Download speed problems

[Guest]

Okay, so I have quite a problem. I'm on a cable 2mbit line, yet I keep getting download speeds around 50kb/s. I've tried downloading from a numerous different trackers, but I never ever seem to pass the 100 mark. I've checked so that the ports are forwarded, I've followed a few of the guides listed on here, but no avail from any of them. I tried some patch to modify the max_halfopen number to 50, which didn't change anything.

I have no firewall running except the built-in in the router, but I've disabled everything that has to do with torrents in there.

I mean, I keep hearing about my friends who get 500kb/s with a 5mbit line or something. :/ It's strange that I should get so much less.

Any tips? Some setting I missed to change?

EDIT: Here is a newly taken speedtest.

[Switeck]

50 KiloBYTES/second is at least 400 kilobits/second raw bandwidth...probably closer to 450-500 real bandwidth needed to do that. That's at most 1/2 megabits/second ...or only one-fourth what your cable line is supposedly rated for DOWN.

But before you call and complain, what settings are you trying to use in uTorrent?

It would be totally horrible if you tried to use the xx/2mbit setting in uTorrent's Speed Guide (CTRL+G)!

Ok, 838 kilobits/second upload bandwidth...use the 800 kilobits/second setting found in the 2nd link in my signature.

[Guest]

I tried using the 800 kilobits/second settings in your guide, and it helped a little - we're talking 10 kbps. I've tried different settings in the Speed Guide, and it seems like the 10mbit settings have worked the best. Turning encryption on also gives me a small speed boost.

[Firon]

Using that setting is just asking for trouble.

[Guest]

What setting are you talking about?

[thelittlefire]

YOU ARE OVERLOADING YOUR CONNECTION WITH THOSE NUMBERS. Stick to closer to your upload speed... or even below.

[Switeck]

Using the xx/10mbit setting = you claim to others you can upload 1120 KiloBYTES/second.

You can't.

Your connection at best might reach ~100 KiloBYTES/second upload speed.

If you see ANY download speed increase from the xx/10mbit setting, it is because you are completely leeching off more peers than you could ever return the favor to...and if everyone does it, download speeds would plummet immensely.

This is not just because of being 'unable to return the favor' but because just being connected to lots of peers+seeds at once costs extra bandwidth both download and upload. While the amount of bandwidth needed to stay connected is small, it is nearly symmetric...so upload speeds are hurt effectively worse, since most people's max upload speeds are often 1/10th of their max download speeds. In short, they upload less...possibly a LOT less.

If encryption helps, your ISP may be a 'bad' one. Either that, or the peers/seeds you're downloading/uploading with are on bad ISPs.