Is downloading multiple files faster than downloading one file at a time?

Sometimes there's a need to download multiple files from somewhere. The protocol I'm specifically interested in is HTTP, however this question is also relevant to FTP or any other non-P2P protocol for transferring files.

Assuming the server (for example, Rapidshare) has unlimited bandwidth (relative to the client), and the client has a standard internet connection of X Mb/s, will it be faster to download multiple files at the same time (how many?) or download them as a queue, one after the other?

Which parameters will change your answer? Will it be different for different internet connection speeds? What about home/work LAN?

Solution 1:

It depends on what the rate-limiting factor is. Most of the time, the end-user's Internet bandwidth is the limiting factor, and then it doesn't matter. But if, for example, the limiting factor is competing with other traffic, then more streams will tend to get a larger share of that traffic. If the limiting factor is packet loss, then more streams may be a bit more resistant (as a drop on one stream won't affect traffic on the others).