sudden speed fall

[sreppe]

hey..

I've been using uTorrent for quite some time now. Lately, my DL speed does not exceed 20 kBps and I'm on a 512 connection which means that I can download up to approx 50 kBps.. I haven't installed new firewalls or anything, the problem just suddenly started happening since a week or so. I did speed tests and it was all fine, uTorrent was the only software having this problem.. You can say that I know my way around torrents and downloading and connections to an extent.. I have a router, and have configured everything successfully from making a static IP until port forwarding.. I'm have the green icon on and I'm connectible.. What is exactly causing this?

Oh, I have AVG antivirus but no firewall is active, and I have been using it for quite some time without any problems with connection whatsoever.

Hope you can help me through this...

Thanks.

Here's my hijackthis log

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2

Scan saved at 06:28:31 PM, on 2008-07-07

Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)

MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)

Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:

C:\WINXP\System32\smss.exe

C:\WINXP\system32\winlogon.exe

C:\WINXP\system32\services.exe

C:\WINXP\system32\lsass.exe

C:\WINXP\system32\svchost.exe

C:\WINXP\System32\svchost.exe

C:\WINXP\Explorer.EXE

C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Messenger\MsnMsgr.Exe

C:\Program Files\Extensis\Extensis Suitcase 11\Suitcase.exe

C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe

C:\WINXP\system32\wscntfy.exe

C:\WINXP\system32\spoolsv.exe

C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Contacts\wlcomm.exe

C:\Program Files\uTorrent\utorrent.exe

C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = about:blank

R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = c:\secure32.html

R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = about:blank

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page = c:\secure32.html

R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page = c:\secure32.html

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings,ProxyOverride = *.local

O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll

O2 - BHO: Megaupload Toolbar - {4E7BD74F-2B8D-469E-CCB0-B130EEDBE97C} - C:\PROGRA~1\MEGAUP~1\MEGAUP~1.DLL

O2 - BHO: SSVHelper Class - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_01\bin\ssv.dll

O2 - BHO: (no name) - {7E853D72-626A-48EC-A868-BA8D5E23E045} - (no file)

O2 - BHO: Windows Live Sign-in Helper - {9030D464-4C02-4ABF-8ECC-5164760863C6} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Windows Live\WindowsLiveLogin.dll

O2 - BHO: Windows Live Toolbar Helper - {BDBD1DAD-C946-4A17-ADC1-64B5B4FF55D0} - C:\Program Files\Windows Live Toolbar\msntb.dll

O2 - BHO: (no name) - {C68AE9C0-0909-4DDC-B661-C1AFB9F5AE53} - (no file)

O3 - Toolbar: Windows Live Toolbar - {BDAD1DAD-C946-4A17-ADC1-64B5B4FF55D0} - C:\Program Files\Windows Live Toolbar\msntb.dll

O3 - Toolbar: Megaupload Toolbar - {4E7BD74F-2B8D-469E-CCB0-B130EEDBE97C} - C:\PROGRA~1\MEGAUP~1\MEGAUP~1.DLL

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AVG7_CC] C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgcc.exe /STARTUP

O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MsnMsgr] "C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Messenger\MsnMsgr.Exe" /background

O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINXP\system32\ctfmon.exe

O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [H/PC Connection Agent] "C:\Program Files\Microsoft ActiveSync\wcescomm.exe"

O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-19\..\Run: [AVG7_Run] C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgw.exe /RUNONCE (User 'LOCAL SERVICE')

O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-20\..\Run: [AVG7_Run] C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgw.exe /RUNONCE (User 'NETWORK SERVICE')

O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [AVG7_Run] C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgw.exe /RUNONCE (User 'SYSTEM')

O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\Run: [AVG7_Run] C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgw.exe /RUNONCE (User 'Default user')

O4 - Global Startup: Suitcase 11.0.lnk = ?

O8 - Extra context menu item: &Clean Traces - C:\Program Files\DAP\Privacy Package\dapcleanerie.htm

O8 - Extra context menu item: &Download with &DAP - C:\Program Files\DAP\dapextie.htm

O8 - Extra context menu item: &Windows Live Search - res://C:\Program Files\Windows Live Toolbar\msntb.dll/search.htm

O8 - Extra context menu item: Download &all with DAP - C:\Program Files\DAP\dapextie2.htm

O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_01\bin\ssv.dll

O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_01\bin\ssv.dll

O9 - Extra button: Create Mobile Favorite - {2EAF5BB1-070F-11D3-9307-00C04FAE2D4F} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~1\INetRepl.dll

O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {2EAF5BB2-070F-11D3-9307-00C04FAE2D4F} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~1\INetRepl.dll

O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Create Mobile Favorite... - {2EAF5BB2-070F-11D3-9307-00C04FAE2D4F} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~1\INetRepl.dll

O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {85d1f590-48f4-11d9-9669-0800200c9a66} - C:\WINXP\bdoscandel.exe (file missing)

O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Uninstall BitDefender Online Scanner v8 - {85d1f590-48f4-11d9-9669-0800200c9a66} - C:\WINXP\bdoscandel.exe (file missing)

O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINXP\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe

O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @xpsp3res.dll,-20001 - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINXP\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe

