Low download speed after downloading for some minutes?

[fivos]

I' m having the following problem: I have an internet connection of 768kbps upstream/ 192 kbps downstream, measured by the dslreports.com, and when I begin to download a torrent it begins with a speed of 30kB/sec, (sometimes 50 or more depending on the number of seeds etc.). I can understand that this is a logical speed for my connection since it allows up to 96kB/sec theoretically. However after a while (some minutes) the download speed starts falling, while I still have connection with seeds and other peers. Trackers continue to work and update but the speed falls below 10kB/sec, or even 1kB/sec. However even if my download speed falls, I'm still uploading with the same or lower speed (rarely zero). The program says that my connection works as it should (green circle), I have activated encryption, disabled Upnp port mapping and NAT-PMP port mapping, I have set my routers firewall to allow utorrent receive connections to its port and I'm using the default values for upload/download slots and speed according to my connection. I also have tried to download one of the test torrents found in this FAQ section. It was being downloaded at a speed over than 70kB/sec until it reached 95% where, even if I was connected to seeds, speed suddenly fell to 0kB/sec. I can't understand what is wrong since utorrent was working fine some days ago and I didn't change anything in my PC configuration or settings. My utorrent client is 1.7.4. If anyone has any idea what can I do I'd really appreciate it. Just I would like to ask answering in detail because I'm not so familiar with the program. Thanks in advance.

[Switeck]

What settings are you using, as shown by Speed Guide (CTRL+G)?

Have you changed any of µTorrent's advanced settings?

Did you try all of the troubleshooting guide part on slowed connections?

troubleshooting guide at:

http://forum.utorrent.com/viewtopic.php?id=15992

[fivos]

My configuration as seen in the speed guide is the following:

Connection type : xx/192K

Upload limit: 17kB/s

Upload slots: 3

Connections: 55

Connections (global) : 90

Max active torrents :1

Max active downloads :1

Port: 27952 (it is forwarded properly if I test it)

encryption enabled

Other settings/ info:

net.max_halfopen is set to 8 (default I didnt change it)

Operating system Windows XP service pack 2 (patched TCPIP.sys, I've patched it hoping something would fix)

Security software NOD32 and ad-watch 2007

Router model WAG300N linksys

My DSL is 768kbps Downstream and 192 upstream.

I havent tried anything from the advanced section of μTorrent (peer.resolve_country was false by default) and yes I have tried the troubleshooting guide on slowed connections. As I mentioned above I did what it says about activating encryption, disabling Upnp port mapping and NAT-PMP port mapping, disabled DHT, but the problem still persists.

The strange thing is that, since now I've been using μtorrent without any special configuration on it or on my router. I hadnt even configured my router to allow it to forward its port and it was working fine!!!! But on Thursday I have begun downloading a torrent of total size of 6GB (availability is 14.998 so its not a problem). The first day μtorrent was working fine and downloaded about 50% of the files. After that, I don't know what happened and the speed is continuously falling no matter how many times I restart μtorrent or my pc, or stop and begin downloading the files. So I thought that something was wrong with my connection, ISP or something else. I read the troubleshooting guide did anything it said, but nothing: speed still falls after some minutes. It is like μTorrent is refusing to download from other peers or seeds even if it connects to them. What I mean is that initially μtorrent connects to a number of peers as seen in the peer list and starts downloading from some of them. After some time it stops downloading from them, but it doesnt make any attempt to download from others, so download speed goes to zero.

[Switeck]

I can honestly say, whatever's causing your problem has me almost completely stumped...so here's a few longshot ideas, as that's all I have left!

Did you disable Resolve IPs in the Peers Window? (right-click anywhere in the window to get the menu for it.)

Is your µTorrent putting alot of the peers into snubbed mode?

What's the hash fails like on that torrent? (lots = hostiles, intentional or otherwise...or you have really fouled up networking software and/or hardware)

Is there a big cluster of peers at very similar percent complete? (often means slow speeds from seeds or the torrent's really new.)

