Question about static IP

[robots]

Hi everyone, I am hoping you guys can help me with this? If so, here's my story. I can run uTorrent ok, and sometimes it even reaches my maximum speed. But most of the time the speed isn't very good. I get a green tick, but if I have uTorrent check the port, it says that it isn't open. I have tried about 30 different random ports, and the same happens with them all. I can get a green tick with most of them, but it still says it's closed if I do the test.

I tried getting one of the special torrents that are supposed to download very fast, but it came very slow for me. So I think it's time I did something about it.

My router is set up with DHCP to give a new IP each time I start my PC. My friend set this up for me, and I would rather keep it the same if possible. I read info about the "Error! Port xxxxx does not appear to be open." problem, and it all seems to point towards setting up a static IP in XP, and then forwarding it in the router. I am a bit scared of doing that because I don't know completely how that affects me and whether I can still play games on Hamachi with my friends and whether I will have an increased security risk etc..

So my question, is it possible to get uTorrent finding an open port, without having to set up a static IP? And, should I just set up a static IP anyway? Is it much better, and are there any negatives?

Thanks

[DreadWingKnight]

If your router requires your computer to have a static IP, then yes you MUST do so.

Once you're up and running with it, it won't break anything you already do.

[robots]

Thank you. I don't think my router does require it, because it's working ok now. Just at slow speeds, and only rarely is it fast.

But I think I might just do it anyway and see if it makes it much faster. Thanks If anyone else has anything to add, please do.

[DreadWingKnight]

What model router are you using?

I don't think my router does require it, because it's working ok now. Just at slow speeds, and only rarely is it fast.

These factors have no bearing on a router requiring a static IP address for port forwarding.

[robots]

Ahh ok.

Well I have a new problem. I followed the port forwarding guide, and it seems my router might not be able to do it

The guide is for the US version of my modem, and I am in the UK. And it seems that although the modem is the same model number, they are different. And on the US site, they have a much later firmware version. So mine doesn't have a "port forwarding" section It may still be able to be done under a different name maybe, but I wouldn't know where to begin.

The router is a D-Link DI-634M. And again, it's the UK version

The guide was actually really simple. I have set up my PC to use a static IP already, so now I just need to do the port forwarding in the router. The only thing I can see that looks similar, is in the firewall section, it allows you to put in an IP range to allow. Is that the same as port forwarding?

The firewall page looks like this:

[DreadWingKnight]

No.

http://portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/Dlink/DI-634M/Utorrent.htm should be your steps.

[robots]

That's what I did. As you can see from my screenshot, my router is different and has a different "Advanced" page

A bunch of options are missing.

p.s. I tried downloading the US firmware update, but the router wouldn't accept it. Only the UK update works, and I'm at as late as it goes with that.

[DreadWingKnight]

Destination, lan, your ip x2, port

[robots]

Not sure what you mean?

[DreadWingKnight]

Try virtual server instead of that screen actually.

[robots]

Ok heres a picture of that page:

Do you think that page would work?

[DreadWingKnight]

Yes,

Enable.

Private IP: your static

Protocol, both (if available)

Port (both): your listen port

[robots]

Hmm, it still says, "Error! Port XXXXX does not appear to be open." And the downloads are still slow.

But something I noticed is that it usually starts out with a yellow icon and eventually turns to a green tick. But this time, it went to a green tick immediately after starting uTorrent.

---edit--- Also, the downloads started faster, after starting uTorrent. Still slow downloads though And still getting that error when I perform the port check.

[DreadWingKnight]

Have you tried enable UPnP on both the router and in uT?

[robots]

It's working!!! Thank you so much.

It wasn't working at first but that was my fault. I know what I did wrong now. I just downloaded one of the test torrents and it came at very close to my max speed, so I'm happy My net browsing seems a little slow now, but not sure if that's my imagination or because of my ISP, but it works at least, and uTorrent is much better now.

Thanks again DreadWingKnight.