Garmin map updates download slow

Road_Runner · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jul 06, 2008 Posts: 16

I've done a few map updates, and all of them have been slow - some 3 to 4 hours, but over the past seven years this has remained the same. I find it hard to understand why. My broadband download speed is about 8Mb/s; the Garmin Express app tells me it's loading at some 240Kb/s, my Activity Monitor reports max 120bytes per second.

I'm told that map update file sizes are about 4.2GB for North America, for example.

A moan to Garmin support produced the following suggestions:

*Try a home / personal computer
(Work computers usually have fixed security setting which can affect the mapping download)
*Try a different browser
(For example Firefox or Internet Explorer)
*Temporarily disable the Firewall software*
*Temporarily disable the Anti Virus software*
*Temporarily disable the Pop Up Blocker*
*Temporarily disable the Window Firewall if this is enabled*
*Satellite / wireless Internet connections can cause this error
(Try using a computer connected to a DSL or Cable Internet connection [hard wire] instead of a wireless connection

The * items are at my own risk apparently; and I avoid all involvement with this 'work' rubbish, I always use my own 'home' Mac.

As I use Garmin Express, the 'use a different browser' comment is null.

I don't propose to stand down the guards, lower the drawbridge and raise the portcullis for three hours while the download takes place, and using a wire to connect to my router seems positively Victorian.

A relative in Canada (PC, not Mac) has similar issues with these updates, so it's not just a UK or Mac thing.

I would have thought that in this day and age this sort of download could be done in 30 to 40 minutes; 3 to 4 hours seems far too long, or am I asking too much? Has anyone out there any experience of this? Do other Sat Nav manufacturers (e.g. TomTom) have a better update system? Is it any faster with cable broadband?

alan_sh · Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 8:38 pm Post subject:

Its not Garmin.

I'm on 160mb/s download speed (courtesy of Virgin UK) and today I did he update to 2 of my devices (on 2 different PCs).

In both cases I was getting around 150mb/sec downloads. I have a network meter watching my network card, so I can see in real time what is going on.

So, you need to check with your supplier or look at your routing back to Garmin.

Alan

Kremmen · Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2014 6:07 am Post subject:

I have a reliable 6Mbps BB connection and I have to agree with the OP in that my map updates have always taken ages to come in and usually in the low Kbps speeds. Most other large downloads take next to no time to come in.

I deliberately do most downloads in the UK mornings when it's overnight in the USA.
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hoot · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 23, 2006 Posts: 6

hi
i have a garmin 2508 and only had it just over a week so i have had to do the map updates twice and both times it was done in about 10 mins my connection is with sky and it is a 16mb connection also i use google chrome on a windows 7 laptop if this is of any use to you also my antivirus is avast

sussamb · Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2014 1:41 pm Post subject:

Best to wait a while after a map release as the servers get hammered. I try to give it a couple of weeks then the download is a) fast and b) completed without issue

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