Are some/many/most/almost all of the peers+seeds BitComet clients by any chance? (I have a very low opinion of BitComet and BitLord programs...they don't seed well.)

I cannot understand how you can get the green light in µTorrent (meaning not firewalled) if you didn't port forward your router...if you didn't have UPnP enabled that is! That's a HIGH level of creepiness to look into if it's the case!

Maybe you have some hostile software on your computer that's interfering?

Can you post a Process Explorer or HijackThis! log showing what's loading on your computer and/or what's running currently in memory?

[fivos]

The currently running processes on my PC are :

System Idle Process

Interrupts

DPCs

System

SMSS.EXE

CSRSS.EXE

WINLOGON.EXE

SERVICES.EXE

ATI2EVXX.EXE

SVCHOST.EXE

SVCHOST.EXE

SVCHOST.EXE

SVCHOST.EXE

SVCHOST.EXE

SPOOLSV.EXE

MDM.EXE

nod32krn.exe

PnkBstrA.exe

SVCHOST.EXE

alg.exe

SVCHOST.EXE

LSASS.EXE

ATI2EVXX.EXE

EXPLORER.EXE

SOUNDMAN.EXE

iTouch.exe

KbdTray.exe

nod32kui.exe

CTFMON.EXE

VDRIVER.EXE

SonyTray.exe

uTorrent.exe

WinRAR.exe

procexp.exe

MOM.EXE

CCC.EXE

EM_EXEC.EXE

IEXPLORE.EXE

as they were found by process explorer. Now I have disabled resolve IP's, hash fails are 130MB (I believe that they are few taking into consideration that the file I'm downloading is 6,03 GB and I have downloaded 5,22GB ). There are Bitcomet seeders, but most of the peers are μtorrent clients. As regards the snubbed peers there are some (they are these with the S) but most are OK. As regards UPnP should I enable it or disable it? The sure thing is that my router supports it and has it enabled, while I have it disabled in μtorrent.

Also I tried to use another torrent downloading program, azureus. From what I've seen it worked fine with the test torrent (no speed problems or slowdowns) and I'm still trying it to see if it has similar problems as μtorrent. Till now it works ok, but its much bigger and heavier than μtorrent, so if there are any ideas for solving my problem I'm still eager to listen them.

Finally something else I've noticed: I have the impression that μtorrent is downloading for as much time I'm doing sth with the certain program (moving the mouse on it, dragging its window, etc.), or when I'm accesing the internet with another program. When I stop it starts slowing down after some time and then stops downloading. Is this possible to happen or it's just a coincidence? Anyway thanks for hearing me and trying to help.

By the way my current peer list is the following:

