P2P file sharing is one of the widely used applications these days. Torrent search engine is the utility which is excessively used in this context. No one wants slow downloads and especially the younger generation. But there are some tips which can help to improve your download speed. Let us take a quick glance at these tips.

1. Choose your ISP wisely

The basic rule is that the maximum Torrent download speed that you can get cannot cross the upper limit of the bandwidth provided by your ISP. Usually an ISP specifies the upload and download maximum for the connections. So it is always better to have an ISP that provides better Download and Upload limits for an affordable price.

2. Choose the right BitTorrent client

Always choose the latest versions among the available BitTorrent clients. mTorrent, Vuze etc are some of these latest versions available now. The latest versions are equipped with provisions for obtaining the highest download speed and an overall smooth downloading experience. However I use BitLord

3. Check the seeds and peers

A peer is a computer which participates in the P2P sharing either for downloading or uploading. A seed is a computer who has got a complete copy of the file and is sharing that file in the network. A leech is a computer who does not have a complete copy of the file, and is downloading the file at the moment. A leech becomes a seed when it completes the download and shares it over the network. It is always advisable to choose files with more number of seeds and less number of leeches. This means you should choose a file with the highest seed to leech ratio.

4. Altering the firewall configuration

By default, Firewalls block all BitTorrent connections coming through. This can adversely affect downloading speed. So you must make sure that your firewall is configured in such a way that it allows the BitTorrent connections through it. This can be done by checking the box ‘Add Windows Firewall Exception’ in the firewall settings following the path options/preferences/connection. For ease some users may disable the firewall, but it is strongly advised to not disable your firewall as it may open your computer to serious threats.

5. Limiting your upload rate

A peer to peer sharing is all about simultaneous upload and download. So every BitTorrent clients must upload some data at the same they are downloading some other data through torrent. For obtaining a high download speed you should vary your upload speed accordingly. Usually the upload maximum by the ISP is very much less than the download maximum. It is only 50Kbps for a 2Mbps connection. For fast downloading you can set your uploading speed to 80% of your maximum uploading speed. You must vary the speed as the download progresses for an efficient downloading. Keep the uploading limit maximum in the beginning and then slightly decrease it as the download progresses. In mTorrent the upload limit can be set from the option Global Upload Rate.

6. Selecting a different port

The default port for the BitTorrent file sharing is one between 6881 and 6999. As BitTorrent sharing involves high bandwidth usage the ISP’s usually throttle traffic on these ports. So you can increase the downloading speed by selecting some port above 10000. Usually mTorrent randomly assign the port as the application starts. So set a specific port with a number above 10000, by disabling the Randomize port checkbox.

7. Increasing the number of Maximum Half Open TCP Connections

Usually the maximum no of half open TCP connections in Windows XP with SP2 is set as 10 for blocking the virus multiplication. But torrent needs more. To facilitate this a patch TCPIP.sys is available. Through this patch you can set the maximum no of open TCP connections. Set it to any number between 50 and 100.

8. Protocol encryption

Some ISPs constrict the bandwidth for P2P sharing. Protocol encryption can be used to override this restriction. Check the Allow incoming legacy connections box and make the outgoing Encryption as Disabled for getting maximum speed on Torrent downloads. Between non-encryption is not advisable as it may lead to some encrypted client to be left as undiscovered.

9. Connections and bandwidth

The BitTorrent client you are using will allow you to enter values for Global maximum no of connections: It is the maximum no of connections BitTorrent client can make for any P2P sharing. Setting this no to a very high value will take up useless bandwidth, and to a very low value will miss out some peers. For a 256kbps connection you can set this number to 130. Maximum no of connected peers per torrent: Set this no to one which is closer to the no of available peers for the file. No of upload slots per torrent: It gives the maximum no of peers to which the BitTorrent client uploads at a time. Since a low settings may affect the download set it to a moderate low value.

10. Miscellaneous

Disable the individual files for download along with a particular file, if we don’t want them at the beginning of download. Be familiar with your BitTorrent client settings from the users manual or web.

Courtesy: AmazingIT

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