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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This website is DEAD ON CORRECT for those of you who are just learning. Just re read it and you will be good to go. Also you have to remember that these settings are going to work differently for everyone so just tweak them a bit. I learned myself from a post just like this about a year an a half ago and when I started on my own I was downloading at about 28 to 47 TOPS! After following these same instructions I downloaded a 4GB dvd iso in under an hour at 320 - 500 TOPS!
But now I am in need of help again. Is there ANYONE that has heard anything about being able to have more connections in Vista? Because if not I am going to SERIOUSLY be BUMMED…lol Vista is sooo pretty..lol but I will go back to XP because I NEED my TORRENTS!
HELP!
Well, read the post and found it a little helpful but, not much. Tried out the patch and it didn’t do anything for my dl ratio but then again it wasn’t bad to begin with but when it comes to the download ratio form web-pages it worked wonders. Getting the things faster is always nice when you download big files.
“patch is a virus”.. F.U.A… it is no virus and it’s easy to remove the files created by it… use UnLocker… it’s free and can be found on the net.
Computers will never take the place of books. You can’t stand on a floppy disk to reach a high shelf.
This improved my torrent download speed by x20! This helped me alot thanks!
With Bit Comet, you can set the tcp/ip thing without using that patch. It’s in Bit Comet version 0.84.
The patch is also not a virus, tho my AV also thought it was when it scanned it. The thing is, my XP SP2 had 50 open - and in the DOS screen that the patch initiated, it asked if I wanted to change 50 to 10. I had previously applied that patch. Normally, a windows update should reverse the setting back, but mine did not do this. I had 50.
I also have a question that someone else asked.
Max connections and
Global max connections
I see no option to change the number of peers. Please EMAIL ME if you have Bit Comet directions for this, if you can see the email above.
Thanks
the patch is not a virus and it works well for me,i have update to 50 TCP connection and now my utorrent is DL-ing at a avg 70-80 KB/s
thank you :)
I have to tell you all. This works! i was getting downloads of 1 -18 at the most and the 18 was for only a split second. now i’m at 37 !!
Hey can anyone help me on ow to use Torrent in office .. Usually office’s firewall such P2P activities .. Any idea how how I can bypass this ????
[quote comment="27015"][quote comment="11775"]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[/quote]
Officially, 1 kB/s = 8 kb/s. Therefore:
kb/s = kB/s multiplied by 8″
kB/s = kb/s divided by 8″
If you still don’t believe me check the google converter, type this in:
1 kB to kb[/quote]
Moron. What is 1 kB/s multiplied by 8? 8kB/s. What is 1kb/s multiplied by 8? 1kB/s. What you said does not equal what you wrote as a formula. The correct formula is:
1kb/s = 1kB/s divided by 8
1kB/s = 1kb/s multiplied by 8
Still don’t believe me? Use simple algebra to make both sides equal. If you’re still having trouble, consider the above table in this format:
8kb/s = 1kB/s
(1/8)kB/s = 1kb/s
This whole thing was fine in the article, quit being ‘tards.
Ok, I changed all the settings detailed. Did a reboot. But now my torrents are downloading at about 10kb/s and before the changes they were about 100kb/s. The swarm average speed is 390kb/s. What’s going on?! I tried changing the settings back but still only 10kb/s second. How annoying.
great article, its definantly increased my speeds. patcher worked as it should. thanks
Help me please, i downloaded a prison break torrent on Bit Comet but i cant find it when i browse the destination directory, please someone tell me whats the problem, it took over 3 hours to download and has a green circile beside it! Whats the problem please help!
i love arguments on the internet, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. and probably outside too. har
[quote comment="6456"]Nice article ..except for this slight mistake “kb/s = kB/s divided by 8″ … It should have been :
“kb/s = kB/s multiplied by 8″ or
“kB/s = kb/s divided by 8″[/quote]
Big friggin deal.
to those who were sayin that the patch was a virus: u guys dont know shit..so better keep ur ideas to urselves.. i hate amateurs
PLease can anyone tell me whats my problem here. Im using bit comet and im always trying to increase its speed. It used to download up to the speed of 30kb per sec. I dont know why but suddenly the speed drops to zero and never rises. Anyone who can help me please e mail me at arvin_1108@hotmail.com
To those having problems with Windows either being slow or requiring patches to speed up BitTorrent:
Just use GNU/Linux or *BSD, and that problem will go away. Their TCP/IP stacks don’t have artificial limitations imposed on them, and they work *GREAT*. For Windows users, I’d recommend Kubuntu.
For Vista, I found an article which mentions to set TCP/IP auto tuning to Highly Restricted instead of disabling it completely.
http://thinkabdul.com/2007/05/04/bittorrent-p2p-tips-tricks-optimize-increase-bittorrent-p2p-download-throughput-and-speed-in-windows-vista/
Has anyone tried which setting is adivsable?
Firstly I had only downloaded three
audio torrents b 4 reading these tips and was getting download speeds of 3 or 4 Kbs. Now I get 400plus Kbs.
What did I do?
Used port 18114
turned on encription, limited downloads to 500kbs
limited uploads to 400kbs
max connections to 200
maxed peers per torrent to 100
upload slots to 10
active torrent downloads to 1 at a time.
maxed half open TCP to 50.
Hi ppl,
After changing my settings…i can’t dl @ full speed..
Plz help me..venu43@gmail.com
well i have a doubt..my connection speed is 256kb/s n i get d speed of 32kB/s..bt sumtimes it also goes to 37kB/s ..bt my frnd hu has d same speed as i do gt speed of 75kBps 1ce…hw can i get tht much speed?..plss help me out
i use utorrent..plss reply on tht basis…
i use utorrent..plss reply on tht basis…ghost_cornwallis2000@yahoo.com…plsss help me out
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