O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe

O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe

O10 - Unknown file in Winsock LSP: c:\winxp\system32\nwprovau.dll

O16 - DPF: {20A60F0D-9AFA-4515-A0FD-83BD84642501} (Checkers Class) - http://messenger.zone.msn.com/binary/msgrchkr.cab56986.cab

O16 - DPF: {5D6F45B3-9043-443D-A792-115447494D24} (UnoCtrl Class) - http://messenger.zone.msn.com/EN-US/a-UNO1/GAME_UNO1.cab

O16 - DPF: {B8BE5E93-A60C-4D26-A2DC-220313175592} (MSN Games - Installer) - http://messenger.zone.msn.com/binary/ZIntro.cab56649.cab

O16 - DPF: {C3F79A2B-B9B4-4A66-B012-3EE46475B072} (MessengerStatsClient Class) - http://messenger.zone.msn.com/binary/MessengerStatsPAClient.cab56907.cab

O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{7A10BFE6-1163-4356-92DF-C2B5EA0601C6}: NameServer = 192.168.1.1

O17 - HKLM\System\CS1\Services\Tcpip\..\{7A10BFE6-1163-4356-92DF-C2B5EA0601C6}: NameServer = 192.168.1.1

O17 - HKLM\System\CS2\Services\Tcpip\..\{7A10BFE6-1163-4356-92DF-C2B5EA0601C6}: NameServer = 192.168.1.1

O23 - Service: Adobe LM Service - Adobe Systems - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe Systems Shared\Service\Adobelmsvc.exe

O23 - Service: AVG7 Alert Manager Server (Avg7Alrt) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgamsvr.exe

O23 - Service: AVG7 Update Service (Avg7UpdSvc) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgupsvc.exe

O23 - Service: AVG E-mail Scanner (AVGEMS) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgemc.exe

O23 - Service: Bonjour Service - Apple Computer, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Extensis\Extensis Suitcase 11\Bonjour\mDNSResponder.exe

--

[Switeck]

What settings are you using in uTorrent?

If your upload speed is set too high...it can cause your download speed to fall far below your connection's max.

Is your connection's upload speed max equal to its download max?

Do you know what this is?:

C:\WINXP\system32\wscntfy.exe

[sreppe]

my upload speed's max is 15 kBps, I set the max to 8..

But the problem is, it was working beautifully and then suddenly became problematic without me changing any of the settings of utorrent.

"wscntfy.exe" is the Windows Security Center, introduced in Service Pack 2. It displays a tray icon indicating the status of updates, virus protection, and firewall.

I disabled it now anyway

[Switeck]

It's quite possible that your ISP is throttling/disrupting BitTorrent traffic.

...Or they connect to the rest of the internet through a bigger ISP that throttles BitTorrent traffic.

This may even be a recent change, though I doubt it.

Did some program fail to completely uninstall itself?:

O2 - BHO: (no name) - {7E853D72-626A-48EC-A868-BA8D5E23E045} - (no file)

O2 - BHO: (no name) - {C68AE9C0-0909-4DDC-B661-C1AFB9F5AE53} - (no file)

O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {85d1f590-48f4-11d9-9669-0800200c9a66} - C:\WINXP\bdoscandel.exe (file missing)

O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Uninstall BitDefender Online Scanner v8 - {85d1f590-48f4-11d9-9669-0800200c9a66} - C:\WINXP\bdoscandel.exe (file missing)

Links to now-missing files either means a gutted program that windows is still trying to access...or a malware trick to hide itself.

[jewelisheaven]

Legitimate programs don't usually put themselves off the root...

Open notepad and check out secure32.html ... Did you set it as your default pages?

[merkul]

i have had exactly the same problem. The really weird thing is that its also happen to me on azereus and bitcomet.

i started to put it down to listening ports but it isn't because i tried everything to sort that

another weird point is if you go and download like adobe photoshop cs3 (which i did) i was hiting unbelivable download speeds... yet when i retried torrents it was slow again.

[sreppe]

i'm sorry i didn't quite understand that. @ jewelish heaven

so what was your solution merkul?

[merkul]

im not 100% sure so far.. im just going to keep trying to download different stuf and see if theres a pattern... weird thing is it was like i dont know if this is the right phrase but the download was 'powered' by bit torrent.. which generally most torrents are

[Switeck]

merkul,

You may need to re-read the 2nd line of the Announcement above...about Posting.

Download/Upload speeds on uTorrent highly depend on what seeds and peers you connect to at the time. Admittedly, you can't exceed your connection's limits...but if only very slow peers and seeds are on a torrent, then your speeds will often be far less. On the other end of the spectrum, there are VERY fast internet connections elsewhere in the world which if you connect to JUST ONE will likely max out your connection. The OpenOffice test torrents are the best example of that.

sreppe,

Jewel is talking about this (and similar) line in your HJT log:

R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = c:\secure32.html

What is secure32.html?

Is it hostile or supposed to be on the root of drive C:?

[sreppe]

well it's not on drive C.. I looked for it.. maybe my antivirus picked it up but it's still in the registry.. but i did various anti virus scans with latest software and there's nothing

[Switeck]

Is your Windows Explorer set up to show all hidden files?

Then again, try to open the file using notepad or wordpad.

Even if it's invisible, if you type the filename correctly ...if it exists it might still load.

[GTHK]

Start > Run > notepad C:\secure32.html

Start > Run > attrib -s -h -r C:\secure32.html

[sreppe]

nope.. it doesn't exist