IP Client Flags % Down Speed Up Speed Reqs

216.23.240.6 µTorrent 1.7.4 UD IE 27.3 2.9 kB/s 2.8 kB/s 4 | 0

124.148.126.44 µTorrent 1.7.4 UD IE 55.4 1.0 kB/s 0.7 kB/s 2 | 0

81.175.220.57 BitComet/0.0.7.2 UD I 29.3 0.4 kB/s 0.3 kB/s 3 | 1

89.142.45.202 µTorrent 1.7.4 udS I 12.0 0.1 kB/s

220.253.61.211 Azureus/3.0.2.2 uDS I 1.8 0.1 kB/s 3 | 0

24.230.86.105 µTorrent 1.7.2 d I 100.0

58.104.53.10 µTorrent 1.7.4 uD IE 50.9 2 | 0

60.49.35.151 µTorrent 1.7.2 ud IE 91.9

60.50.171.7 µTorrent 1.7.4 ud IE 18.8

60.242.237.213 µTorrent 1.7.2 ud I 39.1

62.240.163.46 µTorrent 1.7.2 UD IE 15.2 0.4 kB/s 2 | 0

68.98.155.185 µTorrent 1.7.4 d I 100.0

69.231.54.10 µTorrent 1.7.2 d IE 100.0

70.48.159.7 µTorrent 1.7.4 ud IE 7.3

74.64.60.112 µTorrent 1.7.2 UdO I 7.9 0.2 kB/s

74.100.163.11 µTorrent 1.7.4 UD IE 8.3 2 | 0

76.107.37.131 µTorrent/1.6.0.0 d I 100.0

76.119.76.158 BitTorrent 5.0.7 d I 9.5

78.62.74.147 µTorrent/1.6.0.0 ud IE 84.9

80.178.120.253 µTorrent 1.7.4 u IE 0.0

81.103.164.70 µTorrent 1.7.4 d IE 100.0

81.182.174.250 µTorrent 1.7.4 ud IE 16.9

82.125.29.192 µTorrent 1.7.2 ud IE 66.8

82.155.23.209 µTorrent 1.7.4 ud I 10.9

83.4.220.140 µTorrent 1.6.1 ud IE 8.9

83.95.131.119 µTorrent 1.7.4 u IE 0.0

84.26.178.75 µTorrent 1.7.2 ud IE 40.1

85.75.116.29 µTorrent 1.7.4 ud IE 0.8

85.157.129.30 µTorrent 1.7.4 u IE 0.3

86.10.62.177 µTorrent 1.7.4 ud IE 1.2

87.88.101.250 µTorrent 1.7.4 ud IE 56.3

87.169.91.13 µTorrent 1.7.4 ud IE 93.5

87.184.206.31 µTorrent 1.7.2 ud IE 74.4

88.9.134.38 µTorrent 1.7.2 u I 0.0

89.54.84.197 µTorrent 1.7.4 ud IE 38.9

89.102.216.25 µTorrent 1.7.4 ud I 68.4

89.108.34.179 µTorrent 1.7.4 ud IE 30.5

89.181.55.49 µTorrent 1.7.4 d IE 100.0

89.211.187.16 µTorrent 1.7.4 ud IE 61.9

89.216.145.114 µTorrent 1.7.2 ud I 32.9

91.124.228.185 µTorrent 1.7.4 u IE 0.0

121.45.116.140 µTorrent 1.7.4 ud IE 67.5

123.243.22.130 µTorrent 1.7.4 uD IE 74.0 1.0 kB/s 2 | 0

124.171.60.54 µTorrent 1.7.2 ud IE 36.5

172.188.135.238 µTorrent 1.7.1 ud I 89.3

190.48.153.114 µTorrent 1.7.4 d IE 100.0

190.82.171.170 µTorrent 1.7.2 ud IE 91.7

193.231.116.163 µTorrent 1.7.4 ud IE 58.8

194.228.1.35 µTorrent 1.7.2 d I 100.0

201.27.217.239 µTorrent 1.7.4 ud I 37.6

211.31.51.15 µTorrent/1.6.0.0 d IE 100.0

213.46.147.93 µTorrent 1.7.4 ud IE 7.3

213.114.190.79 µTorrent 1.7.4 d IE 100.0

213.118.234.99 µTorrent 1.7.4 ud IE 83.8

217.44.14.90 µTorrent 1.7.4 ud IE 34.0

Let me also make something clear. As I said I was using before some days both μtorrent and my router unconfigured. Indeed the connection indicator wasn't green (it was the yellow triange) but I didn't pay much attention since the program was working and downloading (maybe not with the biggest possible speed but surely with more than 10KB/sec and mainly no slowdowns). After the problem I've described above appeared, I went through all troubleshooting and settting up procedures. So now even if I have both router and μtorrent set up as they ''should'' and even if I'm now getting always the green indicator that my port is forwarded properly, I continue to have speed slowdowns.

[Switeck]

Ok, going through the program list:

nod32krn.exe

nod32kui.exe

NOD32 AV WILL conflict with µTorrent if IMON isn't disabled from what I've heard.

Always a chance that copy protection/game protection may interfere with µTorrent:

PnkBstrA.exe

Can you try closing that app using Process Explorer?

(It will reload on reboot, so no permanent harm should be done.)

Possible conflicting 3rd party software?:

iTouch.exe

SonyTray.exe

MOM.EXE

CCC.EXE

EM_EXEC.EXE

...So can you try closing them using Process Explorer and running more tests?

