Can Conservative Settings be sometimes slightly changed?

[onetti]

I'm currently set up with this entry

╔════════════════╦═══════════╦═══════════╦══════════╗

║CONNECTION TYPE ║ UPLOAD ║CONNECTIONS║MAX ACTIVE║

║(UPLOAD MAXIMUM)║Limit│Slots║ Torr│ MAX ║Torr│Down.║

╠════════════════╬═════╪═════╬═════╪═════╬════╪═════╣

║ 256 kbit/sec ║ 22│ 3║ 35│ 60║ 2│ 1║

Since I usually download unpopular files, what usually happens is that I rarely max out download speed, and the files take very long until they are finally completed.

I wonder if I could somehow improve that situation - without affecting the overall utorrent band usage - by increasing active torrents by one, and proportionally reducing the connection resources.

That way, I would try something like

╔════════════════╦═══════════╦═══════════╦══════════╗

║CONNECTION TYPE ║ UPLOAD ║CONNECTIONS║MAX ACTIVE║

║(UPLOAD MAXIMUM)║Limit│Slots║ Torr│ MAX ║Torr│Down.║

╠════════════════╬═════╪═════╬═════╪═════╬════╪═════╣

║ 256 kbit/sec ║ 22│ 2║ 15│ 60║ 3│ 2║

Is this something acceptable, or are these settings relationship supposed to be left unchanged?

[Switeck]

"Since I usually download unpopular files, what usually happens is that I rarely max out download speed, and the files take very long until they are finally completed."

Are you downloading faster than you're uploading?

The numbers are not totally set-in-stone, and yes in your case probably work BETTER if changed.

You could set max connections per torrent to 20, since 3 x 20 = 60 (global max)

You could also have max active downloading torrents set to 3 if you willing to not have any other torrents seeding at the same time.

A problem with "faster" downloading is you'll be unable to upload as much. As your download speed gets greater (especially as it nears max download speed possible for the line), your effective upload speed to others will probably go down.

[onetti]

"Are you downloading faster than you're uploading?"

Yes, I believe so, the current downloading speed that shows at uTorrent bottom bar is almost always greater than the uploading one. My internet connection speed is around 1400/296 kbps.

"The numbers are not totally set-in-stone, and yes in your case probably work BETTER if changed."

I was really insecure about any change in those settings because I'm a real dummie here.

"You could set max connections per torrent to 20, since 3 x 20 = 60 (global max)"

I will do that.

"You could also have max active downloading torrents set to 3 if you willing to not have any other torrents seeding at the same time."

I wouldn't do that, because I really want to stick to the rule of seeding all the files I download by two times their size.

"A problem with "faster" downloading is you'll be unable to upload as much. As your download speed gets greater (especially as it nears max download speed possible for the line), your effective upload speed to others will probably go down."

That's an interesting point you bring. I set up uTorrent max Download rate to 100 kB/s, which is below 171 kB/s line limit. Would that prevent me from decreasing my upload speed, or should I decrease that download speed setting?

My aim is just focusing on the download behaviour, that is, trying to max out the download speed up to that download limit I mentioned before, not up to the line limit. But I also intend to give as much as I can to uploading (now, up to the line limit, since it is much less than line download one). Do you think my approach would be fine in this regard, or is it a current practice to have max download speed equal to max upload speed, even if the line capability gives me more than that?

[Switeck]

You may want to set net.calc_overhead = false and bt.tcp_rate_control = false...to get uTorrent to use more of the upload speed limit for uploading to peers.

Disabling uTP entirely (uncheck Bandwidth Management in preferences, BitTorrent) would reduce overheads a little...but only do this if your results are bad.

Your max download speed limit should only be used if uTP is NOT used, otherwise just set download speed limit to 0 (unlimited).

It is semi-hard to balance decent uploading with high download speeds in uTorrent.

[onetti]

You may want to set net.calc_overhead = false and bt.tcp_rate_control = false...to get uTorrent to use more of the upload speed limit for uploading to peers.

Disabling uTP entirely (uncheck Bandwidth Management in preferences, BitTorrent) would reduce overheads a little...but only do this if your results are bad.

Your max download speed limit should only be used if uTP is NOT used, otherwise just set download speed limit to 0 (unlimited).

It is semi-hard to balance decent uploading with high download speeds in uTorrent.

Hum, now I'm really confused, because you're bringing new stuff to me and, after all, I don't think I have bad results, I was just trying to use the proposed conservative settings in another way, but without pretending I have more resources than I really have, so, I think we could close this post.

I will now study more about these two fields you've mentioned and also about uTP (I just set download limit to zero, since uTP is ON, and the download speed is scarely reaching my line limits, which is good, for me, but also let me worried ... won't my ISP start to notice me and try to throttle me, since my uTorrent works on a 24x7 basis?)

Thank you very much for your support (If you can, please, just answer my concern regarding uTP x ISP, and we're done)

[Switeck]

I made the last suggestions because of this:

http://forum.utorrent.com/viewtopic.php?id=73348

"won't my ISP start to notice me and try to throttle me, since my uTorrent works on a 24x7 basis?)"

They probably already are...with throttling ISP-wide growing more aggressive over the next few months. But you got broadband so you could USE it, so don't feel so guilty!

If you wish to help them out a little, minimize uTorrent's activites during peak evening hours (typically about 5-11 PM) -- because that's when most people are online after work/school.

[onetti]

Fine, I will monitor my client behaviour for a couple of days and will try to figure out applying one or more of your suggestions and see what happens.

As for ISP throtling, I'm not exactly guilty. U know, I live in a wild tropical country, and so are ISP's here. Only after two months of contracted 2M link I could effectively surf under an average 1.5M!! Two months paying for that, and all I got was a bad, unstable 200/88 Kbps link. Then, all of a sudden, after thousands and thousands of calls ... finally a 1.5Mbps link!

So, my current approach with them is trying to be as discrete as I can. Also, I have worked on this ISP before, on TI, and I know what I'm talking about, as much as of other big companies around: they sell you an image of a first world quality service, but inside you only have chaos ... and exploited workers.

But, no more cries, sorry for taking you as my ADSL shrink.

I really appreciated all your good support and have already downloaded an excelent thread from you on ISP throtling, from 2009. I think I will start applying your schedulling suggestion to have the client start and stop at different times. Just in case.

And I hope the efforts on improving uTP, that I understand you guys are currently applying, will end to give ISP's, and the world, a more decent image of us, p2p users.

Best regards from the wilderness!

[Switeck]

This link about throttling perhaps?:

http://forum.utorrent.com/viewtopic.php?id=58714

[onetti]

That's exactly the one I mentioned and I should have linked it to my message.

I started scheduling my client activities, although I still haven't received any signs from ISP throtling so far.

But, like I said, I want to remain as stealth as I can, and keep my new five-days-old stable connection like that forever.

Thanks for all