Yea, first see what kind of internet connection you have (dsl/cable/satellite/whatever) and what upload/download speed package you are paying for.
Then, run a speedtest(
www.speedtest.net) to see how close to you are to your rated speed. Make sure you turn off all downloads/p2p programs/etc to get a true reading of your connection.
Make sure you port forward properly and set your upload speed to, at most, 80% of its maximum speed. This allows you to set your upload speed as high as it can go without affecting your download, thus giving you the best opportunity to get the fastest speeds available to you. (80% may not be the optimal setting but I found it works for me, remember the higher the upload speed the better as long as it doesn't hinder your download speed)
I almost never get download speeds close to my maximum speed. On a good day I can get up to 80% of my maximum d/l speed (270kb/s) but the conditions have to be near perfect for that.