9.0 via ftp ?

For those that have downloaded 9.0 via ftp..how long does it usually take? Varies I know depending upon size of course... Is there a particular mirror better than the rest, (yeah I know, the closest one to me)...I should not try from the main SUSE site I've been told, true or not ? I'm hip to watching not only the speeds, but the data loss as well in picking a mirror.. Any other things I should be aware of ? Thank you all very much for your time. Lee