Jump to content

What setting determines TOTAL download capacity?


Gymrat76

Recommended Posts

Hi guys,

I don't have a problem getting uTorrent to work, in fact I'm getting around 400kB/s downloads for most part. I do have a question on what settings I should change in order to maximize my download.

I'm on a 6.5Mb broadband, with a download limit of 812.5kB/s (6500kbps) but upload of 48kB/s (384kbps). I'm using the uTorrent ver. 1.5.1 beta version btw. I was downloading 3 different torrents, say A, B & C. Torrent A was downloading at ~200kB/s, B at ~50kB/s and C at ~30+kB/s, so total download speed was close to 400kB/s. Right after torrent A completed, Torrent B went from ~50kB/s to ~200kB/s and after B completed, the same happened to torrent C. From this, it appeared that the max download rate was around 400kB/s, but my max download for my broadband plan is almost double that at 800+kB/s. Now, I know getting my total download to 800kB/s may be far-fetched, but I should think that I would get higher rates than the 400kB/s. Could it be a setting that's limiting my download speed?

Some of my settings are:

1. Using uPnP (green light all the way!)

2. Global max upload: 25kB/s (normally 25kB/s until I start seeding, then I set at 40kB/s)

3. Protocol encryption: enabled / incoming legacy connections allowed

4. Global number of max. connections: 1000

5. Max number of connected peers per torrent: 100

6. Number of upload slots per torrent: 4

7. Advanced>net.max_halfopen: changed from default 8 to 25 (using WinXP SP1)

Would appreciate some help. Thanks all! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's the biggest culprit, but it could also be the torrent... after running the Speed Guide and not messing around with settings you don't understand, if it still can't max your line out, try a faster one like OpenOffice.org or some Ubuntu torrent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the replies. I initially DID try out the SpeedGuide, but wasn't satisfied. After tweaking to the settings I gave above, it improved. Then after reading uTorrent-Guest's post, I decided to go back to the SpeedGuide recommendation... my download speed went from 160kB/s to 80+kB/s and stayed there. It went back up after I restored my previous settings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Low upload speed per upload slot often causes low download speeds even if total upload speed is ok or fast.

With just 3 torrents and 4 upload slots each, that's 12 upload slots total. 25 KB/sec total upload bandwidth split between 12 upload slots is barely 2 KB/sec each. You will probably not be first choice for any of them to upload back to, so most of their upload bandwidth is probably going elsewhere. It's pretty good that you're getting better than 10-for-1 on torrents while downloading, especially considering your settings!

If your goal is to seed as quickly as possible to well over 100%, then a very high download speed and very high number of connections at once is actually harmful as it cuts sharply into your available upload bandwidth. It may even interfere with your web surfing.

But if your goal is to leech and run when the download completes, sure those settings probably work ok.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Low upload speed per upload slot often causes low download speeds even if total upload speed is ok or fast.

With just 3 torrents and 4 upload slots each, that's 12 upload slots total. 25 KB/sec total upload bandwidth split between 12 upload slots is barely 2 KB/sec each. You will probably not be first choice for any of them to upload back to, so most of their upload bandwidth is probably going elsewhere. It's pretty good that you're getting better than 10-for-1 on torrents while downloading, especially considering your settings!

If your goal is to seed as quickly as possible to well over 100%, then a very high download speed and very high number of connections at once is actually harmful as it cuts sharply into your available upload bandwidth. It may even interfere with your web surfing.

But if your goal is to leech and run when the download completes, sure those settings probably work ok.

Thanks, I generally seed to at least 1:1 before I remove a torrent. Although my download limit is 6.5kMbps, my ISP has limited the upload to a measly 384kbps. Hence, I usually download the file, then seed till 1:1, which is no mean feat considering the big gap btw my upload and download limit. Its not unusual for me to leave my BT client running for days ONLY uploading to get my ratios back up. On top of that, I do have to maintain a good ratio because I download a lot of torrents from private tracker sites.

From what I'm getting, I should probably increase my number of upload slots per torrent? Thx again for all the help

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't quote the whole post from just above yours. Only quote parts of previous posts if the original post was long and/or more than 1 post before yours.

UPnP comes with a performance hit versis manual port-forwarding, thought UPnP is certainly better than being firewalled.

Gymrat76 said: "From what I'm getting, I should probably increase my number of upload slots per torrent?"

Now that's the opposite of what I said! I meant reducing it to 3 (or even fewer) upload slots per torrent if you run more than 2 torrents at once. The goal is to have a decent but not too high KB/sec upload speed PER upload slot. This is so everyone you're uploading to will see you as a "big uploader" and will automatically upload back to you...hopefully (for you) faster than you upload to them!

Gymrat76 said: "My speeds DROPPED and remained low until I restored my previous settings."

Your download speed only increases as you increase connections per torrent because some peers and seeds are giving to you despite getting nothing back. You need LOTS of connections because not many peers (per 100) do that, that way you can leech off more of them at once.

Your upload speed is actually LOWER with so many connections at once and possibly not even stable. Which means it's going to take you considerably longer to upload to your max ratio with your current settings than what others are suggesting.

If everyone used the settings you are, everyone's download speeds would drop (even yours) -- and probably alot...even if they left their upload speeds the same.

I have the exact same upload bandwidth as you, perhaps even a tiny bit less. (measured at 376-380 kilobits/sec in tests.)

I'm even using Win 98SE, and have limited total connections to under 100 and connections per torrent to only 30-60 -- depending on how many torrents I run at once. I limit my upload speeds to 30-36 KB/sec while downloading and 36-42 KB/sec while seeding only. 42 KB/sec upload speed is only practical for me at night when I am doing very little web surfing -- I often only upload at 36 KB/sec even while seeding so my line isn't crippled. My goal is to maximize upload speed (almost 24/7) while still getting download speeds greater than upload speeds on downloading torrents. And not hurting my online realtime games and web surfing while doing it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Gymrat76: I told you, if you don't understand the consequences of changing values, don't change it. Setting the number of connections that high will, in NO way, help you, no matter what you think. Now just stick to the Speed Guide's settings. Did you bother testing the OpenOffice.org v2.0.2 w/ JRE (104MB) or Ubuntu 6.06 Dapper Drake Beta 2 Desktop CD (619MB) torrents like I told you to?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

:hijack: Hi all,

Sorry for hijacking the thread. I've a 256 Kbps line which translates to :-

dslreports.com speed test result on 2006-06-07 23:51:00 EST:

153 / 56

Your download speed : 153 kbps or 19.1 KB/sec.

Your upload speed : 56 kbps or 7 KB/sec. (on mornings, on nights it's tad better.)

as well as the ping rates to yahoo.com

ping1cx.th.png

from the enlightening discussions above did the following :-

Limited global connections to 100 (although this should be drastically reduced) but don't really know how much to reduce & what implications they 've ? Actually what does this global connections do?

Max. no. of peers connected to the torrent 30

No. of upload slots per torrent 2

Max. no of active torrents 2

Max no. of active downloads 1

Am I o.k. here or should I do some more tweak in order to have a good download/upload ratio.

On a related note Dapper 6.06 final is on :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...