PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT (2013-12-21): Qt download mirror system is partially broken

JKSH

Background
When you download Qt files, either by clicking on the links at http://qt-project.org/downloads or by using the Online installer, the qt-project.org servers selects a mirror for you based on your location.

Issue
Some users (especially from the Asia-Pacific region) are getting assigned unreliable mirrors. This leads to extremely slow download speeds and frequent disconnections.

See http://lists.qt-project.org/pipermail/interest/2013-December/010336.html for a few examples.

Workarounds
There are a few ways to get around this problem. Here is a list, ranked from simplest to hardest.

Click the "Info" link next to the package you want at http://qt-project.org/downloads , and manually select a mirror for an Offline installer. If the download is slow, cancel it and select a different mirror.
If you have a download manager, use it to download an Offline installer from http://qt-project.org/downloads -- it should be able to use all available mirrors.
If you really want to use the Online installer, Tim Jenssen at Digia has provided instructions on how to set up a repository on your local hard disk and point it to a specific mirror of your choice. Download the sample repository from http://lists.qt-project.org/pipermail/interest/2013-December/010341.html (attachment_0001.obj), rename it to qt_for_windows_from_mirrors.ustc.edu.cn.7z, and follow the steps in the same email. EDIT: The Qt SDK Repo Chooser tries to do this semi-automatically

Update (2014-03-10)
The issue is being addressed. The next release of the online installer will allow users to select their download mirror, in case the default mirror is slow: https://bugreports.qt.io/browse/QTIFW-441

Update (2014-07-05)
The features of the previous update haven't arrived yet, but there's a 3rd-party tool available to make the process easier: https://forum.qt.io/topic/43349/