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RufusRyker · Sep 1, 2006, 05:52 PM

How come when I'm downloading something using bitTorrent, usually it starts to slow down after a while and I can see the number of "seeds" and "peers" dropping one by one. Then, if I quit the program before the download is completed, and start it up again 5 minutes later, it automatically starts to continue the download but now, all of a sudden, there are more seeds and peers listed, and the download is usually much faster. What's going on? Does the program not try actively to find new sources while its working, while dropping the ones that go offline? Do you have to consistently quit and re-start the program to achieve faster downloads of very large files?

Franz · Sep 1, 2006, 06:07 PM

Which BitTorrent program are you using? It could be a problem with that, or also the tracker you are connected to.

I've found Transmission to be the best, you can get the latest nightly builds here.

RufusRyker · Sep 1, 2006, 06:17 PM

Thanks, Franz. I'll take a look at Transmission.

The program I am using is simply called BitTorrent. Version 4.4.1. The website is www.bittorrent.com

RufusRyker · Sep 1, 2006, 06:27 PM

Ok, I'm using Transmission now. It just picked up on this 3 gig file where BitTorrent left off. Transmission seems to be going faster, on average. The big difference is that I see the more "seeds" and "peers" -- and the numbers go both down and UP. On BitTorrent they normally just went down, although sometimes very gradually. So far, so good.

RevEvs · Sep 2, 2006, 02:05 PM

Some information for you as you seem to be a bittorrent newcommer:

"Seeds" are people who have the complete file that you are after they are seeding you the file.

"Peers" are people like you who are in the progress of getting files.

When downloading a torrent, to you need to find one with a large number of seeds. you also want one with more seeds than peers - otherwise more people want the file, than have the file - so everything will be slow. Although when something is first "seeded" there are always only a few seeds, and many peers.

Bittorrent will start slow while it connectes to peers and seeds, it then gets faster and faster, it helps not to quit the application, as you then loose all the seeds and peers you are connected to.

Opening ports - very important. If you are behind a router, then you need to look into opening ports - this allows people to get "through" your router, and gives you much faster speeds.

Seeds and peers will go up and down, this is normal.

RufusRyker · Sep 2, 2006, 02:25 PM

Yes, I am a bittorrent newcomer. I now understand the peer/seed designations. However, there have been times when I was showing one peer and no seeds, and I was still downloading the file, albeit slowly. Maybe it was the lingering data from a seed that recently signed off?

I am connected to Airport, which is connected to a cable modem. Does this qualify as a router, and should I open ports?

dreamsINdigital · Sep 2, 2006, 02:49 PM

Also, if you use OS X's firewall, you should try unblocking the port your bittorrent client uses.

RevEvs · Sep 3, 2006, 06:15 AM

Originally Posted by RufusRyker

Yes, I am a bittorrent newcomer. I now understand the peer/seed designations. However, there have been times when I was showing one peer and no seeds, and I was still downloading the file, albeit slowly. Maybe it was the lingering data from a seed that recently signed off?

I am connected to Airport, which is connected to a cable modem. Does this qualify as a router, and should I open ports?

In this scenario, the peer has more data than you, so you start to download the data he has, but you dont.

Basically, everyone downloads from one another. Bittorrent downloads whatever it can, i.e. it does not download from the start of the file to the finish. As it downloads any random bit it can, you end up with bits other people dont have and vice versa. You then start downloading the bits you dont have from another peer, and they download bits you have and they dont have from you etc..

It is possible to download a whole file with no seeds available - this would be possible if, between all the peers, 100% of the data was available.

Obviously its best to have seeds - as then you know that the whole file is available.

namannik · 01:12 AM

See the following link:

How to configure your router to allow fast BitTorrent downloads - The Peer-to-Peer Weblog

I used their tip, and it worked wonders! My download speed immediately jumped from <2 kB/s to nearly 300!

OwlBoy · Sep 27, 2006, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by namannik

See the following link:

How to configure your router to allow fast BitTorrent downloads - The Peer-to-Peer Weblog

I used their tip, and it worked wonders! My download speed immediately jumped from <2 kB/s to nearly 300!

Just remember, this won't cure all problems with all torrents. Sometimes the peers and seeds for the torrent are just slow.

-Owl