Why do i get such a low download speed?

[Porta]

I know that you've been asked this question before, but i couldn't understand all of it. So, my ISP provides me 24 Mega bits per second but when i divide it by 8 i get 3 Mega bytes per second, which is not my download speed at all. My download speed is around 200 Kilo byte per second. My question is, why do i get this download speed when i should get 1 Mega byte per second the least..?
From what i've seen from the first 3 answers, nothing helped me at all except that i learnt a few more things. So, the results i got on dslreports.com were nothing but cr*p, i already made a speedtest so thank you for your help karl, Check every single update my router/modem and Windows already have it installed,thank you by the way for your tip/answer, Steve L you i understand what you are trying to tell me. The distance from my home to the "office" as you said, is about 2 kilometres and i didn't understand only the example that you gave. I want to say thank you for your help, at least you tried to help me out.

[karl]

go to dslreports.com and run their tweak test in tools

results will give you some help.....also run a speedtest at speakeasy.net

[STEVE L]

There are several factors to consider.
1st, you are probably not getting your 24 MB speed as advertised, which is in direct proportion to your upload speed.
Depending on what type of internet you have, how far away you are from what is called an "office" (not to be confused with where you pay your bills), and how many people are connected to the "pipe"
Think of a 4" pipe 20 feet long, connected to a water supply with only 1 hose connected. Lots of pressure and lots of water. That same pipe in now 400 feet long. Same amount of water but a little less pressure.
Now connect 19 more hoses. Even less pressure and very little water volume.
Internet works about the same way of thinking.

[Check]

Have you tested the speed with another device? Sometimes hidden updates eat up internet speed.