how to speed up BT ! (hopefully)

[TheTaoSJB]

HOW TO FIX SLOW DOWNLOADS OR HIGH UPLOADS

** NOTE: Speeds vary per torrent/tracker, this How To, will help improve GENERAL speeds, just don't expect to always get max speeds **

IF PROBLEM = Slow Download, Uploading @ Max/High Speed
THEN goto Point 1
ELSE goto Point 2

Point 1
Your upload is choking your download, meaning: because you're uploading @ high or full speed, there is nothing
left to download, there are several ways to fix this:
- Use a client that can limit your upload: Azureus, ABC, Shadows: limit to around 80% of your maximum upload
(so if your max is 10 kb\s you limit to 8 kb\s)
- Use a program called Netlimiter to limit your upload

Try BT for at least half an hour with three different torrents (on torrents that has good seeding) if you're speeds have greatly improved,
be happy and goto Point Q, if you're speeds still suck, go to Point 2

Point 2
BT uses ports for outgoing and incoming data, if ports are not accesable, there won't get much traffic trough
Here are the things to do:

First you much check if the ports are indeed not accesable

Point 3
Go to the GRC Porttest site: https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2
Click Proceed > enter 6881-6889 > Click User Specified Custom Port Probe

Green/Stealth: Port is unaccesable, your are behind a firewall or NAT || go to Point 4
Blue/Closed: Port is accesable (BT is good to go!), but inactive || Goto Point Q
Red/Open!: Port is accesable (BT is good to go!), and active || Goto Point Q

Ok, some ppl keep thinking closed is bad and it should be open, well you are wrong there. In noob terms OPEN and CLOSED is both good, it means the port is FULLY accesable and you forwarded ports CORRECTLY, only stealth is bad.

Point 4
Bittorrent is unable to correctly connect to the ports
First thing you need to determine is what is causing the ports the be stealth
This could be a hardware device: Router / Modem (many modems nowadays have built-in routers
(which on their turn have built-in firewalls)
Or a Software Program: Software Firewall (Norton, McAfee, Xp Standard Firewall),
a ICS (Internet Connection Sharing) program (Sygate, Winroute)
Or a combination of the two
If you are sure Xp Firewall isn't enabled || go to Point 5, if you're not sure do the following:
Start > Configuration Panel > Network and Internet Connections > Network Connections
If a connection is firewalled, you will see a little keylock top-right in the connections icon, and when you select the firewall,
on the left @ details in will say: Firewalled. If this is the case and you want to use BT here's the thing to do:
Disable the Xp firewall and install a software firewall
How to Disable the Xp firewall: Right click the firewalled connection and select: Properties
Then select the Tab: Advanced > Untick the tickerbutton @ Internet Connection Firewall >
(if you get a pop-up, babbling about exposure, click Yes) Click Ok || Xp firewall is disabled.
Now go back to Point 3 to retake the porttest after the test return here,
if the porttest is succesfull goto Point Q
If unsuccesfull || goto Point 5

Point 5
Now you are either obstructed by a software firewall, or a router (modem)
If you are sure you have a software firewall || goto Point 6
If you are sure you have a hardware router || goto Point 7
If your computer connects to another computer|| goto Point 8
We are now going to check if you're firewall is hardware or software
Start > Run > cmd > ipconfig : this gives you info about internet ip etc.
the thing you want to know is the Default Gateway, get that ip (like: 10.0.0.138 or 192.168.1.2 etc)
and enter it in Internet Explorer, if you get an error || goto Point 6
if you get an interface || goto Point 7

Point 6
So you have a software firewall: there are three things you can do from here:
1 Uninstall the sofware firewall and buy a hardware router that will act as a sort of firewall instead of the software firewall
2 Configure the firewall to give acces to BT ports
3 Uninstall current firewall and try a firewall that is more user friendly
If you like you're current firewall: my help to you ends here, because there are far too many
different firewall programs. search the programs help how to open ports, or ask on forums,
how to open ports with this particular program, you can always take the GRC Porttest to check if the port opening is succesfull || goto Point Q

Point 7
So you are on a router (or modem with built-in router) goto this site (thanks FD!)
http://portforward.com/default.htm, look up your router and forward (and open)
BT ports 6881-6889 (Azureus: 6881)(Shadows + ABC: 6881-6999).
If your router does not appear in the list, get its manual and open/forward ports using the manual,
If u dont have the manual use google, to search for solutions.
If you didn't even knew you had a router (for instance your ISP installed everything: give them a call or mail,
on how to open the ports for the router/modem they provided)
You can always use the GRC Porttest to check if you're port forwarding was
succesfull || goto Point Q

Point 8
You're using ICS: Internet Connection Sharing, that means one computer (server) provides internet for one or more other computers
(client(s)) this can be using Windows ICS (make sure ICS Xp firewall is also off ), or a program.
If its windows you can open ports this way: Start > Configuration Panel > Network and Internet Connections > Network Connections
right click on the Internet Connection and select Properties > || you need to click the button Settings
(that is either on the General Tab or the Advanced Tab) there you see the opened ports, add BT ports to make them accesable || goto Point 3
If you are using a ICS Program (like Winroute, or Sygate) my help to you ends here, as there are too many ICS programs for me to explain,
but since you probably know what program it is, get help using forums,
or google and off-course use the GRC Porttest to check if you opened ports correctly || goto Point Q

Point Q
Quit <> How To has ended here, you are either successfull in forwarding ports or, theres no futher help in this how to for you

(once again, not written by me, but i took the effort to post this as i hope it helps a few people out)

Sam