And find out what these 3 REALLY are:

MOM.EXE

CCC.EXE

EM_EXEC.EXE

These are names of legitimate process, however if they are loading from anywhere other than standard locations they may be viruses/trojans using the same name to try to "hide":

SOUNDMAN.EXE

KbdTray.exe

VDRIVER.EXE

EXPLORER.EXE

IEXPLORE.EXE

If you're getting hash fails at all, then you need to check to see if there's a particular ip or ips at fault. If there is, you may want to remove it using ipfilter.dat -- on a download that large with probably very large pieces, you don't want an unreliable peer/seed giving you any bad data possibly for each 4 MB piece.

You shouldn't need to enable UPnP if you used manual port forwarding on the router...it may even cause conflicts if you do.

Sort the Peers Window by % completed.

Do the Bitcomet seeders seem alot slower than the other seeds?

Is there a big cluster of peers at nearly the same percent completed as you?

If you've been watching the torrent for a LONG time, does there seem to be peers download a LOT faster than you?

Are there many peers that you've uploaded 100+ MB to but downloaded less than 1 MB from that have a higher percentage complete than you? (This is a sign of either snubbing of you on THEIR end, or they're almost leeching due to very low upload speeds/spread upload too thin between too many torrents.)

Are you actually reaching and sustaining your UPLOAD speed max of 17 KiloBYTES/sec?

If not, have you tried increasing the number of upload slots to 4 or 5 to see if that increases average upload speed?

If ALL this fails, your ISP is quite likely crippling your connection.

Have you exceeded any daily/weekly/monthly bandwidth quotas...or fair-use policies?

(You may have to check their website to find what their policies/bandwidth quotas are.)

[fivos]

OK, I' ve been watching my μtorrent client for some time while it was downloading. Well previously I said that I had the impression that μtorrent is downloading when I'm doing something with the PC. I'm 99,9% sure that this is happening no matter how crazy it may hear. So I start downloading, fine 45kB/sec download speed. I stop moving the mouse or doing anything on the pc. After several seconds speed goes to 5kB/sec, or lower. I move the mouse, minimize/maximize the program and the download speed increases again to 30KB/sec, it even reached 60kB/sec!!!!! Now what the !@#!% is that?!?! So I don't think its my ISP (I don't have any download/upload limits or limited use etc), or bad connection settings. Are any settings for hybernating μtorrent or putting it in sleep mode or whatever. Anything similar about my network adapter or... I don't know ?

What I mean with all the above is what I said previously: μtorrent doesn't have any problem establishing connections with other peers. It begins downloading from them but overtime it slows down or stops downloading from them while it is STILL connected to them and STILL uploads to some of them (while downloading normally it uploads with the maximum speed most times 15-17kB/sec, when it slows down, upload speed also decreases). Same thing happens no matter if I have IPs resolved, Upnp mapping, NAT PMP enabled/ disabled, DHT enabled/disabled. Connection is always green circle.

I cant stay on my PC moving the mouse for a couple of days to download a torrent ! Any ideas for that (by the way I' ve been using some registry fixing programs such as WinASO registry optimiser, is there any case it did anything )?

I have the speed graph print screened. Is there any way to post it here ?

[Switeck]

Control Panel, Power Options...that's where your computer is told how to respond to hibernation/sleep modes and system standby.

You NEED to find out what those other programs are on your computer -- and what they're doing!

My guess, a clever virus or spyware that goes "active" only while you're not at the computer typing or moving the mouse.

www.rapidshare.com is an ok place to upload your screenshot/s to. Then just link to it in your post.

[fivos]

I remembered that recently my antivirus (NOD32) has found a virus (not remember what it was but it was found in the system32 directory) and because it couldn't clean the file, it deleted it. Is there any case it was an essential file that causes now these problems?

Also I had configured msconfig so that it wouldn't load all processes, because I didn't need all of them. I reset the changes and μtorrent worked better (worked for more time but still stops after some time).

So my guess is that I've done something wrong with the essential processes needed to run the PC properly, or some files needed are either corrupt or deleted.

