How to Limit Download Speed in Ubuntu Terminal

This article provides a quick guide on restricting bandwidth usage while downloading files on Ubuntu systems. You will learn how to use standard command-line tools to set a maximum download speed, ensuring your network remains stable for other tasks during large transfers.

Using Wget to Limit Rate

The most common tool for downloading files in Ubuntu is wget. It includes a built-in flag to cap the download speed. Open your terminal and use the --limit-rate option followed by your desired speed.

wget --limit-rate=500k http://example.com/large-file.zip

In this example, the download speed is capped at 500 kilobytes per second. You can specify different units by appending a letter to the number. Use k for kilobytes, m for megabytes, or g for gigabytes. For instance, --limit-rate=1m restricts the speed to one megabyte per second.

Using Curl to Limit Rate

If you prefer using curl, it offers similar functionality. The syntax is slightly different but achieves the same result of limiting the rate per host connection.

curl --limit-rate 500K -O http://example.com/large-file.zip

Note that curl accepts units like K, M, or G. This command ensures that the transfer does not exceed the specified bandwidth threshold, preventing the host connection from saturating your network link.

Verifying the Download

Once the command executes, observe the terminal output. The progress bar will update at a pace consistent with your limit. If the speed exceeds your setting, check your command syntax for errors. This method effectively manages bandwidth without requiring additional software installation on your Ubuntu machine.