I downloaded the trial version from EQ2's page and installed it. When I ran the patch launcher, it first downloaded some files for 3 hours, which seems reasonable enough 'cause the client download was only some 80mb. But after the 3 hours, it started at 10 hours! Is this supposed to happen? I went to bed to let it download, and when I got back after some 11 hours, it still had 5 hours left, and said "update complete". Dunno if my internet dropped out or if the patcher's...lame. 

To be honest, your time frame is very believeable. Standard EQ2 installation is x3 DVDs, then a download of the compiled patches. When using my fast speed laptop on a cable connection, the patches themselves take around 2-2.5 hours. All of that is based on the fact that the DVDs are already installed. (From the old days, people used to get something like x9 CDs.)

So as you can see, you computer and connection have a heck of a lot to download. Most of EQ2 is client side, which is why so much information needs to be in your computer. It's not fun waiting, but those are the breaks.

Something else to be aware of is that EQ2's time left estimator is notorious for being, well, erroneous.