P2P / Torrent problems in Vista

[AD]

So Vista limits the incoming half-connections or something I don't quite understand, but the result is very slow torrents and P2P traffic.

I've found articles detailing how to fuck with your settings, changing the TCPIP.sys file and running some UAC patch, but I don't want to do this as it means going into the BIOS or something every time one boots.

So, does anyone have insight into this? How can I get Vista to behave properly with regard to torrents and P2P?

[ollie]

I don't seem to have a problem with Vista slowing down my torrents, just my ISP. Didn't have to tweak anything either. Are you sure it's just Vista that's the problem?

[AD]

as sure as i can be.

All settings are the same w.r.t. port forwarding, static IP, upload/download speed limits in utorrent…. Also, I can connect using my old computer (XP) and pull fast speeds, move the internet cable to the new computer and max out my speed at 12 Kbs (I don’t know how to use the capital K vs the small k in this context, so please bear with me. I think you know what I mean).

any ideas?

[mattm]

I have vista and have no problems. Make sure that if you use the firewall/spyware/defender things that come with it, you have all the settings correct in there (allowing the traffic through). I don't use any of that crap but I've found that things like firewalls often cause people problems because they are complicated to setup and when they are built in and come from microsoft, they tend to allow most microsoft things (dangerous) but block most other stuff.

Other than that, who knows. I know I turn UAC off as soon as I install vista as it's super annoying but your bios should not in any way be related to your OS (in other words, there's absolutely no reason whatsoever that you would have to modify bios settings for this or you would have to also modify them for xp and any other os, like linux, that you put on that computer). The bios is there to get the computer up and to start the bridging between the hardware and the OS which will be booted (hardware/memory addresses, IRQ's, etc, computer jargon, etc).

Edit (even more complicated stuff):

Vista uses IPV6, the upcoming new standard for IP addresses (192.168.0.1 type thing, most people have seen them before). Since the internet still uses IPV4 and traffic comes in that way and must go out that way, Vista actually creates a seperate network connection for each real connection you have. All IPV4 stuff that comes in gets modified to IPV6 and the IPV6 stuff that goes out has to be modified to IPV4. I don't 100% understand how it works but I know that it caused problems with me at my work so I had to completely disable IPV6 (the routers didn't like that Vista tried to use it or something, who knows). IPV6 is the future and has to come but it's too early and adds overhead to Vista when it comes to networking. It's probably not the problem but them it might be. I know rogers is fine (at least off hours in the early morning I can get great speeds).

Also, I looked it up and though it looks like there might be such a thing as you mentioned, vista capping the half-open connections outbound, so did XP SP2 which I guarantee is running on your xp machine (SP2 is old, they just came out with an SP3 but I doubt there are many xp boxes out there that are still SP1 since the service packs are part of automatic update and all cd's since SP2 came out (a while ago) include SP2.

Good luck. Usually when stuff like this happens I find it easier to skip "fixing" it and just use what works. It doesn't sound like you have a router so just get one and plug both machines into it and then use XP to download. You can always move the files back and forth between the two machines quite easily.

Edited August 22, 2008 by Guest

[AD]

How do I turn UAC off? (And what is it? )

I don't think I used the right term - when you boot the computer and hit F8, that is what I would have had to do every boot, then answer some dialogs about TCPIP.sys

I will doublecheck all the firewall / defender settings. I don't know what the correct settings should be so maybe that is the problem. I've made exceptions in the firewall for the utorrent and the associated port I've forwarded - is there something more to it than that?

thanks for you help thus far!

edit - I have a telephony router or whatever it's called, one ethernet slot and two phone slots. I won't be using two computers as that defeats the purpose. I bought a new computer so I could get rid of the old one since it's a boat anchor. Also I have nowhere to put two computers. And just one computer should work. I just have to find the right settings I guess. I'll try anything! (except having two computers to do the work of 1)

Edited August 22, 2008 by Guest

[ollie]

Just for kicks, have you tried using a different bit torrent client?

[AD]

no, I haven't done that and probably won't. i'm using the same internet connection and hardware, same ports, same torrent software (utorrent). i guess it's just a matter of tweaking the windows OS settings like mattm suggested. i won't go back to azeureus.

i'll report back late tonight on my settings and if there is any progress.

[ollie]

Yeah, don't go back to azareus but I'd try something else just to rule out the client as a possible source of the problem.

[AD]

i'll give it a shot but hopefully i can stick with utorrent. the latest build worked fine with fast connections in XP on my old machine.

i've also tweaked the autotuninglevel thing a bit, to no avail.

will try some other things tonight and report back.

[mattm]

Personally I just turn off the firewall and defenders and such and make damn sure not to go to bad websites or open email attachments I don't trust. Just an antivirus for me.

For torrents, make sure to use utorrent, works for me anyway and it has the smallest cup/memory footprint (doesn't hog your computer).

for p2p I don't know. I don't really trust p2p so I don't use it and use newsgroups instead.

Edit: Turn off UAC

Edited August 22, 2008 by Guest

[bouche]

I have no problems with Vista. Who's your provider? Are they throttling you?

[AdamH]

You could get a mac and not have these problems.

Sorry mattm I had to!

[ollie]

It always comes down to this doesn't it?

[AD]

well, i simply went from utorrent 1.8 to utorrent 1.7.7 and my speed problems were solved. no idea why. going to study the changelogs in the software release notes and see if anything rings a bell.

i disabled UAC but there was no noticeable difference. i'll leave UAC disabled though.

[mattm]

UAC is noticeable when you are installing something. It's what pops up a message asking if you give permission to do something (in the case of a program install, modify the files). The problem is that it can (or could, they may have made it better) popup many, many messages for simple little installs. When vista first came out I remember the dumbest one I had before disabling it was 13 do you wish to proceed type messages on top of each other (yup, overlapping windows).

I'm not entirely sure what it would have had to do with torrents and such but in my opinion it's better turned off if you like to install lots of programs or do things that modify system files/settings.

Also, if I were you I wouldn't bother checking changelogs and such. If you do however feel like going through the effort, maybe send an email to the utorrent folks to mention to them what's happened. Even if you don't want to actually do any of the studying, you can send them an email detailing the problem and that it wasn't in the older version and let them do the checking. Either way it will make the product better in the end.

Glad it's working for ya now though. Don't worry on this too hard, things like this happen (Nero burning software is one such example that seemed to become complete poop after they had released a new version and most people had to go back to old versions although I don't remember the version numbers off hand, the newer, and I think current version, is back to old school creating coasters instead of properly burnt cd's/dvd's).

[The D Funk]

sorry for the off topic thread reply

still cant view damn webcasts from sbc blueroom site this is bullocks any other mac user have this problem??

[phishtaper]

this thread is giving me a hard-on

[Kanada Kev]

Just remember:

[bouche]

but the industry is saying that you're stealing POTENTIAL money from their pocket when you give a copy away or take a copy.

I can't believe that they've been living off of that platform for this long.

[ollie]

I can't believe people won't own up to stealing music when that's exactly what they are doing. Go ahead and continue to hide behind your loopholes though.

[jonyak]

but you can "steal" potential profit in alot of ways... why don't they go after the other companies for advertising better.. I mean they are stealing potential profit from them right?

[Kanada Kev]

I sample music that I can't get to hear on local radio (just like listening booths at stores). When I like it, I buy it and more importantly support them when they come through town and see them LIVE (and travel to see 'em live).

For some reason the BIG record companies don't like that

Edited August 27, 2008 by Guest