Always get "timed out" (even if downloads continue)

[itsonlydanny]

Hi there,

I am using the latest stable/non-Beta version of uTorrent, and my (default) O/S is Windows Home w/SP 2 (and I live in the UK). For the rest of my hardware & (security) software specs see below. I recently moved - whether wisely or not - from Orange to Tiscali's Max Unlimited Account (ie, "up to" 8 Mbps, or supposedly "between" 6 to 8 Mbps). Initially, I had appalling connection/download speeds when using the 'obligatory' (and notorious, it seems) SpeedTouch ST-330 USB ADSL modem, as described here:

http://www.tiscali.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=129676

However, when they sent me a replacement Ethernet modem - the SpeedTouch 510 v6 - things definitely picked up (as also mentioned in the above forum post). Indeed, for a brief, glorious, minute or two I achieved the near dazzling speed of 7.54 Mbps - though the non-peak time (6-11pm apparently) 'average' is about 4.4 Mbps, while the peak time 'average' is a risible 0.2 Mbps (and seems to begin around 4pm rather than 6pm).

According to uTorrent's SpeedGuide (just taken) my download speed is a mighty 2088 kb/s and my upload speed is 185 kb/s. As for 'thinkBroadband', they've just told me that my downloads are 4.4 Mbps and my uploads are 0.4 Mbps. As for the TweakTest on 'dslreports', here are the results:

http://www.dslreports.com/tweakr/block:4698b76?service=dsl&speed=6000&os=winXP&via=winXPpppoe

And here is my report from ProcessExplorer:

"Process PID CPU Description Company Name

System Idle Process 0 98.44

Interrupts n/a Hardware Interrupts

DPCs n/a Deferred Procedure Calls

System 4

smss.exe 1352 Windows NT Session Manager Microsoft Corporation

csrss.exe 1500 Client Server Runtime Process Microsoft Corporation

winlogon.exe 1524 Windows NT Logon Application Microsoft Corporation

services.exe 1568 Services and Controller app Microsoft Corporation

svchost.exe 1748 Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Microsoft Corporation

svchost.exe 1808 Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Microsoft Corporation

svchost.exe 1972 Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Microsoft Corporation

wscntfy.exe 3608 Windows Security Center Notification App Microsoft Corporation

svchost.exe 2036 Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Microsoft Corporation

svchost.exe 424 Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Microsoft Corporation

SABSVC.EXE 716 Super Ad Blocker Service SuperAdBlocker.com

spoolsv.exe 816 Spooler SubSystem App Microsoft Corporation

eEBSvc.exe 932

schedul2.exe 1140 Acronis Scheduler 2 Acronis

avp.exe 1156 Kaspersky Anti-Virus Kaspersky Lab

DkService.exe 1184 DKSERVICE.EXE Diskeeper Corporation

eEBAgent.exe 1212 eEBAPI Status Agent SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION

SAgent2.exe 1236 EPSON Printer Status Agent SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION

E_S00RP2.EXE 1252 EPSON Status Monitor 3 SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION

nTuneService.exe 1328 NVIDIA Access Manager NVIDIA

nvsvc32.exe 1368 NVIDIA Driver Helper Service, Version 93.71 NVIDIA Corporation

svchost.exe 1960 1.56 Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Microsoft Corporation

wwSecure.exe 432 Washer Security Service Webroot Software, Inc.

alg.exe 2476 Application Layer Gateway Service Microsoft Corporation

lsass.exe 1580 LSA Shell (Export Version) Microsoft Corporation

explorer.exe 3540 Windows Explorer Microsoft Corporation

csrss.exe 3676

jusched.exe 3784 Java Platform SE binary Sun Microsystems, Inc.

rundll32.exe 3796 Run a DLL as an App Microsoft Corporation

TrueImageMonitor.exe 3900 Acronis True Image Monitor Acronis

TimounterMonitor.exe 3936 Monitor for Acronis True Image Backup Archive Explorer Acronis

schedhlp.exe 3952 Acronis Scheduler Helper Acronis

Panel.exe 3964

MouseDrv.exe 4032 5 Key Mouse Driver

PS2USBKbdDrv.exe 4084

E_S10IC2.EXE 620 EPSON Status Monitor 3 SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION

