Bittorrent is the best way to download large files over the internet. The benefit is for both distributers and downloader’s. Distributers can deliver their content through bittorrent at high speeds at a low cost. For downloader’s, bittorrent is a flexible and fast way to get what you want. There are so many variables that determine how fast your download will be. In this guide we will show you how to get things moving as fast as possible. Please note that tuning your bittorrent speed is a trial and error process.
Understand what your ISP has to Offer
A lot of people don’t know that your internet service provider has more that is involved with your connection than is advertised. There is more that everyone should know about their “High Speed†connection. First off does your ISP throttle certain types of bandwidth? Your ISP may be trying to conserve bandwidth by slowing down bandwidth intensive applications. There are some ways around connection throttling but the best way to not be throttled is to switch to a different ISP. Second find out how much your ISP will allow you to download. Some ISP’s have a limit. Usually a download cap will be 100GB to 250GB. Both of these measures are in place to discourage software piracy and conserve bandwidth for other services.
Understand What Your Router Can Do
Have you ever wondered why your internet connection will drop when you are downloading using bittorrent over a home network? Bittorrent works by making connections with several peers at once so you can download without using up all of the bandwith of one person. With that said when you use bittorrent, your computer will make a lot of connections to the internet. When you make so many connections through your router. Your router will not be able to process all of the requests and crash. Most routers have a limit as to how many connections it can handle. Consult your vendor for the information on what your router can handle. When purchasing a new router find out how many connections it can handle. With that information, set your bittorrent client with the proper maximum number of connections.
Know What Your Operating System Can Do
Most new operating systems are really efficient in the networking department. When working with an older operating system like Windows XP you may need to make some changes to how Windows XP manages network traffic. Consult websites like www.broadbandreports.com to learn how to increase the number of connections your operating system will allow. (Windows XP will only allow 10 at a time) If you have DSL changing the operating systems MTU settings will make a difference.
Choose the Right Torrent Client
Different clients have different features. You want a client that is full of features, is efficient and uses little resources. I recommend Utorrent for Windows and Azureus for all other platforms. After installing your bittorrent client, be sure to limit your upload speed to less than half of what your internet connection can upload. Also limit the number of connections to the amount that your router can work with.
Find the Right Torrent Files
Bittorrent works better when more people are downloading the same thing you are. Look for torrents with a high number of seeds and peers. A seed is a person who had downloaded the item and stays connected to share. Peers are people who are downloading and sharing.
That’s it. There is so much to learn about bittorrent. Achieving the best possible connection is really a trial and error process. Hopefully this article gives you a good start.
Labels: Articles