BitTorrent slow, other downloads OK

[cook1984]

For some reason BitTorrent never seems to get over about 250k/sec down and 5k/sec up. Often it's much lower, especially on the upload site where I am currently getting 0.7k/sec. This is on 10 meg.

Other downloads are fine. Browsing is a bit slow as usual but from Astraweb news servers I get a full 1Mb/sec. HTTP downloads hit 800-900k/sec on a good day too.

I have not changed any of my settings but this has been happening for about a week. It's not just the torrents I'm using either. I can tether my phone to my laptop and get about 500k/sec on Ubuntu DVDs (T-Mobile signal is not that good) but my VM line is limited to about 250k/sec. That is with the same laptop connected directly to the modem via ethernet.

The only explanation I can think of is that VM are shaping BT specifically. Maybe I'm part of their secret DPI trial.

VM tech support is useless, needless to say. My area is congested but that wouldn't explain why it only affect BT.

[Spectato]

The only explanation I can think of is that VM are shaping BT specifically.
Nope.
Definitely not that.

You could try a different client and see if it makes a difference, and there's a ginormous amount of BT related help out there on the GoogleyWeb:
http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&source=hp&q=bittorrent+troubleshooting&meta=&aq=0&aqi=g3&aql=&oq=bittorrent+trou&gs_rfai=&fp=22911715a928b061

[cook1984]

I understand BT thanks. Been using it for years. I prefer uTorrent but just for run I tried out Halite with the same results.

As I pointed out it was working fine and still does on a non-VM connection. Only VM is affected and only BT.

[Jon T]

What's uTorrent displaying for the DHT status? Assuming you're using a router, are you using fixed internal IP's or DHCP? If the latter, is your PC picking a new a new IP up, therefore buggering up the port forwarding for BitTorrent? Does the port used within BT still match and port forwarding/port openings that have been set up?

Failing all the above, have you installed/reconfigured any firewall/AV software recently?

[broadbandking]

250Kb/s sounds like you are been STM'd, are you aware of the traffic management limits?

[cook1984]

Jon T: I use static IP addresses internally, and the ports are open. uTorrent reports no problems with the connection, and DHT is available and working.

I don't have any extra firewall software (use the Windows one, ports open, tried disabling it just to check and made no difference) and don't run AV in the background. I have scanned the system recently though and it was clean. I only really use that box for downloading so all it ever really does is run uTorrent and serve files.

broadbandking: I am aware of STM, but it isn't that. My router (Buffalo running Tomato) provides bandwidth graphs and I can see the slow speeds all night way past the point where STM could be responsible. As I said, Usenet and HTTP downloads work fine at those times so it definitely isn't STM.

I'm on my third modem at the moment. Maybe time for another. Must be costing VM quite a bit to keep sending them out but that seems to be their only solution to this problem. They never ask for them back either so I have two spares sitting around doing nothing.

[Andrewcrawford23]

Jon T: I use static IP addresses internally, and the ports are open. uTorrent reports no problems with the connection, and DHT is available and working.

I don't have any extra firewall software (use the Windows one, ports open, tried disabling it just to check and made no difference) and don't run AV in the background. I have scanned the system recently though and it was clean. I only really use that box for downloading so all it ever really does is run uTorrent and serve files.

broadbandking: I am aware of STM, but it isn't that. My router (Buffalo running Tomato) provides bandwidth graphs and I can see the slow speeds all night way past the point where STM could be responsible. As I said, Usenet and HTTP downloads work fine at those times so it definitely isn't STM.

I'm on my third modem at the moment. Maybe time for another. Must be costing VM quite a bit to keep sending them out but that seems to be their only solution to this problem. They never ask for them back either so I have two spares sitting around doing nothing.
there is not application throttling if as oyu say you understand how bit torrent works oyu know that it depends on teh seeds and peeers p[rovidign the uplaod speed, if they are uplaod to 10 peopel with 30kb/s then you get 3 kb/s so if oyu get 20 people you will only get 60kb/s dnt use excuse to accoutn for slow speeds learn more about networks and how they work

[Ignitionnet]

there is not application throttling if as oyu say you understand how bit torrent works oyu know that it depends on teh seeds and peeers p[rovidign the uplaod speed, if they are uplaod to 10 peopel with 30kb/s then you get 3 kb/s so if oyu get 20 people you will only get 60kb/s dnt use excuse to accoutn for slow speeds learn more about networks and how they work

Pretty please with sugar on top start reading entire threads (http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/12/33661755-why-i-regret-joining-virgin-media-page-9.html#post35010614) before you dive in. The guy reports wildly varying speeds on the same torrents when using an alternative provider.