TMTray.exe 1944 TweakMASTER PRO Agent Hagel Technologies Ltd

avp.exe 2028 Kaspersky Anti-Virus Kaspersky Lab

ctfmon.exe 2172 CTF Loader Microsoft Corporation

msmsgs.exe 2268 Windows Messenger Microsoft Corporation

sgmain.exe 2536 SpywareGuard

sgbhp.exe 2816 SG Browser Hijacking Protection

procexp.exe 3236 Sysinternals Process Explorer Sysinternals

firefox.exe 2960 Firefox Mozilla Corporation"

My problem - after reading your Guides, FAQa, etc - is that when I'm downloading there always come a point when when all the torrents have the red mark next to them - that is, the message "Tracker Offline (timed out)". This does not mean I cannot download anything - it still comes down, sometimes at a relatively decent rate considering how slow my connection can be at times. But, presumably, as I'm always being "timed out", then I should be able to gain greater speeds .... yes?

Of course, it could be that Tiscali is throttling my torrent connections - in which case, I suppose there is not much I can do about it (after all, I never had this "timed out", etc, problem when with Orange). But then again, it could be that my settings/configuration is pretty lousy. I've always got the green tick 'Network OK' symbol, and I followed all the instructions, etc, at 'portforwarding.com'. I almost certain that I've configured my Kasperksy Internet Security correctly, so uTorrent has full access, and so on. Perhaps I'm missing something? And, yes, I've Enabled Encryption.

If someone's got any advice or suggestions for me, that would be great - as it gets a little bit dispiriting looking at a row of 'angry' red icons all day! (so to speak)

all the best,

itsonlydanny

[Ultima]

Check the first link in my signature. AMD X2s are known to be problematic (note the relevant link in that first link in my signature).

[Switeck]

Do a search on this forum for your ISP and problems...and do a similar one on GOOGLE.

One (or more) of these programs may be blocking µTorrent's incoming port:

SABSVC.EXE 716 Super Ad Blocker Service SuperAdBlocker.com

sgmain.exe 2536 SpywareGuard

sgbhp.exe 2816 SG Browser Hijacking Protection

[itsonlydanny]

Hi,

Thanks for advice. According to 'SpeedGuide', I might need to tweak my RWIN settings, etc. Here is its analysis:

"Tested on: 06.14.2007 03:29

IP address: 88.111.xxx.xxx

TCP options string: 020405b401010402

MSS: 1460

MTU: 1500

TCP Window: 65535 (NOT multiple of MSS)

RWIN Scaling: 0

Unscaled RWIN : 65535

Reccomended RWINs: 64240, 128480, 256960, 513920

BDP limit (200ms): 2621kbps (328KBytes/s)

BDP limit (500ms): 1049kbps (131KBytes/s)

MTU Discovery: ON

TTL: 107

Timestamps: OFF

SACKs: ON

IP ToS: 00000000 (0)"

Thus suggesting:

"TCP options string = 020405b401010402

MTU = 1500

MTU is fully optimized for broadband.

MSS = 1460

Maximum useful data in each packet = 1460, which equals MSS.

Default TCP Receive Window (RWIN) = 65535

RWIN Scaling (RFC1323) = 0 bits

Unscaled TCP Receive Window = 65535

Note: TCP 1323 Options need to be enabled for RWIN over 2^16 (65535). Windows 9x might also need the MS Vtcp386 fix.

For optimum performance, consider changing RWIN to a multiple of MSS.

Other RWIN values that might work well with your current MTU/MSS:

513920 (MSS x 44 * scale factor of 8)

256960 (MSS x 44 * scale factor of 4)

128480 (MSS x 44 * scale factor of 2)

64240 (MSS x 44)

bandwidth * delay product (Note this is not a speed test):

Your TCP Window limits you to: 2621 kbps (328 KBytes/s) @ 200ms

Your TCP Window limits you to: 1049 kbps (131 KBytes/s) @ 500ms

MTU Discovery (RFC1191) = ON

Time to live left = 107 hops

TTL value is ok.

Timestamps (RFC1323) = OFF

Selective Acknowledgements (RFC2018) = ON

IP type of service field (RFC1349) = 00000000 (0)"

Of course, all the above will mean a lot more to you than it does to me! Any ideas on it?

cheers,

itsonlydanny

p.s. yes, it does appear that Tiscali has an 'unofficial' or 'hidden' policy of throttling torrent connections/downloads - though in its T&Cs it says p2p are allowed (or acceptable), though MIGHT be 'reduced' during peak time hours (6-11pm). Of course, it does not say that - in reality - it will throttle/reduce torrent connections all the time, except (possibly) between the hours of 3-4 am!