Maximum half-open limit is gone* in Vista SP2 : ) - what now?

[Teerex]

Therefore, my question is: what is the *optimal* setting for net.max_halfopen?

* (the value is not increased, there simply is no limit any more)

[moogly]

Don't touch it, 8 by default should be optimal.

[Teerex]

No offence, but I'd like the answer to come from Ultima, or Firon...

[jewelisheaven]

If you have to ask, keep it default.

[DreadWingKnight]

This has been discussed before.

An increased net.max_halfopen above 8 is completely useless in under 90 seconds of starting a torrent. In those first 90 seconds, the usefulness is bordering on nonexistent.

[Switeck]

Having a higher net.max_halfopen value than the default of 8 is at most borderline useful IF:

1.uTorrent is hopelessly firewalled.

2.you have 100's of torrents trying to start when uTorrent starts. (And you REALLY need an extremely fast upload to do that...)

Even then, setting net.max_halfopen higher than 40 would be excessive!

For almost everyone else, net.max_halfopen set to 8 is fine.

Some actually need to reduce net.max_halfopen to 1-4 because of networking issues.

[Ultima]

lol, I suppose I should feel honored that my response was desired

http://forum.utorrent.com/viewtopic.php?pid=368139#p368139

There's a fairly verbose description of the half-open connection limit issue, and why you don't need to touch it -- written by yours truly ;D

[moogly]

Well, it's a useful link to bookmark. You forgot your illustrative post where you did the comparison between half-open connection and making a phone call.

[Ultima]

Hrm, this one? I guess I can/should merge that into the previously-linked post. Thanks for reminding me ;D

Edit: Yowza, just expanded the first link I posted... Extremely verbose now xD

[Teerex]

OK; OK, guys, I get it...

I've put mine now at 50; according to the statistics it never gets higher then 20-ish anyway..

The fact that this limit is removed us helpful though, I guess, when you are browsing simultaneously or using another P2P application at the same time (in my case, Ares Galaxy). Right? Or am I wrong again?

[jewelisheaven]

It's helpful for people who like to spam open connections.

It is not helpful for people on slower computers, those with crappy (insert device here), and those who really have no idea what they're doing.

Trust me, there are are far more of the latter than the former. 10s of times more.

[Alexei]

Sry for opening this old thread, but I personally don't get it. I have 100 mbit download, 10 mbit upload. When i had Vista Sp1 with no patch, I had big problems surfing web etc as utorrent was running, i usually have 100+ torrents running at same times, sharing. And up to 50 downloading, several hundred when its free leech Took forever to get the speed up. Then I patched the TCPIP file. And had no problems, speed went up fast as hell... And still you all are saying it does not matter. Sorry if I go by experience and not theory. Had same problem with XP as well, ofc the patching fixed it. Is the only reason for my problems that I am killing my broadbandline, compared to you guys? You are talking about 8 "phonecalls", but when i get 2000+ users to call or get calls from, it should be important not to have any limits. Don't like to argue about things with people that likes theory but, just an advice for you people that actually do have the same problem I had, don't use any limits! And if you for some reason still have them, remove them!

[Switeck]

Incoming connections are NOT counted against the half open limit!

The half open limit (net.max_halfopen in uTorrent advanced settings) ONLY applies to outgoing TCP connection attempts made by uTorrent.

Even uTP and Teredo/IPv6 connection attempts don't apply because they use UDP packets. These rely on the bt.connect_speed value for how many connection attempts to try per second...which defaults to 20, often too fast for marginal networking hardware and software!

If raising Windows half open limit helps, that's because something else was probably also using half open connections as well while uTorrent was making half open connections...so together they caused overloads. And/or you'd raised net.max_halfopen above the default of 8.

[DreadWingKnight]

but when i get 2000+ users to call or get calls from, it should be important not to have any limits.

You seem to ignore the fact that the "get calls from" numbers never counted towards this limit on your end.

[Alexei]

Didnt know that the incoming didnt count , anyway, all im trying to say to the people that has that problem i had (and like several of my friends), is that the patching helps/helped.

As you said Switeck, probably all the programs together made "overloads", and probably the patching helped solve that. Just trying to prevent people to read stuff like this where people say its "useless". It wasnt for me, and i hope it helps other people that had same problem as me. Microsoft didnt remove the limit for no reason.

[Switeck]

Microsoft probably removed the limit in part because of all the ads on web pages.

A web page with 10+ banner ads probably has many of the banner ads loaded from other websites, so loading that page would require making 10+ outgoing connections at once...so even a SINGLE website could overload the entire Windows OS half open limit briefly!

I haven't had much of a problem with the half open limit personally because my computer isn't making lots of unsolicited outgoing connections.