He is downloading Ubuntu a lack of seeds is not going to be an issue.

Have you started working for VM recently? The last phrase incidentally is totally unnecessary, not least because in this thread it's not accurate. Do you know about networks and how they work? May I suggest until you're an expert you don't come out with comments like that.

Now regarding the above post I doubt that it's application specific throttling as that would most likely be upstream however it shouldn't be totally excluded as a possibility. It could also be that the cable modem sucks at handling the large number of connections torrents open, maybe upstream is getting saturated and throttling downstream, who knows at this time.

[Griffin]

if you are not already, try using the open dns servers 208.67.220.220 &
208.67.222.222 or the Google ones 8.8.8.8 & 8.8.4.4 or even a combination of the 2

[General Maximus]

they are not traffic shaping dude because I have no problem getting 4-5mb/sec from one of the sites I use

[Andrewcrawford23]

Pretty please with sugar on top start reading entire threads (http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/12/33661755-why-i-regret-joining-virgin-media-page-9.html#post35010614) before you dive in. The guy reports wildly varying speeds on the same torrents when using an alternative provider.

He is downloading Ubuntu a lack of seeds is not going to be an issue.

Have you started working for VM recently? The last phrase incidentally is totally unnecessary, not least because in this thread it's not accurate. Do you know about networks and how they work? May I suggest until you're an expert you don't come out with comments like that.

Now regarding the above post I doubt that it's application specific throttling as that would most likely be upstream however it shouldn't be totally excluded as a possibility. It could also be that the cable modem sucks at handling the large number of connections torrents open, maybe upstream is getting saturated and throttling downstream, who knows at this time.
Even if you have 5000 seeds it does nto mean oyu iwll get the full speed, on the ubuntu torrents i get full speed but i also get 10kb/s there is no way to garantee speed son torrents, and if oyu knew what your talking abouty know wha ti was implying!!!!!

WEthere i work for VM is irrelevent i wont defned if they are doign something like application throttling i would happily admit there doign it, if there UBR issues i would admit it, just because majority of agents wont be honest doesnt me i wouldnt, im a honest person and i dnt believe in lying for a company or anyone

[Ignitionnet]

Even if you have 5000 seeds it does nto mean oyu iwll get the full speed, on the ubuntu torrents i get full speed but i also get 10kb/s there is no way to garantee speed son torrents, and if oyu knew what your talking abouty know wha ti was implying!!!!!

I see, I don't know what I'm talking about either, well I can only apologise for my ignorance of basic networking. I will not offer further comments as to my thoughts as I wouldn't want to continue sharing my ignorance.

WEthere i work for VM is irrelevent i wont defned if they are doign something like application throttling i would happily admit there doign it, if there UBR issues i would admit it, just because majority of agents wont be honest doesnt me i wouldnt, im a honest person and i dnt believe in lying for a company or anyone

If they were doing application throttling as a trial you wouldn't know about it unless you were a high level employee, which I doubt, or directly working on the project, which I also doubt.

I asked as you seem to have suddenly taken more of an interest in VM related threads and started offering technical advice. You also appear to have had something of an attitude change suggesting you have started a technical job. As it is I answered my own question with a quick look through your posting history.

May I politely suggest you wind your neck in a touch and stop telling people that they don't know what they are talking about. Not really the way to influence people and make friends. Appreciate working in tech support gives one a confidence boost, best not to take it too far though.

Trust me I probably know more about how networks work than you do, especially things like application and network layer performance given I've spent the past two years working in application networking, just as many people know more about how they work than I do as I'm reminded daily by the gurus I'm fortunate enough to work with.

[General Maximus]

tbh the fact that he supposedly works in tech support doesnt exactly inspire me with confidence anyway, we all know how helpful they are (not)

[Peter_]

tbh the fact that he supposedly works in tech support doesnt exactly inspire me with confidence anyway, we all know how helpful they are (not)
He does work for Virginmedia in technical support in Scotland.

I also know that Iggi actually knows his stuff a damn sight more than he lets on.;)

I hope you are not including me in that statement:D

[cook1984]

Well it seems pretty clear that there is BT throttling going on. Everything else is fine, just BT. Well, maybe other P2P too, but I only use BT.

