Please Explain "Peers" column headings

[Venezuela]

Hi from Venezuela. I'm new to this filesharing system, and Bitcomet is my first and only downloading software. I've configured everything using the many tips available on the forum, and it all seems to work just fine - thanks.

Couple of nagging questions:

1. Could you explain in detail what the column headers on the "Peers" view is telling me? Is it useful information? How would I use it? And why would I want to "Ban" an IP for a period of time?

2. I read that my Upload:Download ratio is important, and affects performance when I'm downloading (although I'm not sure how, as it doesn't seem to actually affect anything that I have noticed). My question is: WHICH Upload:Download ratio? The one on the "Statistics" window, which shows a cumulative value for all files Up/Downloaded, or the one on the "Task" window, which shows the ratio for a particular file?

Thanks for a very helpful forum.

[The UnUsual Suspect]

the ratio issue is easy to answer.

bit torrent relys on each peer (user) to upload as much as they download.

Basically, if you download something that is not a "fake" or poor quality, the keep the torrent seeding until your ratio is 1.0 or higher.

If you find that the download is Very good, then be kind and seed longer, as someone has to cover for the leechers that grab the files and shut down.

As for banning peers, I suggest you get peer gaurdian 2, and it will update lists of "bad peers" and block connections with them.

Another reason to block a peer is if that peer is sending bad data.

Suspect

[Const2k]

Hi there and welcome :)

1. Could you explain in detail what the column headers on the "Peers" view is telling me? Is it useful information? How would I use it? And why would I want to "Ban" an IP for a period of time?

Seemed to me quite self-explanatory... Nevertheless, read this.

Well, things to pay attention there are: "Remote" initiation and number of seeds (peers with 100% - if you're still downloading); if you're concerned, you may compare Up-/download from this peer - I stop torrent only if all peers I'm connected to got from me as much (or more) as (than) I got from them.

About banning - I don't know for sure. Banning peer means you stop all communications between you and him/her. May be useful in distribution of your upload, may be not.

2. I read that my Upload:Download ratio is important, and affects performance when I'm downloading (although I'm not sure how, as it doesn't seem to actually affect anything that I have noticed). My question is: WHICH Upload:Download ratio? The one on the "Statistics" window, which shows a cumulative value for all files Up/Downloaded, or the one on the "Task" window, which shows the ratio for a particular file?

U/D ratio is calculated by private trackers - if you keep it (on these trackers) below 0.xx (xx varies), they'll "punish" you - the most severe is IP ban. Public trackers do no do this, but anyways you must keep in mind that the network itself depends on how much peers upload. General idea is to keep it not less than 1.0 (you've given back what you've taken = you won't hurt torrent's "Health" by stopping it in your client). "Staistics"'s ratio is "for your eyes only" (as your client doesn't send it anywhere) while "Task"'s one is important on private trackers (and 1st is a combination of all 2nd ones).