Traffic shaping

[nk33]

Even when I use full encryption only for all connections, my ISP seems to know that I am using bittorent and my connection becomes unusable.

I then have to disconnect and reconnect to start again.

I feel this is ridiculous and I would never have moved from my previous provider if I knew about this. Is there any way around this so they don't know? I have even resorted to using port 80!!

[Ultima]

Are you sure it's your ISP doing the throttling, and not your network hardware dying under the load? Check the first link in my signature and see if the suggestions help.

[nk33]

I am positive. Before moving to this company I was with another ISP on a 1MB connection. I am now on a "up to 8Mb" connection.

I was silly enough to sign up to this company without reading up on them carefully first. I assumed as they had no fair usage policy that I would be ok. This is not the case.

As soon as I started using Utorrent on this new line, they limited it to 20kb/s. I then read up on outbound encryption and changed my settings. All of a sudden my speed was hitting 300kb/s no problem. After a while though, I noticed I couldn't browse the net any more and had to restart line.

[jmmtn4aj]

You could try using a proxy server, but your speeds will be limited by the proxy's.

[nk33]

?? don't think proxy will make much difference. Plus too much hastle. Must be a simpler way.

[Ultima]

Odd workarounds like proxies or VPNs might be your only way, or switching ISPs =T

[nk33]

Could it be that it is my hardware? Do I need an adsl2 router to work a 4 to 5 MB connection ar will a standard one suffice?

[Ultima]

lol I did pose that question to you in my first reply here

It could very possibly be your hardware, but we can't be sure until you try messing around with settings a bit. Check the first link in my signature to see if it helps.

[nk33]

Yes, thank you.

I did acknowledge your first reply and tried every suggestion on it but to no avail.

The connection only disconnects when I use Bittorent. At no other times do I have any problem.

I phoned up Pipex today (my ISP) and they blatently admitted to traffic shaping but said that it wouldnt knock my connection off. The problem is I don't know whether to believe them as I am getting around traffic shapping by using encryption.

I would be happier if it was my modem/router as I am signed up for 12 months now.

One thing I need to know is, what's Lowering net.max_halfopen to 4?

[Ultima]

You can lower net.max_halfopen to 4 in the Advanced preferences. It's a complement of sorts to patching TCPIP.sys (though not absolutely necessary to change). In your case, you might want to try lowering it to 4 anyway.

[nk33]

Ok....I hae just done this.

If it doesn't work, what is next step? Could you also please explain to me what I did by changing it from 8 to 4?

I understand the patching of TCPIP.SYS but not sure what I just did...

My router is a 3com Office Connect 3CRWE754G72-A

...Do you think this will support my 4 MB connection well enough?

[Ultima]

Hm... not sure, as I've never seen anyone here saying that they use a 3com router... If it didn't work, and you tried all the suggestions in my link, then the problem very likely is your ISP, and as suggested, your only way out might be with a proxy or VPN, or switching ISPs.

[nk33]

i have tried absolutely everything and I am at my witts end. I wish I never switched providers. The only thing I haven't tried is using a different router. As I said before though, everything was fine with my previous provider.

I think the stuff my ISP are using is so high-tech thats its really hard to get round.

I will try a different router when I get a chance and see how that goes.

[sooti]

look, there has been a way around the encryption developed by an Israeli startup company (i am not proud of this achievment by my country), and they are selling it to ISP's, it detects the encrypted p2p anyway.. so untill utorrent, bitcomet and azureus update they're software to a new harder to detect encryption, i strongly suggest moving an ISP. or trying deffrent options.. hell i am getting 180 kb/s stable and i'm on 2.5mb/256kb connection...

[Switeck]

I don't think it's the traffic shaping that's directly causing the disconnections you're having.

It's probably DHT in µTorrent causing it. ...getting that 'shaped' as well would just make the problem worse.

Make sure µTorrent is actually able to reach the upload speed max you're telling it to use! If not, you definitely need to reduce max upload speed...and probably reduce all the other settings as well.

Bandwidth overloads, especially continual ones, can cause random disconnections and constant slowdowns.