After the BT/Phorm fiasco* anything is possible. VM have publically stated that they intent to start monitoring P2P traffic. Presumably they will be buying the cheapest equipment possible so impact on speeds is a dead certainty.

I can't seem to post to the VM newsgroup at the moment for some reason. I was contemplating moving to 50 meg as now there are more people living here we need what little extra upload bandwidth it offers, but the fact that my 10 meg connection has been crap on and off again for over a year now doesn't fill me with confidence.


* How people are not in jail for that I don't know.

[Andrewcrawford23]

He does work for Virginmedia in technical support in Scotland.

I also know that Iggi actually knows his stuff a damn sight more than he lets on.;)

I hope you are not including me in that statement:D
I know iggi knows his stuff (and to be honest possible thoerically a lot more than me), just annoys me he always has a go at me for the way i approach thing, or put things across, ive got a lot of network background and know how to detect thing even if it aint public annocued but i am partially lazy and i am mostly dsylexic so the way i put wha ti mean in words isnt always how it comes across but at the end of the day i wouldnt be degree qualified, and have cisco certifcatiosn if i didnt at least have half a clue

---------- Post added at 19:57 ---------- Previous post was at 19:55 ----------

Well it seems pretty clear that there is BT throttling going on. Everything else is fine, just BT. Well, maybe other P2P too, but I only use BT.

After the BT/Phorm fiasco* anything is possible. VM have publically stated that they intent to start monitoring P2P traffic. Presumably they will be buying the cheapest equipment possible so impact on speeds is a dead certainty.

I can't seem to post to the VM newsgroup at the moment for some reason. I was contemplating moving to 50 meg as now there are more people living here we need what little extra upload bandwidth it offers, but the fact that my 10 meg connection has been crap on and off again for over a year now doesn't fill me with confidence.


* How people are not in jail for that I don't know.

No,No the montoring is sometihng diffeernt, it is to see how much traffic is acutally p2p and estiamte how much is possible illegal, there no known plans ot introduce appilcation throttling but if there was was your seeing would be dioffernt it isnt application throttling but i aint saying it wont come

[Ignitionnet]

I know iggi knows his stuff (and to be honest possible thoerically a lot more than me), just annoys me he always has a go at me for the way i approach thing, or put things across, ive got a lot of network background and know how to detect thing even if it aint public annocued but i am partially lazy and i am mostly dsylexic so the way i put wha ti mean in words isnt always how it comes across but at the end of the day i wouldnt be degree qualified, and have cisco certifcatiosn if i didnt at least have half a clue

I don't actually remember the last time I addressed you. Dyslexia doesn't cause you to talk to someone the way you did, so hiding behind that isn't really going to wash. If you're going to insult someone by saying they don't have a clue and indeed fire the same at me you can hardly expect me to be amused.

My knowledge isn't theoretical, I don't have a degree and don't have any Cisco certifications.

If you have such a large amount of networking background, have a degree and have Cisco certifications why are you working on the phones for Virgin Media's technical support? If it's a shortage of jobs there and you have the skills and experience you claim to there are a ton of jobs in the South East!

[Andrewcrawford23]

I don't actually remember the last time I addressed you. Dyslexia doesn't cause you to talk to someone the way you did, so hiding behind that isn't really going to wash. If you're going to insult someone by saying they don't have a clue and indeed fire the same at me you can hardly expect me to be amused.

My knowledge isn't theoretical, I don't have a degree and don't have any Cisco certifications.

If you have such a large amount of networking background, have a degree and have Cisco certifications why are you working on the phones for Virgin Media's technical support? If it's a shortage of jobs there and you have the skills and experience you claim to there are a ton of jobs in the South East!

not wanting to move form cnetral scotland, 2nd i dnt have the experaince in job enough to command a postion, dnt forgot there few jobs out there with lot of people applying some with lot more commerical experaicne than me, but to be hones ti acutally really enjoy being on the phones i get a different fault ever time someone come through. if i was being rude i certainly wasnt meaning it just replying in the way i would by answer the question, i might have went a biut far by saying learn networks but i jsut see people saying i dnt my speed on torrents but dnt understand the basics of how it works. if i offend or was rude to you or OP i do apogolise it wasnt my inention altohuhg i doubt you believe me, and you have engaged me in the past about how i have posted