Why is my backup slow?

By default, Backblaze Personal backup will automatically test your connection to our data centers, then use performance settings to maximize your backup speed while avoiding major impacts to your regular computer usage.

If you have a faster connection and you'd like to try maximizing our utilization of your bandwidth, you can disable the Automatic Threading/Throttle setting and slide the Manual Throttle setting to the right to back up faster. We have guides on accessing these settings for Mac and Windows.

You can test your connection to the Backblaze Personal Backup data centers by using our Speed Test. If you are not able to back up at the speed shown by the Speed Test, the most common reasons are:

1. Other computers are on your network and using your bandwidth.
2. Other bandwidth-heavy applications (such as videoconferencing, sync, remote desktop, online gaming, etc.) are using your bandwidth.
3. Comcast PowerBoost or other "temporary speed enhancers" fool the Speed Test into thinking you have more bandwidth than you do.
4. Latency in the connection from your computer to our servers.  This can cause the overall speed to be reduced. Latency can be caused by general internet connection, and geographic/network distance.  For more on how geographic distance can affect your speeds, please follow this link for international users.

You may find optimizing your computer and Backblaze's settings will help to improve backup speeds:

• Disable computer sleep as Backblaze can't operate when your computer is sleeping (Mac -> Energy Saver system preference. Windows -> Control Panel -> Power Options -> Change when the Computer Sleeps.) If it's a laptop, make sure it's connected to power and the lid is left open when the computer is not in use, so Backblaze can continue in the background.
  
  
• Set Backblaze's throttle as fast as possible (Backblaze system preference / control panel -> Settings -> Performance -> uncheck Automatic Throttle -> Move slider all the way to the right)
  
  
• Utilize threading in the client to allow for simultaneous uploading of multiple threads (Backblaze system preferences/control panel -> Settings -> Performance> uncheck "Automatic Throttle" -> Select the number of threads in "Number of Backup Threads")
  
  CAUTION: If you set the threads too high it can totally utilize all available bandwidth of the network and can cause timeouts and other connection issues across the network, start with fewer connections and go up accordingly.
  
  
• Set Backblaze's schedule to the default Continuous, rather than On Click or Once Per Day (Backblaze system preferences/control panel -> Settings -> Schedule)
  
  
• Hardwire your internet connection rather than wifi (if possible)
  
  
• Keep all external drives connected continuously (if applicable)

Please note: While the strength and speed of your internet largely contribute to the speed of your backup, there are other factors that can impact your speed as well. These include the overall size of your backup as well as the number of files in it, your proximity to our data centers, and the individual path your ISP must take to get there. 

For further information on how to optimize Backblaze to run at its best on your system, please view our Best Practices.