The new file sharing protocol bittorrent has changed everything when it comes to file sharing. It is a great platform for downloading large files. Sharing of files is so simple and file types are not restricted which include movies, iso images and MP3. Even illegal file sharing is getting popular because of this.
The Bittorrent system can be slow at times so let us tweak bittorrent sharing program a little bit.
There are a bunch of different bittorrent clients that you can download. I personally prefer BitCommet and uTorrent.
Here I’ll explain how to speed up uTorrent Client. Similar can be implemented on any other torrent clients of you’re favorite.
Step 1: (For Windows XP only)
You need to increase the number of TCP connections that are allowed at max.Windows XP Service Pack 2 came with the number of allowed open connections to 10. This is to stop any piece of spyware(inour case bittorent client even) from totally taking over your internet connection. TCP connection allowed should be 50 for optimal performance. The best way to increase the maximum number of connections is to apply patch that is available at www.lvllord.de. This step has to be redone whenever new service pack is installed to your computer.
Step 2:
The little tweak to the torrent client works great in certain times. If you’re using uTorrent go to Options menu then Preferences. In the Preferences go the Advanced Options. In the advanced options change the net.max_halfopen connections to 80. In the same section change the max half open tcp connections to 80. Once your done click on OK and you are all set. This tweak will let the maximum TCP connection available for the bittorrent client. Now start downloading you’ll realize a little difference in the download speed.
Labels: torrent
Increase download speeds by opening TCP port 6881, the "dedicated lane" for torrent file downloads.
If you are a Bit Torrent downloader, you know what slow download speeds are like...frustrating and annoying, to say the least. Instead of getting your music or movie within a couple of hours, your software predicts it will take 2 to 4 days.
Now, while many of the speed factors involved are out of your control, there is at least one thing you can do at your receiving end to improve this speed. It is called "Port Forwarding", or "opening your specific TCP ports". This is how it works.
1) That blue or green network cable coming out of your computer/modem/router is actually a busy highway comprised of 65,536 tiny electronic lanes (yes, over sixty-five thousand little lanes for your electrons). Each lane is called a "port", and each port is designed to allow only specific types of information through. Many ports are assigned in a semi-standardized way. Here are some example port assignments:
HTML pages: port 80
FTP file transferring: port 21
World of Warcraft: port 3724
POP3 email: port 110
MSN Messenger: port 6901 and ports 6891-6900
Everquest: port 1024
Bit Torrents: port 6881
2) Bit torrents, by default, first look for port 6881 to enter/exit your computer. If port 6881 is closed for whatever reason, torrents then go to port 6882, then 6883, and so on, until it eventually tries port 6999 before giving up.
3) Every ISP, and every home router, can optionally block any of these ports with the intention of preventing hackers and controlling the network.
4) If you tell your own personal router and firewall at home to open (aka "forward") port 6881 and port 6882, then your bit torrents will find their way into your computer that much faster. Sometimes up to 5x faster.
Yes, opening ports does increase the possibility of getting hacked by unwanted bad guys, but there are means to reduce that threat while still getting fast torrent download speeds.
Labels: torrent
