Optimize Your BitTorrent Download Speed
BitTorrent can be fun, as long as you get decent speeds. Not satisfied with your current speeds? These suggestions might help to optimize your download pleasure
1. Hack the max half-open TCP connections
If you’re on XP sp2, your TCP connections are limited to a maximum of 10. This might hurt your downloading speed because it wont let you connect to as much peers as you want. It is supposed to slow down viruses because their spreading strategy is to connect to a high amount of ip numbers, but it could cripple your torrent downloads.
A nice way to fix this is to download this patch.
Note: Some people report that their antivir reports the patch to be a Virus, This is not the case. Check out http://www.lvllord.de/ for more details on this
The patch allows you to set the maximum allowed connections to any number you want. Any number between 50 and 100 is ok (more is NOT always better).
Next you need to configure your torrent client to allow 50-100 max half-open TCP connections
uTorrent: Options > Preferences > Advanced options > net.max_halfopen
Bitcomet: Options > Preferences > Connection > max half-open TCP
Now you’re ready to go…
A third point of interest is that some “windows updates” revert your tweaked tcp connections back to 10. So it’s wise to check this every now and then. You can check this by going to (in windows xp) Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Event Viewer > System… Look for event 4226 (sort by event).
For more details about Windows XP SP2 and Event ID 4226 read David Kaspar’s excellent post
If there are a lot of daily occurences it’s likely that the max amount of half-open tcp connections was set back to 10. Or you’re infected with some nasty spyware…
2. Torrent Client Configuration
In order to apply these tips you need to know your maximum up- and download speed. You can test your bandwidth over here (stop all download activity while testing). Also make sure that you applied the tips provided in our previous posts.
Note that there’s a difference between kb/s (kilobits/second) and kB/s (kilobytes/second). To be precise, kB/s = kb/s divided by 8. In this tutorial we use kB/s (like most torrent clients do). This means that you might need to calculate your max speed in kB/s yourself if the speedtest only gives you the results in kb\s (so divide by 8 then).
Settings 1-4 can be found in the options, settings or preference tab of most torrent clients.
1. Maximum upload speed
Probably the most important setting there is. Your connection is (sort of) like a pipeline, if you use you maximum upload speed there’s not enough space left for the files you are downloading. So you have to cap your upload speed.
Use the following formula to determine your optimal upload speed…
80% of your maximum upload speed
so if your maximum upload speed is 40 kB/s, the optimal upload rate is 32kB/s
But keep seeding!
2. Maximum download speed
Although setting your maximum download speed to unlimited may sound interesting, in reality it will only hurt your connection. If you still want to be able to browse properly, set your maximum download speed to:
95% of your maximum download speed
so if your maximum download speed is 400 kB/s, the optimal download speed is 380kB/s
3. Maximum connected peers per torrent
Yet another setting that you don’t want to max out. I experimented quite a lot with the max connected peers settings and came to the conclusion that both high and low number hurt the download speed of a torrent. The following setting worked best for me.
upload speed * 1.3
so if your maximum upload speed is 40 kB/s, the optimal amount of connected peers per torrent is
40 * 1.3 = 52
I didn’t noticed a difference for fast or slow connections here.
4. Maximum upload slots
1 + (upload speed / 6)
so if your maximum upload speed is 30 kB/s, the optimal number of upload slots is
1 + (30 / 6) = 6
3. More Tips
Check seeds and peers
A simple tip, but very important. Always look for torrents with the best seed/peer ratio. The more seeds (compared to peers) the better (in general). So 50 seeds and 50 peers is better than 500 seeds and 1000 peers. So, be selective.
Change the default port.
By default, BitTorrent uses a port 6881-6999. BitTorrent generates a lot traffic (1/3), so isp’s like to limit the connection offered on the these ports. So, you should change these to another range. Good clients allow you to do this, just choose anything you like. If you’re behind a router, make sure you have your ports forwarded (portforward.com) or UPnP enabled.
Disable Windows Firewall
It sucks. Windows Firewall hates P2P and often leads a life of it’s own. So disable it and get yourself a decent (free) firewall, Kerio or Zone Alarm for example.
Turn on Encryption
Encrypting your torrents will prevent throttling ISP’s from limiting your BitTorrent traffic. Check out how to enable encryption in Azureus, uTorrent, and Bitcomet, the three most popular torrent clients.
