I try to wget a 350MB file from my friends server (not on dreamhost, not sure where) and it goes very slow, starting out well and getting somewhere near 90-100kb/s before I get frustrated and close PuTTY.
If it makes any difference, the files on his server are in a password protected directory.
My experience is very much like ardco’s, so the problems could well be on your friend’s end (or somewhere along the route).
–rlparker
I dunno, I don’t think it’s his server, but maybe the route. I can grab from his server at my max speed of around 630kb/s constant.
I’m not so sure anymore. I tried to wget a file from google’s servers (install of google earth, to be specific), and it did the exact same thing, speeds very low for what would expected or what others have reported.
I’m on the ‘licorice.dreamhost.com’ server
Here’s my speed from google
(193.45 KB/s) - `GoogleEarthWin.exe’
from my dedicated in Houston:
(776.38 KB/s) - `test.zip’
from my dedicated in Tampa:
(528.90 KB/s) - `test.zip’
I tried to wget a file from a friends server, also on dreamhost, and it does the EXACT same thing 
Strange, when I use wget to transfer between domains, that are both hosted here on DreamHost, I see transfer rates in the multiple MByte/s range.
Transfers from external hosts are obviously not as fast, but I have seen speeds exceeding 1 MByte/s on many occasions.
Mark
–
Save [color=#CC0000]$50[/color] on DreamHost hosting using promo code [color=#CC0000]SAVEMONEY[/color] ( Click for promo code details )