What is really odd about this is that if I download two files at once, they each go down to 7kb/s, and if I do three they all go down to 5kb/s. Ultimately what is crazy is that it seems like I am capped on my maximum speed (and I'm on a fiberoptic, faster than T3, service, who has assured me that they are not causing this (and I believe them as they provide service to my work too and no problems here with Limewire)).

What could be causing this? Any ideas?

Could you benchmark your computer against a web speed test , like http://www.broadbandreports.com/stest

Next, would you try a gnutella download from a know reliable host, like one of the files from http://www.magnetmix.com/audio2.shtml

What results do you get, and what version of LW are you using?

My download speed is ~4400kb/s, based on several different speed tests, so it is not the issue. My version is the same one at work 4.10, and the one at work downloads them very fast. I am running no other programs and I have the lastest java. Downloading from Magnetmix.com I still get 15kb/s. Has anyone run into a 15kb/s bottleneck before?

bits and bytes: ugg.
KB/s is 1/8 of kb/s so your speeds are still not clear. Oh well--the difference with the magnetmix test is enough to show there is a throttle in place.

LW 4.10? 4.10.0 (12.22.2005)? There should be no problem with 4.10.9, or the current 4.12.3. There is a setting in both to throttle download speeds (in the tools->Options->Download section, but that is usually set by default to "unlimited." The 'Speed" option should be set to T1.

The other possibility is that the ISP's uses a throttle once a monthly limit is reached, and 15 KB/s sounds like a "modem speed" throttle. Home and Work accounts are often treated differently, but unless the ISP's person who reassured you is unaware of such a throttle, this seems unlikely.

So, the speed and download settings in LimeWire seems to be the most likely cause.

http://www.limewire.com/english/cont..._history.shtml shows a download limitation of 150 KB/s was in place before 4.11.1 (05.24.2006)