Really, REALLY slow downloading

[iambaytor]

1. Bit Comet 0.79 Stable Release for Windows 2000/XP

2. Windows XP Pro Version 2002 SP2

3. Comcast , Motorola SB5101 cable modem hardwired to a Belkin Wireless G Router -- 2.4Ghz - 802.11g

Okay, I'm a newb to torrents so here's the problem. No matter what torrent from what site I add to BitComent, it comes in either super slow (1-2 kB/s) or not at all. I used http://speed.rutgers.edu/ to test my speed, and I have approx. a 9 Mbps download and a 370 kbps upload speed.

Prior to this I used Bearshare 5.2.5 but after they forced the upgrade to Version 6, I dropped it in favor of Shareaza, but that program is pretty lame. I'd like to figure out what the problem is with my downloading with BitComet. Is it a software problem or does it have something to do with my hardware?

Thanks in advance.

[iambaytor]

Also, I need to add that the two files I'm trying to download read Seed/Peer[all] of 3/12[3/42] and 1/15[2/312], respectively, and have a Health rating of 1028% and 454%, respectively.

[kluelos]

The usual reason for slow speeds is that you haven't configured your client properly. Fortunately, there's a settings guide (up there ^) that will tell you all about how to do this. You really should go over all of it, but pay particular attention to your listen port, how to forward it through your router's firewall, and setting your global maximum upload speed. If you do those correctly you should see dramatic increases in your speed.

[iambaytor]

The usual reason for slow speeds is that you haven't configured your client properly. Fortunately, there's a settings guide (up there ^) that will tell you all about how to do this. You really should go over all of it, but pay particular attention to your listen port, how to forward it through your router's firewall, and setting your global maximum upload speed. If you do those correctly you should see dramatic increases in your speed.

I followed your advice and changed the settings for the router and BitComet accordingly. The download speed seemed to increase to 11-12 kB/s but usually dips as low as 5 kB/s. Is this normal? Knowing that I have an average connection speed of close to 10 Mbps, this seems a bit slow. I know that Version 0.79 is listed as stable, but would switching back to 0.70 change this?

[kluelos]

0.79 is not a stable release, nor is it listed as such.

Look at the peers tab for a running torrent, and check the "Initiation" column. Are you seeing any that are listed as "REMOTE", or are they all either "LOCAL" or "NAT"?

If you have no REMOTEs, then your router still isn't configured correctly, or you have another firewall that is blocking your listen port. If the listen port isn't open, you'll get poor speeds most of the time.

[iambaytor]

0.79 is not a stable release, nor is it listed as such.

Look at the peers tab for a running torrent, and check the "Initiation" column. Are you seeing any that are listed as "REMOTE", or are they all either "LOCAL" or "NAT"?

If you have no REMOTEs, then your router still isn't configured correctly, or you have another firewall that is blocking your listen port. If the listen port isn't open, you'll get poor speeds most of the time.

The only reason I asked if 0.79 is a stable release is because under the Help --> About BitComet, the first line in the Version description is "BitComet 0.79 Stable Release for Windows 2000/XP"

Under the "Initiation" column, all the torrents are listed as Local. The only firewall I have running is Windows Firewall and it allows BitComet both in and out. I will try configuring the router again but in the meantime, is there any other possible causes of this problem?

[iambaytor]

I double-checked my router settings provided by www.portforward.com and they are identical.

[kluelos]

If you're not getting any remote initiations, then a firewall somewhere is blocking them. You'll need to figure out where that is, and if it's one you control, unblock the whateveritis. If you're behind someone else's firewall, then you can't do much about that except change internet connections.

Temporarily take your router out of the circuit and connect directly to the modem. (You'll have to change your network settings for that to work). Then try it again. If you're now getting remote connections, then the problem was your router and it's still not configured correctly. If you still have no remote connections, then there's a firewall somewhere you don't know about and will need to find.

[juanito]

If you're not getting any remote initiations, then a firewall somewhere is blocking them. You'll need to figure out where that is, and if it's one you control, unblock the whateveritis. If you're behind someone else's firewall, then you can't do much about that except change internet connections.

Temporarily take your router out of the circuit and connect directly to the modem. (You'll have to change your network settings for that to work). Then try it again. If you're now getting remote connections, then the problem was your router and it's still not configured correctly. If you still have no remote connections, then there's a firewall somewhere you don't know about and will need to find.

hi, i am having the same problem. i fixed the windows firewall part, and done all the tips for speeding up, but it only appears a local initiations and the dowloding is still very slow. i have spy sweeper and notron antivirus.

do you think waybe any of these programs is blocking the port? in that case how do i fix this? any idea?

my conexion is throu a wireless router (airport apple). i have a pc

thank you.

[kluelos]

juanito, your first problem will be the firewall in the Airport router. You'll need to configure it to allow your listen port through, or it won't matter what else you do. It only takes one firewall to block the port, and then it doesn't matter whether the others are open or not.

[iambaytor]

If you're not getting any remote initiations, then a firewall somewhere is blocking them. You'll need to figure out where that is, and if it's one you control, unblock the whateveritis. If you're behind someone else's firewall, then you can't do much about that except change internet connections.

Temporarily take your router out of the circuit and connect directly to the modem. (You'll have to change your network settings for that to work). Then try it again. If you're now getting remote connections, then the problem was your router and it's still not configured correctly. If you still have no remote connections, then there's a firewall somewhere you don't know about and will need to find.

I took the router off and connected directly to the modem. That seemed to speed it up a little bit (roughly 22-45 KB/s download). Is this normal? Like I said, I tested my broadband speed at speed.rutgers.edu which states I have a 9 Mbps download and a 370 kbps upload speed. Is there any way to increase that speed?

By the way, I am now getting remotes under the Initiation columns. But for the most part, they are 1 KB/s.

[kluelos]

There isn't a normal download speed -- it's sensitively dependent on the current makeup of the swarm and their relative connectivity to you, together with the health of the torrent. That speed improvement plus the presence of remote initiations does show that the router was blocking you and therefore wasn't configured correctly.

You can use the Open Office torrent to check your setup. That download should be about as fast as your system is capable of delivering, so if you've done it correctly you should get eye-opening download speed from it.

Most connections that you get will start by doing negotiations for the trading of pieces, and these occur at the 1 KB/s speed or less. That's normal. If the torrent health is poor, they'll never get any faster and it means nobody has any pieces you don't, so you'll all have to wait for a seeder to appear, or give up and find a better torrent.

[iambaytor]

You can use the Open Office torrent to check your setup. That download should be about as fast as your system is capable of delivering, so if you've done it correctly you should get eye-opening download speed from it.

Thanks for all the help, and if I can ask what may seem like a stupid question...what is the Open Office torrent?