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Parallel downloading provides faster download speeds when compared to traditional methods. In traditional downloading, a single thread/connection is used to fetch files from the internet. Parallel downloading, on the other hand, divides a large file into several parts and concurrently downloads these segments/threads using multiple server connections.
Here's how you can enable parallel downloading in different browsers for faster downloads. We also explore a few dedicated download managers with parallel downloading so you can download faster independent of any browser.
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Google Chrome lets you enable parallel downloading as an experimental feature using Chrome://flags command. Here's how you can use parallel downloading in Chrome:
Chrome://flags in the address bar and hit enter.
Chrome://flags in the search bar and press enter.You can always disable Parallel Downloading by choosing the Disable option in the drop-down menu. That said, if you want to reset all the experiments (if you have enabled more), you can do so by clicking on the Reset all button in the Chrome://flags menu.
Opera lets you enable the parallel downloading function on Windows. Follow the below steps to enable it:
Opera://flagsHere's how you enable parallel downloading in the Microsoft Edge browser:
Edge://flags the address bar.Parallel downloading is now enabled in the Edge desktop browser.
Edge://flags in the address bar and hit enter.Parallel downloading is now enabled in the Edge browser.
Unlike Chromium browsers enabling parallel downloading in Firefox is a bit complicated. But fret not, we make it easy with the below step-by-step guide. Here's how to enable parallel downloading in Firefox:
about://config command in the search barnetwork.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server
(Note: The number in the box indicates how many parts/threads the file will be divided into while downloading.)
The stable version of Firefox on Android doesn't allow enabling parallel downloading. However, you can use the Beta or the Developer builds to enable to use the parallel downloading feature on Firefox. Here is how you can do it:
about:config in the search bar.
network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server in the search bar.
If you want to enable parallel downloading in the Brave browser, follow the below instructions.
Brave://flags in the search bar.
Brave://flags in the search box and hit enter.
While there are some drawbacks to parallel downloading, we highly recommend trying this download technique in your preferred browser if you're looking to increase the download speeds.
IDM is one of the best third-party download managers for Windows. It utilizes the parallel downloading optimization technique to achieve faster download speeds. Apart from that, this versatile download manager is great at smoothly handling any download failures, network issues, unexpected PC shutdowns, etc. The only downside to this excellent piece of software is that it is only available as a paid option. However, there is a 30-day free trial to see if it's really worth the price.
If you want something that is entirely free, you can download the Free Download Manager (FDM). This one also uses the parallel downloading method to offer users higher download speeds. It also has some advanced features to manage your downloads efficiently.
1DM is a feature-packed and one of the best download managers on Android. It not only allows you to download faster using parallel downloading but also lets you increase or decrease the number of parallel connections (up to 16 parts) for a file. It also has a built-in browser with an ad-blocker. 1DM can easily download images and videos from social media sites as well. 1DM is also available as a paid option which unlocks more features.
ADM is yet another feature-packed alternative to 1DM. It works similarly to 1DM and can speed up downloads by using up to 16 threads simultaneously. Its modern design inspired by Google's Material You is what sets it apart from 1DM.
Most browsers typically use a single thread/connection to download files from the server. While this technique works efficiently for smaller files, for large files, this can lead to slow download speeds. This is where parallel downloading can make a difference. The technique splits a large file into smaller parts and downloads them simultaneously using multiple server connections, offering significantly increased download speeds.
For instance, if you're looking to download a 500MB file from the internet, you can significantly improve the download speed by utilizing parallel downloading. Say, the browser allows up to five parallel connections to the server, then the file is divided into five smaller 100MB parts. All these parts are then downloaded at the same time, offering increased download speeds. Finally, all the file segments are intelligently merged into one complete file.
Also known as multithreading, parallel downloading maximizes the download speeds by making efficient usage of your available internet bandwidth.
Most websites should work fine with parallel downloading. However, some websites restrict the number of concurrent connections a single IP (Internet protocol) address can have for a download instance to save bandwidth costs and server load.
Yes, parallel downloading does consume more data compared to single-threaded download techniques. However, the extra data consumed should be negligible.
Yes, if the device is not powerful enough, it should cause minor heating and performance issues. The heating issue is caused because of the increased processing required for higher download speeds. But as soon as the download finishes, things should get back to normal