Download Speed on Steam

I've been downloading a few games recently via the Steam client, and they are downloading at an unbelievably slow rate (around 30 KB/s transfer rate)
 
I benchmarked my internet download and upload speed on a few different speed test sites to both Chicago and New York (I live in Michigan), and I'm averaging around 8000 kbps with about 900 KB/s transfer rate. I've tried changing my settings between the >10 MB and the > 2 MB to no avail (I usually run on the >10 MB without any problems), and I've also tried changing my download region, also without any luck.
 
Is this something that should just be chalked up to high download traffic around this time of year? I know they've got a ton of specials going on right now, so perhaps it's just that there are so many people in the area downloading, but if anyone has any suggestions, that'd be swell.

" I've been downloading a few games recently via the Steam client, and they are downloading at an unbelievably slow rate (around 30 KB/s transfer rate)  I benchmarked my internet download and upload speed on a few different speed test sites to both Chicago and New York (I live in Michigan), and I'm averaging around 8000 kbps with about 900 KB/s transfer rate. I've tried changing my settings between the >10 MB and the > 2 MB to no avail (I usually run on the >10 MB without any problems), and I've also tried changing my download region, also without any luck.  Is this something that should just be chalked up to high download traffic around this time of year? I know they've got a ton of specials going on right now, so perhaps it's just that there are so many people in the area downloading, but if anyone has any suggestions, that'd be swell. "

The sale means everybody's downloading a lot of games off Steam so inevitably it's going to be slower then normal. I've bought a few games this week but the only one I downloaded was X-COM and that took about 10 seconds to download but then again it was only 20Mb.

I usually get at least 500 kb/s, and at some point it always makes it to 1 mb/s or more.  It depends on the game I think, and because of the christmas deals it's getting bogged down with so many people downloading.  I looked at the stats earlier today and there were like 2.2 million people online at that very moment...

You could barely even download a game 2 days ago.  It's actually much better today. 

" I usually get at least 500 kb/s, and at some point it always makes it to 1 mb/s or more.  It depends on the game I think, and because of the christmas deals it's getting bogged down with so many people downloading.  I looked at the stats earlier today and there were like 2.2 million people online at that very moment... "

Steam has been getting slammed due to the sale.  My friend was downloading a game at my house the other day at around 130 kb/s which is WAY slower than my usual speeds.

It's been hit and miss.  It seems that later at night I get around 1.1ish Mb/s or higher but right now I'm only getting about 300Kb/s max.  Usually more like 100-200.  I left it on over night and installed Assassin's Creed, STALKER, and World in Conflict all at once but it took me a whole day to get Medieval 2.  Try installing at night.  There seems to be way fewer people on then and faster speeds.

" @BigLemon:  Weird mine always downloads at at least 300Kb/s. Maybe it's just your internet? "

" It's been hit and miss.  It seems that later at night I get around 1.1ish Mb/s or higher but right now I'm only getting about 300Kb/s max.  Usually more like 100-200.  I left it on over night and installed Assassin's Creed, STALKER, and World in Conflict all at once but it took me a whole day to get Medieval 2.  Try installing at night.  There seems to be way fewer people on then and faster speeds. "

I'm getting 700 - 900 KB per second. I usually download an entire game within a few hours and play it. I have no idea why it's not working for you, i'm sorry to hear that. I'm just letting you know steam is working great for me.

I can get up to 2MB/s sometimes, but with all the sales on steam it can drop considerably sometimes.

my usual speed is 1.2MB/s I plan on getting a fair few games tomorrow, might as well do one at a time.

Usually i'm around 700-800kbps (same for all my downloads, except in Google Chrome when it hits 1MB at times). Right now, in the heat of the sales, it's hovering at a mere 150kbps.

230kb/s shared between two games for me, I typically can reach a megabyte per second.
 
Aaack Riddick is so close to finished!

I've been downloading a fair bit of stuff from Steam recently and while my download speeds have varied a fair bit they seem to be lower around the times more people are usually online. I've even had a few occasions lately where Steam has said the servers have been so busy they've not been able to process my download requests at all.

I looked at the stats earlier today and there were like 2.2 million people online at that very moment...

i think it is the sales that steam is having. i usually always get 100ks when i download a game.

" @DOUBLESHOCK said:

I looked at the stats earlier today and there were like 2.2 million people online at that very moment...

Just so you know, that's not a atypical number.  It counts a lot of people (such as myself) that simply start up Steam and let it idle.  Basically not all of those people are downloading content. "