Port Forwarding vs UPnP / Speed Guide Speed Settings

[punlman]

At first, I did NOT do any "port forwarding".... and uTorrent worked ok.

Then, I read all about how important port forwarding is... (here: http://bt.degreez.net/firewalled.html ...and here: http://utorrent.com/beginners-guide.php ) So I decided I had better attempt it (even though I don't like messing with my internet connection... especially when it works so well!)...

So, I got in to my router's web interface... and the first thing I noticed is that I could ENABLE UPnP.... So I did.

Then, since UPnP port mapping is enabled in my uTorrent, it began working immediately.

Eureka!

I FINALLY got the coveted green "Network OK" checkmark, within uTorrent... and my speeds shot up to 200Kbps Download, and 90kbps Upload... Very nice!

Until.... I read this: "UPNP is used to dynamically configure routers, but for an application as bandwidth-intensive as bittorrent, it is unsuitable and can cause the router to crash or to slow down a great deal, spoiling your download experience and delaying all those juicy files." (taken from this page: http://forum.portforward.com/YaBB.cgi?board=Knowledge;action=print;num=1115408191 )

IS THIS TRUE!?

Now that you mention it... I did have to reset my router once... when I lost internet connectivity.... which is very unusual...

Hmmm.

Which leads to the question....

(1) Am I not going to be able to get around setting up Static IP Addresses within my network, and manually forwarding the port that each workstation's copy of uTorrent is using...?

Or.... what will happen if I just leave UPnP enabled...?

And.....

(2) I have read all sorts of comments about how setting your Speed Guide --> Connection Type speed too FAST... is supposedly detrimental to your speeds.... MEANWHILE, this has NOT seemed to hold true for me.

I have experimented with changing that setting... and studying what happens in the SPEED tab graph... Even though my very BEST speeds, on my speedtests, were:

2735 Kbps Best Download Speed http://www.dslreports.com/im/23591190/3056.png

694 Kbps Best Upload Speed http://www.dslreports.com/im/23590654/7292.png

I have found that -- my speeds actually seem to be the highest when I have the Speed Guide --> Connection Type speed set to: "xx/10Mbit".

Like, at this moment, uTorrent is reporting Download: in the 140-200k range and Upload: in the 50-90k range

Can you believe it!?

This goes CONTRARY to all the advice I keep reading online... What gives?

Bruce Wagner

http://brucewagner.com

[Ultima]

I did have to reset my router once... when I lost internet connectivity

I have the Speed Guide --> Connection Type speed set to: "xx/10Mbit"

Interrelated... This is one of the main reasons why we say not to select a connection type greater than your proper upload rate -- you will overload your connection. If you're seeing "higher" speeds, chances are, it's due to overhead more than anything else -- that is, you're probably spending more bandwidth saying "hello" to other clients than actually transferring data with them by picking the incorrect connection type.

And if UPnP works with your router, you're more-or-less set as long as you have everything else configured *properly*.