If you are using a VPN then your download speed may be reduced. I’m in the USA and my rated speed is 275Mb/s and when updating a Topaz file I get about 27MB/s (x8=216 Mb/s) but if I’m connected through my VPN it drops to about half that speed. So Topaz Servers are fast. There may be something between their servers and you that is slowing things down. You don’t really say where you are located.
Sorry of course I should’ve said. I’m located in the UK, being provided my service by a 3rd party i.e. not the line provider but another using the same lines that everyone else does (they just vary the price to get the business). I’m not using a VPN but certain suppliers do ‘cap’ the speed they provide in order to capitalise on peak and slack times. My stated supply by my ISP is 79Mb/s and is (as they say) unlimited. As you can see from the screenshots from earlier I don’t suffer too much considering it was tested over different worldwide servers.
I updated an Adobe item the night after the last Topaz update which was nearly twice the size of the Topaz set of files, and that took less than 5mins compared to the Topaz update that took nearly 40mins.
It is ONLY Topaz that seems to have the problem and that is a puzzle. I have requested a look into it by Topaz support and we’ll see what comes of that.
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Which install method did you use? ie embedded updater or d/l of full pkg? I apologize, but I don’t recognize this for certain from the Mac screen-shot (I think?).
If you download a large pkg directly from the web-site (assuming that’s not what you already did) do you observe the same slow speeds?
If I had to guess, I’d say something odd is going on with AWS in your locale, but I’m not sure the best way to trouble-shoot unless you have an AWS account (which you probably don’t).
I have always used the reminder you get in the software when launched which says an update is available, do you want to install? This then downloads an online installer which when run gives the info you see in the screenshot from earlier.
So I thought I’d try direct from the Topaz site. But all this does is the same thing. Selecting ‘download’ just downloads the same online installer as before. So I uninstalled Gigapixel as a trial (it wouldn’t overwrite the existing installation) and just started a fresh install from the downloaded installer. Unfortunately no difference…
eg I was thinking in terms of this, but the installer options may have changed and I’m not sure if you still get a choice. Don should know.
As a test, you might ask support to point you to some link to a large file on the same servers to do just a vanilla download and observe the throughput to see if it differs significantly from what you see in your update procedure. I don’t know why it would, but it might be good to rule that out.
Unfortunately I don’t get those options…
I have a ticket open with support. Maybe when they respond I can try that route.
They are available from the Product Release threads on this forum and from the download page on the main website …
When you click on the link I supplied you don’t?
Sorry, didn’t realise it was actually a link (didn’t click on it). That link you supplied downloaded at a normal pace…! i.e. took less than 2min. My connection with the main website (as per the screenshot you showed) just downloads the online installer.
Hi,
just to let you know: Same situation here (in Germany).
Trying to download an update für Gigapixel takes an eternity, download rate being a mere 250kByte per second. This had already happened a while ago, but was gone a day or two later. Now it seems to persist. A couple of days ago with a different Topaz Program everything worked fine.
And no, it is not an ISP, cable or other network issue. I just downloaded two Adobe updates at the usual speed > 80 MBt/sec. Before and after that Topaz was slow.
Unfortunately, as you can see from communication above, there is no solution. In fact not really an admission of a problem. They have simply pointed to the ‘full install’ version of the downloads available on their website.
Of course this is better but I would rather accept a prompt from the program to install an update when available, rather than having to go to website separately, download the installer, then install and remove the older version. after all that is what pretty much ALL the other software I own does for me in the background while I get on with other tasks.
TBH Topaz this is not a good advert.
The problems seem to be localised as I updated from Bangkok today and it took less than 2 minutes. Typically ISPs also share bandwidth between their customers.
Obviously with the greatest respect I understand the comment. However my ISP delivers 80MB constant download to me with all my other suppliers, whatever that is for. They have verified the problem is not with them. It is ONLY Topaz that shows this problem and it is down to LESS than 1MB which in this day and age is simply unacceptable.
Alec1, just a curiosity question for clarity. You say your download speed is 80 MB/s and that is 640 megabits/second which is pretty fast. Is that correct or did you mean 80 megabits/s (80Mb/s)? A capital B means Bytes.
I do apologise. I have just done another online test to verify and it was 80.31Mbps. What this means is that the Topaz Online Updater is currently giving me less than 1Mbps. Which is why it can take a very frustrating amount of time to update the product via this method. That is less than the old dial-up speeds.
The only other way as I mentioned earlier is to download the full installer when told an update is available. Which of course requires a full removal and re-install which negates the purpose of the software doing this for you in the background while you do other things.
As I also mentioned before Topaz is the ONLY updater that gives this problem. Adobe doesn’t, Skylum doesn’t, ON1 doesn’t, Apple doesn’t, Microsoft doesn’t and I could go on.
Ok, that is a bit of a mystery. When you download the full installer you can do other things as well. You don’t have to uninstall the previous version. After the download is complete just run the installer and it will take care of replacing the previous version. The total process should be about the same time either way. However, I feel your pain for the slow download. I wonder if you are being sent to an alternate server instead of the US topaz server?
That sadly is something we will probably never know. However suffice to say I will no longer be updating the Topaz software. As and when my versions stop working altogether then that will be the end of my use of the software. I am totally flummoxed by the lack of support from the people who took my money for their product (that doesn’t really perform as it should in this day and age).
My main reason for this latest feeling is this…
'Our online installer downloads and installs everything as it goes, which is why things move a little slower than the prepackaged full installer. Glad to hear I could point the offline installers out to you!
I’ll mark this ticket down as resolved but please feel free to reach out if we can help you with anything else. Have a great day!’
The Topaz full install package downloads for me at approx 80 Mbs - the online installer downloads for me at LESS than 1 Mbs (810 Kbs). That is not just ‘a little slower’ that is crawling. By turning a 3min download into a 40min download.
That was the response from the ticket I raised for this problem. i.e. that’s a bit tough but that’s the way it is. Not good enough Topaz. No more money from me…
There seems to be very few affected but I can understand the frustration. Some basic things that may help, for all connectivity issues:
- Disconnect and reconnect your computer to your connection. I am assuming here you are the only user on your private network.
- Reset your router or modem
- Open a support enquiry with your service provider
This, with respect, is one of the frustrations that we have to live with constantly. I have tried every route possible to rectify the problem. That includes contacting my ISP for them to check all that is in their power to do…
Proof of that is evident in many other things I have tried…
Also…
Of course I also opened a support ticket with Topaz. That resulted in this similarly patronising comment as well…
It is far from resolved and I am totally fed up with being the one who is asked to ‘check my end’ as if I am the one at fault. I have checked everything possible, done everything suggested to ‘check my end’ way beyond what should be necessary to prove it is NOT my fault. And all you can keep doing is asking me to essentially check again.
I really have had enough.
Topaz your service (especially it seems from other comments as well, particularly to Mac users) is appalling. As you appear not to be able to offer anything else than to essentially blame your users for your faults you do not deserve our custom.
