Download accelerator works by splitting a download into multiple segments, and they are downloaded in parallel, each with a separate connection. It circumvents the download speed cap by some providers that is applied per connection. The segmented download files will be combined into a single file once all segments finished downloading.

Download accelerators usually are part of download manager programs. It could come as a standalone desktop application or a browser extension. In Linux, there are command-line download accelerators available such as axel. It is great for automation and when working on remote servers via SSH.

Steps to speed up file download from Linux command line:

  1. Launch terminal.
  2. Install axel for your system. 

    $ sudo apt update && sudo apt install --assume-yes axel # Ubuntu and Debian

  3. Go to the folder that you want to download your file into (optional). 

    $ cd Downloads/

  4. Copy download URL from browser (optional).
  5. Download file using axel. 

    $ axel https://wordpress.org/latest.zip Initializing download: https://wordpress.org/latest.zip File size: 12121295 bytes Opening output file wordpress-5.2.2.zip Starting download  [  0%]  .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  [  34.8KB/s] [  0%]  .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  [  62.0KB/s] [  0%]  .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  [  80.2KB/s] [  1%]  .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  [  82.1KB/s] [  1%]  .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  [ 102.8KB/s] [  2%]  .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  [ 121.7KB/s] [  2%]  .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  [ 128.9KB/s] [  2%]  .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  [ 148.0KB/s] [  3%]  .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  [ 163.5KB/s] ##### snipped [ 96%]  .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  [1204.8KB/s] [ 96%]  .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  [1209.3KB/s] [ 97%]  .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  [1214.3KB/s] [ 97%]  .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  [1219.6KB/s] [ 97%]  .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  [1182.0KB/s] [ 98%]  .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  [1188.2KB/s] [ 98%]  .......... .......... .......... .......... ... Connection 2 finished         ,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,, ,,,.......  [1191.5KB/s] [ 99%]  .......... .......... .......... .......... Connection 0 finished         ,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,, ..........  [1196.7KB/s] [ 99%]  .......... .......... .......... ... Connection 3 finished         ,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,, ,,,....... ..........  [1201.4KB/s] [100%]  .......... .......... .......... .......  Downloaded 11.6 Megabyte in 9 seconds. (1204.73 KB/s)

    axel by default will download using 4 separate connections. That can be changed along with other options as below: 

    $ axel --help Usage: axel [options] url1 [url2] [url...]  --max-speed=x		-s x	Specify maximum speed (bytes per second) --num-connections=x	-n x	Specify maximum number of connections --max-redirect=x		Specify maximum number of redirections --output=f		-o f	Specify local output file --search[=n]		-S[n]	Search for mirrors and download from n servers --ipv4			-4	Use the IPv4 protocol --ipv6			-6	Use the IPv6 protocol --header=x		-H x	Add HTTP header string --user-agent=x		-U x	Set user agent --no-proxy		-N	Just don't use any proxy server --insecure		-k	Don't verify the SSL certificate --no-clobber		-c	Skip download if file already exists --quiet			-q	Leave stdout alone --verbose		-v	More status information --alternate		-a	Alternate progress indicator --help			-h	This information --timeout=x		-T x	Set I/O and connection timeout --version		-V	Version information  Visit https://github.com/axel-download-accelerator/axel/issues to report bugs