Optimize your internet connection
The TCP optimizer is a freeware utility that optimizes your internet connection. I found it very useful and it helped speeding up my connection for regular internet activity and for downloading torrents. Just download it, and move the slidebar to your maximum download rate (note that it’s in kb/s). Don’t try to set it higher because that will hurt your download speeds!
Last but not least… Buy a faster connection…
Happy Torrenting!
(this post is a compilation of previous “speed up” posts)
Previously: Sealand on Fire
Next: Pirates On The Loose
276 Responses (Add yours or TrackBack)
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i did all that and it did not help my speeds at all!!!
Amazing article. Cleared out some of the questions i had in mind. Thank you very much.
Same as sam…
Anything else we could take into consideration?Like keeping the least open tasks at any time?
[quote comment="7455"][half-open tcp conenctions]
1) dis dont work on vista and prob. never will.
2) dis dont increase torrent download speed. it decreases time 2 start downloading cos wen u r downloading, u have completed connections, dey r not 1/2 open anymore.[/quote]
I’d take you seriously if you didn’t type like you had a mental disease.
how do you change the settings changed by the patch manually!
the patch is a real virus!!!. I ran that patch and I relize this patch automatic copy itself to Temp folder and other folder in my computer, I can’t delete them, some of them visible while some invisible, I only see them by seach tools. Be careful guys! good luck!!!
Wow man thank you so much, after encryption my dl speed instantly tripled, F my ISP for capping my BT without telling me.
This is a really great site. Thanks! I ll be back soon!
“how do you change the settings changed by the patch manually!”
That is exactly what I was wondering. I bet it can’t be too complicated to manually do, so lets see it! Forget this file that might be a vivrus, how about sharing the source or how it can be done manually!
Hey can someone explain what is the purpose of changing the net.max_halfopen from default 8 to 80? i have tried downloading with both configurations and haven’t really noticed a big speed increase from the default 8 to the change of 80, sometimes it seemed even faster at the default setting, so if anyone knows about this net.max_halfopen, please explain in the simplest terms possible. Thx. I have already changed the TCP part of winxp sp2 and i notice the speed increase from that change.
BEWARE! CRASHED WINDOWS,needed to reinstall windows after following above info.
[quote comment="10693"]Hey can someone explain what is the purpose of changing the net.max_halfopen from default 8 to 80? i have tried downloading with both configurations and haven’t really noticed a big speed increase from the default 8 to the change of 80, sometimes it seemed even faster at the default setting, so if anyone knows about this net.max_halfopen, please explain in the simplest terms possible. Thx. I have already changed the TCP part of winxp sp2 and i notice the speed increase from that change.[/quote]
allows you to connect to more ip’s at the same time
Can this also be done with Windows 2000? How?
hi i have bitcomet 0.70t and have downloaded some tv series. i can get them to preview in bitcomet but cant get them to play when opening on my computer. WHY
[quote comment="10822"]hi i have bitcomet 0.70t and have downloaded some tv series. i can get them to preview in bitcomet but cant get them to play when opening on my computer. WHY[/quote]
Try it with VLC media player
hai.. i’ve tried the download/upload test and it says that my download speed is lower than my upload speed. I wondered why cos my DSL line speed should be around 100.0 Mbps..Any help pls..thks!
i followed this guide precisely and although it did improve my speed the diffence between before and after is not much. So could it be that i might of done something wrong or is there something else please help!
@Sachin:
Sorry to say but:
is also wrong!!!
Because 1024 Byte=1 KB and 1000 bit=1 kb so everything with 8 is wrong
right is 8*1024/1000=8,192 bzw. bei Mb und MB 8*1024^2/1000^2=8,388608
so right is:
Can we get a definitve answer as to which one of these is correct?
kb/s = kB/s multiplied by 8″
kB/s = kb/s divided by 8″
or
kb/s = kB/s * 8,192
kB/s = kb/s / 8,192
I really appreciated this advice. At first I was concerned by all of the virus reports, but I ran a scan. The scan came back negative so I took a chance. The patch and tweaks worked great and now my normal download speed of around 100kbs is up to around 180kbs.
Good article, d\l link is missing http://www.
http://lvllord.de/?lang=en&url=downloads
should be: http://www.lvllord.de/?lang=en&url=downloads
Thanks.
Eddie.
Does anyone know what is the best download speed inorder to get highest upload speed? (i’m trying to increase my ratio w/ a website and i’m not having much luck.)
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