Now what I can do for that? I tried reinstalling windows service pack 2 and my motherboard's network driver and programs but the problem persists. What else I could try? Any other program possibly needed for correct network operation (basicly for μtorrent, I haven't experienced any other problems anywhere else)? I was planning to format my hard disk and reinstall windows but I would prefer to avoid it right now, just a bit later.

As regards the processes you told me I know what they are and they are safe:

MOM.EXE and CCC.EXE are for the ATI's catalyst control center (CCC =catalyst ...) and EM_EXEC.EXE is logitech's panel for reporting battery status etc.

I uploaded my speed graph to rapid share but when I add the tag it doesn't appear (There is a page with a red x).

[Switeck]

My bad, NOD32 AV has a component called IMON (I think, not sure!) that causes immense problems for µTorrent if not disabled.

Just link to the file's location...we don't have to SEE the image here. I can go download it if I want.

[fivos]

http://rs179tl2.rapidshare.com/files/55012977/1139330/graph2.JPG

when speed was decreasing I was moving the mouse. Note that both upload and download speeds increase or decrease. At the last minutes I was continuously moving the mouse so that's why there are fluctuations but not total slowdown.

[Switeck]

Maybe a mouse driver conflict?

Have you tried deleting and reinstalling your mouse drivers via Safe Mode?

[fivos]

I did the following : I started the PC in safe mode with network (you know F8 during boot up and safe mode with network) and tried to use μtorrent again. Well μtorrent worked fine (thank god!!). It downloaded perfectly the test torrent with very high speed (85kB/sec peak 75kB/sec average, fine for my connection of 768kpbs down/192kbps up) and downloaded some other torrents while being totaly unattended (I didn't touch my PC) for 5 hours approximately, so I guess everything is working OK. The speed graph is here : http://rs163cg2.rapidshare.com/files/55192135/1147848/graph3.JPG.

So you were right: some processes either block or come in conflict with μtorrent. I noted the processes that were active during safe mode. They are:

aawservice.exe

csrss.exe

ctfmon.exe

DPCs

Explorer.EXE

Interrupts

lsass.exe

procexp.exe

services.exe

smss.exe

svchost.exe

svchost.exe

svchost.exe

svchost.exe

svchost.exe

System

System Idle Process

uTorrent.exe

winlogon.exe

So these must be the ''safe'' processes since they didn't affect μtorrent at all. I'm going to check NOD32's IMON, I think I saw it allows exceptions. I' ll also check my mouse driver in case it interferes with μtorrent. Also I'll check all other processes running on my PC. I'll post what I've found when I find what caused this problem so anyone else facing such problems would know.

[Switeck]

NOD32 IMON may conflict in general, exceptions added for µTorrent or not!

[fivos]

Well it appears that it was my mouse drivers. I uninstalled and reinstalled them and now μtorrent is working fine! I don't understand however what mouse drivers have to do with network connections. Anyway thanks for the support and ideas Switeck. :cool:

[Switeck]

The only thing scarier than when I give out hair-brained ideas because I'm out of ideas...is it's somehow right.

Mouse drivers screwing up µTorrent is really sad. But I've heard a long while back that Microsoft INTENTIONALLY put more "stuff" into their mouse driver DLL files just so they could say you cannot "safely" remove Internet Explorer from Win XP.

[WITCHYWOMAN530]

My post is a question rather than a reply. If I have erred, I'm sorry. My stroke caused my once 160 i.q. to go to needing a show-me sometimes. Why do I get an "S" code sometimes in peers when I've never refused or limited ANYONE and seed forever--or until I'm broke from adding HD's--lol? It also brought my once 190 wpm typing to hunt and peck--MEGA ANNOYING.

[Switeck]

If the other end cannot download as fast as you can upload...or their connection is choked by their upload being set too high...I can understand your end recognizes this somehow and "S" snubs them.

[Suhsam]

i got the same problem as the guy in the opening post,i read the whole thread but didn't find any specific reason which is causing this,can anyone shed some light on this?

Edit: I would also like to add that ever since this started happening the number of hash fails has risen alot.