Incomplete downloads

T

Thank The Cheese

Registered
Hello everyone, I hope this is in the right forum; depends on what is causing the problem I guess.

Lately I have found the podcasts I download are incomplete. That is, I download them through iTunes, and it does its thing. It 'completes' the download, but when I go to play it I find it is only the first 15-20 minutes or so. This has happened 4 times now -- twice with TWiT and twice with Diggnation. It's also happened a handful of times with other files (DMGs and video files mostly) through safari.

On two occasions I went to the podcasts' website and tried downloading it through direct download. The same thing happened (downloaded only about 8 MBs before stopping). I tried again and it downloaded a bit more, but still not the full download (~12MB).

In the end I was able to get them through a torrent download version which works fine.

So is this a problem with iTunes, Safari, my ISP, or my internet hardware (or is the problem not on my end)? I'm just not sure where to start?
 
'So is this a problem with iTunes, Safari,...? - as per your description, the problem occurs whether using 'iTunes' or 'Safari'; thus, I would consider the problem not application specific.

'... my ISP, or my internet hardware (or is the problem not on my end)' - since there has been no mass postings of Macintosh downloading problems on the most common Mac websites (MacInTouch, MacFixIt, MacObserver, MacCentral.MacWorld, MacNN, etc,) I doubt the problem is beyond your Mac and / or your ISP connection.

Please try this:
Create a new account, and attempt to download your files from within 'iTunes' and 'Safari'. If the files download correctly, you have to investigate the original user's preferences, etc.

If even a new account fails to allow you to download the files, return to the original user's account and then shut down the Macintosh (this is not the same as a reboot [restart]) for a minute or longer, then turn ON the Mac. Again, try to download the file via the applications mentioned above. Then report your result(s).
 
Plus the usual, of course. Repair the volume and permissions on the volume. (That volume being your boot volume, of course.) Do that when booted from the OS installation medium. You'll find Disk Utility in the menus somewhere before getting to the actual installation.
 
Have you asked your ISP about this? It could be that they are timing-out your connection on occasion.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. My MBP is in for repairs ATM, but I checked it out on an iBook and the same thing is happening. Seems it's my router, which doesnt surprise me. It has been acting up over the past few months. So I'll have to buy a new one.

I have a Netgear router, which I have been mostly happy with, but I have been thinking about buying an Airport Extreme base station, just because I'd like the next one to last a little longer, and to be sure it will work with OS X.
 
Thought I'd give an update on my latest progress.

- Bought a new Netgear DG834GT modem/router, but the same thing happens. This likely rules out the router being the problem.

- Hooked up a PC and tried download a podcast through iTunes (version 5 was installed) -- but the same thing happened. This likely rules out it being OS X and WIndows XP.

- Used my sister's dial-up account and tried downloading the same podcast that had failed before and it worked. Not sure what that tells me.

so I guess the next logical step is the ISP. I was on hold for 30 minutes last night, then had to hang up. I'll try tomorrow when I have more time to wait :)
 
SOLUTION
I don't think anyone cares about this post/blog :confused: but I seem to have fixed the problem. There were a couple of things going on:

1) I changed the router's encapsulation settings form PPPoA to PPPoE and the multiplexing method from VC-Based to LLC-Based.

2) I had fiddled with the encapsulation before, but I did so using Safari to access the router's config settings, and for some reason Netgear's config thing doesn't like safari. It seemed to be working, but on closer inspection it wasn't saving my settings. I changed the settings again in Firefox and it worked fine.


Hopefully that will help someone else in the future :)
 
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