Download completion detection

[Mickey]

Hi all,

Is there a way to find out when a user has completed a download?

I ask this because I have a current system where users download files,
however due to serious bandwidth issues I need to limit the amount of
downloads at one time.

Ideally, I want to be able to allow a maximum of 5 members to access
the download page at one time (with one download per person at one
time), and then let the next user download.
I was thinking, have a db table, file... with a counter, increment the
counter with every file downloaded started, and then decrement the
counter on completion of the file, but how do I know when the user is
finished the download?
Am I over complicating this?

Has anybody got any suggestions that may help?
I would really aprechiate any help or suggestions at all.

Thanks in advance.

[Sjoerd]

Re: Download completion detection


Mickey wrote:[color=blue]
> Is there a way to find out when a user has completed a download?[/color]

You can let a PHP script supply the download:

<?php
readfile('downl oad.exe');
database_query( 'UPDATE downloadcount SET number=number-1');
?>

Beware of the maximum execution time: if the download takes more than
30 seconds, it will abort. See set_time_limit( ).

[Jasen Betts]

Re: Download completion detection

On 2006-02-18, Mickey <mickey.allroid @gmail.com> wrote:[color=blue]
> Hi all,
>
> Is there a way to find out when a user has completed a download?[/color]

serve the file using PHP and record the start an end of the sending
a database or file etc...

--

Bye.
Jasen

[Jasen Betts]

Re: Download completion detection

On 2006-02-18, Sjoerd <sjoerder@gmail .com> wrote:[color=blue]
>
> Mickey wrote:[color=green]
>> Is there a way to find out when a user has completed a download?[/color]
>
> You can let a PHP script supply the download:
>
><?php
> readfile('downl oad.exe');
> database_query( 'UPDATE downloadcount SET number=number-1');
> ?>
>
> Beware of the maximum execution time: if the download takes more than
> 30 seconds, it will abort. See set_time_limit( ).[/color]

Yeah, that's what I meant, but also increase the downloadcount before the
readfile.

This also means that users will not be able to resume aborted downloads.
but will have to restart them.


--

Bye.
Jasen

[Richard Levasseur]

Re: Download completion detection

There are also various modules and options for apache (or whatever
webserver you use, more than likely) that allow you to limit the
bandwidth, number of connections, etc.

mod_bandwidth for apache, iirc, though there are probably more

[Mickey]

Re: Download completion detection

Thanks for all the suggestions.
In the end I used :
[color=blue]
><?php
> database_query( 'UPDATE downloadcount SET number=number+1 ');
> readfile('downl oad.exe');
> database_query( 'UPDATE downloadcount SET number=number-1');
> ?>[/color]

Thanks again.