11 Tips on How to Speed up Torrent Download
Torrent is a convenient way to download files and multimedia. But sometimes you will see that it’s taking forever to download the torrent or it’s not even downloading anything. All that’s happening is that a waste of your time, power and internet bandwidth. But you can avoid these by following some easy to implement tips.
On mobile or desktop; if you want to download your desired torrent files in the most optimized and fastest way possible, the following easy to use tips will help you a lot.
1. Have a Good Speedy Internet Connection
It’s the first recommendation. Check if your internet connection’s (ISP’s) bandwidths for both upload and download. Your torrent download speed will not cross the limit set by the ISP.
2. Have the Right BitTorrent Client/Software
Torrent download is different from the regular file download. So you will need to use a proper torrent client or torrent downloading software to download your torrent. There are several available for computer and mobile.
3. Select a Torrent with High Seeds and Less Leech
Peer indicates number of computers participating in the download and upload of a torrent file. Seed or seeder is the number of total persons who has one complete copy of the file being shared across the torrent network.
Leech or Leecher is the person who does not have the complete file yet but has joined the network to download it. When the entire file download is complete and shares it across the network; then a leecher becomes a seeder. For high torrent speeds, the best bet is in these numbers. The greater the number of seeders, the healthier the torrent which will lead to higher speeds.
You should choose a torrent files with ahigher seed-leecher ratio. Means; high number of seeders and preferably lesser number of leechers will make you torrent to download faster.
4. Limit the Upload Rate to 1kbps
Torrent is a peer to peer network which is all about sharing alike, but an unlimited or high upload rate will reduce the download rate. Most advanced torrent client lets you to limit the upload rate. You can limit the upload rate to 1kbps. However torrent network is based on sharing so if you can then set a reasonable upload limit.
5. Change the Default Port
Many BitTorrent softwares use a port 6881-6999 by default. But you should change this to above 10000. Many good and popular torrent clients allows users to do that.
6. Some Smart Thinking
Familiarize yourself with the customization settings of your selected torrent client as many of them allow users to view the individual files in a download and selectively disable the download of files you don’t think necessary.
Torrent Downloading Tips for Advanced Users
Just doing the above will speed up you torrent download but in very few times it will not. In that case you could follow these advanced tips;
7. Add a Firewall Rule
Add a firewall rule for you torrent client so that it goes through the firewall and making it secure. Whether you use windows firewall in your desktop or some other firewall like Kerio or Zone Alarm; you should add a firewall rule for your torrent client. Shutting the firewall down is not recommended as it make the computer unsecure.
8. Trying Protocol Encryption
Can easily be done in Many popular Bit Torrent Client; as in 2005 BitTorrent traffic made up more than a third of total residential internet traffic, many ISPs constrict bandwidth for P2P protocols. Protocol Encryption makes traffic harder to detect and therefore harder to throttle by ISPs.
However it might slow you torrent download speeds, so try using with enabled, disabled and forced options to see if encryption works for you. If your ISP have a bandwidth restricting policy then it’s better to use Protocol Encryption.
9. Increase the Number of Max TCP Connections
For XP sp2 users the TCP connections are limited to a maximum of 10. But for torrent speeds need a large number of simultaneous connections. A patch is available for it in LvlLord (http://www.lvllord.de/) which modifies the TCPIP.sys file in Windows for setting a higher number of TCP connections.
After running this patch, change the number of connections in your torrent client in torrent client settings. Always check if it is still patched because Windows updates sometimes overwrite it.
Tips for Downloading Torrent Using Your Smart Phone
If you are using your android powered device or other mobile device to download the torrents then you should follow these additional tips in below;
10. Do Not Download Using Mobile Operator’s Data Plan and Only Download When the Wi-Fi Connection is on.
Unless you own the operator company or it’s very generous in its data plans; you should never use data plans for downloading torrent files. Especially, when there is a data limit from your mobile operator.Using your mobile or tablet; only download torrent if you have a truly unlimited data plan or a Wi-Fi connection.
11. Download Only When the Power Supply is Connected
Torrent downloading/client apps take a lot of power. So it is wise to use them when you charger or any other power cable is connected you your device.
