm connecting the internet from, but one gives me the fill expected bandwidth when downloading from the Mac App Store! So it seems to depend on how the route between your ISP and Mac App Store is done.

Some have mentioned it's related to the CDN servers in use and that there is something limiting the bandwidth on those. It seems difficult to narrow down. I've been in contact with both the one of the affected ISPs and Apple to no avail.

Below is the repose I got from the AI Claude Opus on the matter:

Question:

Why are my downloads from apps.apple.com used for the Mac App Store and the iOS App Store so slow when on some IPS but gives me full bandwidth downloads from another IPS? Same computer and network settings being used for all, so it seems to be something between the ISP and Apple's servers that limits the download. I've tried using different DNSs but doesn't seem to make a difference.

Answer:

There could be several reasons why your downloads from apps.apple.com are slow on some ISPs (Internet Service Providers) but faster on others, even with the same computer and network settings. Here are some potential factors:

1. Peering and Network Connectivity: ISPs have different peering arrangements and network connectivity with content delivery networks (CDNs) and servers used by Apple. Some ISPs may have better peering or more direct paths to Apple's servers, resulting in faster downloads.

2. Network Congestion: Certain ISP networks may experience more congestion or traffic load during specific times of the day or locations, leading to slower download speeds from Apple's servers.

3. Throttling or Bandwidth Management: Some ISPs may intentionally throttle or limit bandwidth for certain types of traffic, such as downloads from Apple's servers, to manage their network resources more efficiently.

4. Content Delivery Network (CDN) Routing: Apple's content delivery network may route your downloads through different servers or paths based on factors like your geographic location and the ISP you're using, leading to varying download speeds.

5. DNS Caching and Routing: While changing DNS servers doesn't typically affect download speeds significantly, some DNS servers may cache or route requests to Apple's servers differently, potentially impacting download performance.

6. Server Load and Availability: Apple's servers may experience varying levels of load or availability at different times, which could contribute to fluctuations in download speeds across different ISPs.

To troubleshoot further, you could try the following:

1. Connect through a different network or ISP (if possible) to confirm if the issue persists or is specific to your current ISP.
2. Contact your ISP's support and inquire about any potential throttling or bandwidth management policies for Apple's servers or content delivery networks.
3. Use online speed test tools and compare the download speeds from Apple's servers to other popular CDNs or websites to identify any discrepancies.
4. Check if the issue is consistent across different times of the day or if it varies, which could indicate network congestion or server load issues.

Ultimately, the root cause may be related to factors outside your control, such as the ISP's network infrastructure and peering agreements with Apple's content delivery networks.

 

[MrBocaj]

Hi there.

Finally returned to Macs after some years of absence, with a MB Air 15 M3. Loving it, apple silicon was a bold but great move, this thing has nothing to do with old Intel Macbooks.

Only issue I noticed so far - App Store downloads are painfully slow.

Everything network related works fine, using wifi, did a speed test almost 500 Mb/s, everything downloads as fast as expected exept apps from App Store.

I'm trying to download Resident Evil 4 at speeds from 300-600 K(!)B/sec, it's a bit inconvenient for a 64 Gb download.

I already tried some tutorials, logged off App Store and in back again, changed DNS to 8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4, to no avail. Dowload speed remains at KB/s range.

Can someone help? Surely something is wrong here.

Don't know if you solved your issue but I recently moved and changed ISP. New ISP with 1 Gbit speeds had Kb downloads on App Store. Found a subreddit which recommended that I changed DNS to cloudflares. IPv4 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1. I also tried their IPv6 adress but that didn't fix my issue.