Torrent Help

bskaram

I recently started using torrents, as before, I had no idea of the efficiency they offer in searching and downloading files. But I have been experiencing very low download speeds (5-15 KB/s). I was reading an article on torrents, and there was a part about why they are so successful, mentioning how download speed increases if you share or something, I didn't quite understand. Could someone explain to me how the speed system works. Here is the part that talks about it...

Download speed is controlled by torrent tracking servers, who monitor all swarm users. If you share, tracker servers will reward you by increasing your alotted swarm bandwidth (sometimes up to 1500 kilobits per second). Similarly, if you leech and limit your upload sharing, tracking servers will choke your download speeds, sometimes to as slow as 1 kilobit per second. Indeed, the "Pay It Forward" philosophy is digitally enforced! Leeches are not welcome in a bittorrent swarm.

What exactly are 'leeches' ? And how do I avoid getting choked? My average download speed is 80 KB/s, so what should the normal torrent download speed be?
N.B: I am using BitTorrent 7.2

jsaade

Hello,
The maximum download speed from a torrent is your maximum badnwidth.

Torrents are p2p, this means you connect to other people who share the file and you download from these people. You are not downloading from one server. So you are also limited to how many people are actually leeching (like yourself) and to how much upload speed they have.
In addition, once a download is complete, a leecher becomes a seeder because they would just upload they do not need to download anymore.

In addition, it depends to where you are downloading your torrents from. A torrent file contains information about servers (called trackers) who track users consumption. Some trackers are public (these do not usually enforce any kind of limitations) others are private trackers (you would need a user/pass), and depending on how much you share (upload) you get a rank. They can usually throttle and give you bandwidth depending on your rank.

As for 80K/s it depends on many factors:
- What is your connection speed.
- How many seeders does the torrent have
- How many leechers does the torrent have

When you have a lot of leechers, this means they might be sucking the bandwidth out of each other and out of the seeders.

Hope that helps,
PS: I do not use torrents and it is not very safe to use them if you live outside of Lebanon.

chosen2k

bskaram, before you begin leeching always remember to check the comments of previous downloaders.

Also if the number of seeders is 0 do not download since your download will never finish. There are ways to search for seeders from other trackers but i do not know how to.

Pick the torrent that has a high number of seeders the more the seeders the faster your download.

Again ALWAYS check the comments. And remember seed, seed, seed.

It would be interesting to discuss how to use safely torrents.

Setting up the VPN etc...

bigjudge

Here are some things you can do to achieve better speeds.
I have a 512 with night double speed. I use bit torrent. (Utorrent is the same )

1- Go to options, prefrences, connections, check all the boxes under listening port.

2- Under bandwidth uncheck Automatic, type 12 for Max upload & 250 for max down, 10000 for the number of connections, 1000 max peers, slots per torrent 4, and check on 90%.

3- Under Bittorrent ckeck all boxes except limit local peer, protocol encryption Force, and check allow incoming.

4- The queueing is up to you to decide how many torrent should be running at the same time.

Hope this help, Please don't forget, most Lebanese ISP's throttle and shape P2P as it uses upload, they hate that because it is expensive.

P:S, if you don't get the green light then you have something wrong with your connection, If it is always yellow, then you are firewalled, if Red, then you have no port to connect to P2P.

eurybaric

Download speeds do increase when you share, logically. imagine this: If you are leeching a certain torrent, and at the same time you start to upload the parts you download, you will be freeing up some bandwidth from the ppl who already have your part, and thus they will be able to give you more bandwidth to the parts you still dont have. in other words, if the leechers do not throttle their upload speeds (and its very unethical to do so btw) they will actually be seeding parts too, thus the download bandwidth would increase.

Also, as chosen2k said, always check the comments so you are sure you are downloading what you want, that it's working, and that it's clean of malwares.

bskaram

Than you for all your replies, it all makes sense now.

Xsever

I suggest you switch from BitTorrent to uTorrent 2.2.

It is a much better program.

Fernand

hey Xsever
I noticed you have a Phenom! that's curious since 98% of Lebanon is "intellish"
Do you like AMD or is it just coincidence? How's your X4's performance?
Cheers

samer

Fernand wrotehey Xsever
I noticed you have a Phenom! that's curious since 98% of Lebanon is "intellish"
Do you like AMD or is it just coincidence? How's your X4's performance?
Cheers

Fernand, let's stick to the topic. You may discuss this via PM.