[Firon]

Stronger encryption won't help. There's other ways to detect traffic that's not decrypting it.

[nk33]

1) I already have DHT disabled

2) I have UPNP disabled

The max upload speed I have set is 20kb/s. My connection support 44kb/s...any more suggestions? I really need to find another router!

...to Sooti, thanks for makin me jealous. As I said I was already with a reliable, professional company and I switched to Pipex for the speed! How ironic!

[Switeck]

Are you actually sustaining 20 KB/sec upload speeds?

If you're shaped, you may not be able to upload as fast in µTorrent as on FTP/HTTP/email.

[nk33]

When I have encryption off, I only get 20KB/s. When I put encryption on, the torrent will go to massive speed (up to 300KB/s) for any given amount of time and will then slow down to zero. Sometimes this happens after half an hour, sometimes after 3 hours, and sometimes after 5 minutes! I then cannot browse the web or do anything without browsing to the router and re-establishing the connection.

This is also frustrating as I use remote desktop software and if I am away from pc have no way of re-establishing the connection unless I am physically there!

I have written a strong letter to Pipex as they are fobbing me off on the phone by saying that for the first 2 weeks I will experience intermitent connections! that is such rubbish! I am not paying them a single penny! If I pay for what they say is an 8MB connection I should be able to use it for (within reason) whatever I please.

[sooti]

hmmm, that is weird... but allow me to explain a bit about throttling, the reason this is done, is because ISPs are cheap, this is a fact, if everyone uses p2p, it will take up all the bandwidth they bought, and then they will have to but more bandwidth, they expect you to download briefly and then finish within minutes, that way allowing others to use the bandwidth, now about your settings, i noted you said you have 20kb/s setting for your upload, well that's way too low, 28kb/s should do great for your download speed, also try disabling the DHT, as it may be slowing you down.. try differnt ports, it may be possible that your isp uses the tactic of simply blocking most ports in an attempt to block p2p, it usually leaves known game ports and VOIP service ports open, if this the case, no encryption seetings will help, some Israeli ISP's do it, i used to use the counter strike port 27015 to download at full speeds, as all others didn't work well, try port 80, this is http and may work too... you should get at least 400-800kb/s on a well seeded torrent, and 150-350 on a new torrent with many leechers..

[Ultima]

@nk33: Sure, you do pay for the 8mbit connection, but they still write the terms of service that you agreed by when you signed up. Somewhere in there, I'm pretty sure they impose limits on what you can do with the connection, or give themselves the right to throttle on whatever they deem needs to be throttled.

[Switeck]

A T-1 line where I am still runs about $400 USA a month, and it's only 1.5 megabits/sec up and down. ISPs have to pay for their trunk lines too...and they cannot afford to have people sustaining even 1 megabit/sec of traffic 24/7. What's more, for every 100 megabits/sec of cable/DSL lines 'potential' (such as 20 five-mbps lines), there's often only 1-10 megabits/sec of real backbone to the internet.

[nk33]

Then they ISP's should only advertise what they can fully offer and not deceive us into believing we are buying something we are not.

I was with a smaller yet more reliable ISP before this. I could phone them up and get straight through to a human voice every time and my line was never down. It never disconnected itself at random times and they didnt throttle my ports at any time. I was paying the same price for less speed but it was worth it.

How can any ISP justify kicking your connection if your using too much bandwidth??? If you dont want me to use the bandwidth then don't sell it to me. Can you see my point of view?

[Ultima]

I understand perfectly what you're saying, and I myself absolutely abhor it when ISPs deceive their customers, but the problem is that you're essentially signing a contract when you join their service, and they very often find a loophole in the contract that gives them the legal claim/right to their actions.

[nk33]

I understand and know this. I am saying that watchdogs should put a stop to this. Its not right. In my view it infringes on our rights as consumers to know what we are buying before we pay.

Who is really going to read a 10 page terms and conditions in tiny print?

...anyway, going back to a solution, if I use this VPN, what if they decide to throttle that connection even if it is encrypted? That has got to be against all rules right? I mean no one gets an 8 MB connection just to browse the bloody web!!