How to nerf utorrent on a home network?

[tr0]

Ill try get the facts out of the way first..

8mb network.

All 5 of us connect to a gigabyte switch which then goes to the router

No-one connects straight via the router.

We have a server that we use to torrent on, that is unlimited download and upload, which we monitor using the webui.

This allows us to turn down the speeds if we want to game, or turn them off completely.

Anyways, on to the problem.

One of us (we know who) insists on torrenting on his own machine, much to our frustration. We can't access his pc (ie we cant manually change his settings) and from our searching and google trolling, we can't seem to find an option in our router to limit him.

We were going to set up a proxy on our server, so everyone gets equal bandwidth but its a lot of bother to go to when there might be an easier solution.

tl;dr

Is there anyway to limit someones usage of utorrent, without accessing his pc, modifying the router, kicking him off our network?

Thanks in advance for your time.

-tr0

[jewelisheaven]

... you shouldn't run uT in unlimited upload mode.

If you know who is choosing to be a pain and work-around your decision for a central server for torrenting, you can block him from the router (disable his access based upon MAC address until he complies with your group's decision.

As far as ... other means to be able to access his uTorrent, you know about the webui... ( I AM NOT CONDONING THE INSTALLATION OF SOFTWARE ON A COMPUTER WITHOUT THE OWNER'S KNOWLEDGE )

[tr0]

Well, we cant access his pc in person. He always locks his room.

If we even try and port sniff him, he knows and asks us what we are doing.

(disable his access based upon MAC address until he complies with your group's decision.)

Is a viable option but we would prefer to do something....a little less hostile.

Preferably, we would like to nerf his connection to <1 (or something) kbps.

Don't know really, am open to ideas. If we have to kick him off the network, so be it, but we would prefer not to if there is an alternative.

Thanks for the reply jewelisheaven.

[jewelisheaven]

IMNSHO, if he chooses to NOT abide by your group defined choice of using a central server for torrenting, he made the first pre-emptive strike (to use war terms). If he doesn't expect reprisal he must have some good reason to. I'm not one for mobs or "interventions" heh, but it sounds like he wants his ... err (legal linux isos) a bit too much...

I'm sorry but those are the only two options I have experience with.. without resorting to a bandwidth limiter (which you'd then have to setup and route all traffic through it, meanwhile crippling his speeds).

[tr0]

Is it bad that i was able to guess what IMNSHO means?

Yes, you are right though.

/off topic He has been aggravated and baiting some housemates into arguments so yeah, screw it, kicked off the network.

Guess he's lucky he's not being kicked out of the house aswell.

Thanks again.

If there are anymore solutions, I'd love to hear them also!!

[jewelisheaven]

Since he's quick-witted he may be able to guess the router password but more than likely (I know some people like that) he'll try intimidation first :/ It's a shame we can't all get along, i mean c'mon it's the internet, and you are all contributing to it right, so it's common courtesy to abide by the rules set down.

[tr0]

We all know the router password.

That coupled with the fact that there doesn't appear to be an option of turning off upnp rules out that.

He'll either comply or get evicted.

Thanks again.

Now i just need to confront him.

Don't worry, he's not a big guy =D

[Switeck]

On my Linksys router, ancient though it be, I can (supposedly) block internet access to a PC and also block internet access on a certain port. Do both to his computer. He can still access the LAN, so it may not be readily apparent what the problem is. Tell him he was overloading the internet connection.

Another fun thing to do is secretly configure everyone else's LAN ips to be fixed/static...then turn the DHCP server on the router off. If he's using an automatically assigned ip, he won't get any internet access at all then. If the DHCP server is off then UPnP may not work on some routers either even if you're using a static ip address.

Or if you really want to play hardball with him, swap his network cable on your switch. "Everything's fine -- see your light's still on...on the switch!".

Combine all that together and even a networking computer expert would be stumped for awhile trying to figure out why it doesn't work.

If you could rig up some dial-up access, you could give him exclusive access to that somehow...and that can be his internet access since he doesn't want to share.

Newer routers have Quality-of-Service (QoS) support, though typically only for computers. Put his computer at the lowest setting so EVERYONE else overrides his. He still gets internet access, he can still even torrent at full speed...but he doesn't kill everyone's connection.