Ubuntu pkg download extremely slow

Linux
#1

apt upgrade for Tailscale runs very slow for me, in the order of ~20kbps.

Get:1 https://pkgs.tailscale.com/stable/ubuntu focal/main amd64 tailscale amd64 1.22.2 [18.0 MB]

18 MB reports 11 mins to download.

I have a 100 Mbps connection and other downloads run super fast. Is anyone else facing this issue, or something wrong with my connection?

Additional data point: The update runs an order of magnitude faster on my raspberry pi connected to the same network. (1 Mbps)

Get:1 https://pkgs.tailscale.com/stable/raspbian bullseye/main armhf tailscale armhf 1.22.2 [16.9 MB]

#2

I just did an upgrade on my Ubuntu cloud box, and got 22MB/s. It could have been an isolated blip.

If anyone else has seen suspiciously low download speeds, please let us know here.

#3

Could you do a traceroute to pkgs.tailscale.com?

It could be that your ISP’s (Tier-I) upstreams do not connect well to the Digital Ocean hosting in SFO.

#4

Thanks, it indeed appears to be an ISP issue.

When I use a VPN, it is much faster.

#5

FWIW, my download speed hovers ~600KB/s which isn’t quite good but since the server is 300ms away, I guess it can be expected.

I was told by Avery a while back that distribution via CDN was planned.

#6

so, this made me curious about the apparent “instant” install i got with VPN, and… I was wrong.

turns out apt remove tailscale && apt install tailscale just installed the cached local deb file, and i missed that (sry, was multitasking!).

after cleaning the cache and retrying, I get the same ~20-40 kbps. so VPN didn’t help.

but then, I’m 9000 miles from SF, and avg ping time to server is 600ms (with huge variations - going from 200-1000ms, (wonder why?)), so I guess laws of physics apply.

hopefully, CDN distribution arrives soon

#7

Well it’s been a while and the company that received $100 million in funding “to fix the internet” still cannot put a CDN behind their download servers.