What is mirror download and how does it works?

In computer networks, to download means to receive data from a remote system, typically a server such as a web server, an FTP server, an email server, or other similar systems. This contrasts with uploading, where data is sent to a remote server.

A download is a file offered for downloading or that has been downloaded, or the process of receiving such a file.

Downloading is not the same as data transfer; moving or copying data between two storage devices would be data transfer.

Downloading generally transfers entire files for local storage and later use, as contrasted with streaming, where the data is used nearly immediately, while the transmission is still in progress, and which may not be stored long-term. Receiving data from the Internet is downloading.

And a download mirror keeps the exact same copy of the file you want to download but at a physically different location. This means that if you are residing in India and want to download a file that’s hosted in a server running in the US then it is a good idea to look for a download mirror located in Asia or in Europe. This will facilitate lesser travel and maybe faster download speeds.

Mirror sites also increase the speed with which files or Web sites can be accessed: users can download files more quickly from a server that is geographically closer to them. This is usually done so that if one site is unavailable for some reason, the others can still be used; it can also be used to provide a closer place to download a file for people in different areas of the world.

Sites such as Netscape that offer copies or updates of popular software often set up mirror sites to handle the large demand that a single site may not be able to handle.

How does it work?

A "mirror" is a server that hosts the same file as the main server. The reason mirrors exist is so that the file can exist in more than one place so one server doesn't get bogged down or if a single server goes down, you still have access to the file.

The main purpose of benign mirrors is often to reduce network traffic, improve access speed, improve the availability of the original site, or provide a real-time backup of the original site.

Download mirrors are often placed in different locations throughout the Internet. It is common to use the term mirror to refer to an exact copy of data.

If the mirrors listed say which country they're in, choose the one that's closest to where you live, because it will be faster. Otherwise, choose whichever one you like; they all have the same file. If one mirror doesn't work, you can try another one.

Stock photo from Alexander Supertramp