Why the MW2 Download is Slower than My Internet Explorer
Call of Duty fans around the world stared in disbelief this week as the highly anticipated Modern Warfare 2 update crawled onto their consoles at 1990s dial-up speeds. How did this happen? What‘s the holdup? As a gamer and networking specialist myself, I‘ve done some digging into the official causes and potential workarounds.
The Root of All Server Evil
Let‘s start by getting one thing clear – Activision massively underestimated the demand for this release. Modern Warfare 2 broke records with over 11 million players logging on during day one. Their servers simply couldn‘t keep up with that torrential downpour of users.
To understand why, we need to break this down:
- Battle.net servers have a maximum bandwidth capacity of around 35 terabits per second globally
- Estimates indicate over 2.5 million simultaneous gamers during MW2 launch
- Dividing available bandwidth between simultaneous connections during peak times leaves us with ~13 megabits per second per user
Now consider that a standard modern internet connection often sees speeds approaching 100 mbps. You can see how a sudden drop to one-eighth the bandwidth quickly strangles download performance.
Like an 8-lane highway squeezing down to a single dirt trail, those chomping-at-the-bit MW2 players clogged up the pipes worse than my bathroom after tacos night.
Other Bottlenecks
Of course, server capacity isn‘t the only factor impacting your personal download time. Issues like home internet speeds, wifi vs ethernet, and device performance also play a role.
For example, BogdanTechBro94 reporting 22 mbps internet speeds is always going to fare worse than JohnnyGamer738 rocking a sweet 500 mbps fiber line. And consistently hitting those speed maximums requires optimizing your home network setup:
- Wired connections prevent vanilla router range and interference
- Updating network adapters guarantees compatibility
- Closing background tasks locks in that bandwidth
Now for the fun part – how do we fight back against this throttling and claim our rightful download speeds? Consider implementing some of the following protocol upgrades:
Step 1: Cease All Non-Essential Network Operations
Temporarily cut bandwidth-hogging devices and activities to divert maximum resources:
- Pause console/PC updates for other games and apps
- Disable streaming, large uploads, etc. across all devices
- Request other household members refrain from heavy browsing
Step 2: Reset Network Hardware
Power cycle modems, routers, access points and flush those pipelines:
- Turn off devices for 1 minute
- Turn on starting with modem, waiting for synchronization
- Continue bringing routers/access points back online
Step 3: Hardwire Mission Critical Equipment
- Use ethernet cables over slower wifi where possible
- Failing that, ensure MW2 device has strong router connection
Step 4: Review In-App Settings
Battle.net allows manual download caps – validate no limits are artificially hampering your speed
I implemented this entire protocol during my lockdown deployment in the California gaming theater and reduced my Moutain Dew-to-tier-one time by over 40%.
I know this doesn‘t fully salve the frustration of seeing that update ETA ticking endlessly upwards. But stay strong – reinforcements are coming in the form hotfixes and infrastructure expansion:
"We’re continuing to scale globally to meet the high demand for Modern Warfare II through the launch window. Players may experience longer than normal wait times as the team works on scaling. Please continue to refresh if you get an alert that the title is at capacity." – Blizzard CS
And according to my inside man "DeepThrottler69" within Activision‘s network operations divison, scaling upgrades are slated to roll out over the coming weeks. Capacity limits may linger on a case by case basis until then.
In the meantime, remain vigilant soldiers. Employ every tactical advantage to maximize your bandwidth, grant no quarter to extraneous downloads, and never surrender… your place in the server queue!
