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Internet PAINFULLY slow when using P2P Software... 1

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DragonQ0105

Technical User
Jun 6, 2004
632
GB
If I open a P2P Program such as Kazaa Lite or Exeem Lite, the internet becomes VERY slow - and I mean much slower than 56K slow.

For example, currently, I'm downloading 3 items with Exeem Lite. The Down-Bandwidth being used by the program totals about 7KB/s. The Up-Bandwidth being used totals about 11KB/s.

Now my connection is 1Mbps Down, 128Kbps Up. So where is the rest of the bandwidth going? Even the actual program has a Download cap of 60KB/s - so that should still leave 60KB/s for the rest of the network bandwidth.

Am I missing something or is this typical behaviour of P2P Programs (i.e. conserving almost all of the bandwidth "just in case" maybe?)? Bare in mind Exeem Lite and my whole PC in fact are Spyware/Adware free.
 
Don't forget that you are also being affected by the throughput limitations of who you are sharing with. They might be using dial-up, surfing the web while you, and maybe 20 other people, are trying to 'share'. You are only as fast as your slowest segment.

In other words, go outside and come back later, or look for more sources from which to download.


Hope this helps.

Monty Palmer
President
Paltechs
 
And you get connected to someone with a 33kbs modem connection.
 
Supposed network speed:

1 Mbps Down = 1000 Kilo BITS per second
128 Kbps up = 128 Kilo BITS per second

Transfer speed:
7KBs down = 7 Kilo BYTES per second
11KBs up = 11 Kilo BYTES per second

8 bits = 1 byte

So to compare apples to apples, your supposed network speed is:
128 Kilo BYTES/second download
16 Kilo BYTES/second upload

Notice I say "supposed" network speed. Keep in mind these are not 100% guarunteed rates. Your actual rates will vary depending on your distance, quality of the line, etc.

So you are probably sucking up the majority of your upload bandwidth, but have room for download bandwidth.

Keep in mind when you request to download a webpage, it sends the request - yes, on the maxed out upload link, so thats slow. Then the website gets the request and starts to send the page on your plenty of room download link. But after it sends some of the page it asks your computer to verify it got it. Your computer is squeezing out a response, but the upload bandwidth is maxed out from your P2P software.

Further, to put it nontechnical, some broadband connections "share" upload and download. The numbers they provide can be maximum, like if your just download or just uploading, thats the max speed you can get. Once you are transmitting both ways, they "share" the same up/down and you wont see max on either.

IMO your best bet is checkout software such as Netlimiter. It can restrict your upload bandwidth by program. So you restrict your P2P to upload only, say, 5 KB/sec, and then you will have more room for other stuff.
 
Do you have a firewall installed?
Most firewalls will retard the performance of P2P programs unless you specifically make exceptions for the ports that the particular P2P app utilises.
I have seen this on numerous occasions with WinMX, bit torrent etc. Both those apps will work but you will experience very slow performance, Exeem maybe the same.
If you have a hardware firewall, such as built into some routers these days, you probably need to forward those ports also.

Daniel.
 
I should have added that you can Google the programs in question and find out the port(s) they use so you can make those exceptions, don't just turn off your firewalls :)

Daniel.
 
short answer = your maxing out your upstream connection.

this means your computer can respond to verify requests and thereby limits your webpage browsing to be slow.

solution = NetLimiter software and reduce the max upload on your P2P software
 
Some of you didn't really get what I meant - of course I will get slow downloads with a P2P Program when I am downloading from people with slow connections.

It's the INTERNET that becomes slow. To those that do understand, I shall try taking your advise by limiting the Upload Bandwidth on my P2P Program to about 4KB/s, which should leave about 12KB/s for my internet connection.
 
@DragonQ0105 - Limit your upload to 12kB/s... then is your 'tcpip.sys' original or patched? As of SP2 they have a limit in HTTP 1.0 and 1.1 Connections that need to be upped... I also suggest the Following program TCP-Optimizer from on that Webpage you can also test your Internet/TCPIP settings if they are correctly set...

good hunting...



Ben

If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer...
 
I changed my Max Connections per Server to 20 I think using the advise and tools at ages ago.

I have SP2, but am unsure which version of tcpip.sys I have....
 
Dragon.. you haven't been listening...


sab4you said:
Supposed network speed:

1 Mbps Down = 1000 Kilo BITS per second
128 Kbps up = 128 Kilo BITS per second

Transfer speed:
7KBs down = 7 Kilo BYTES per second
11KBs up = 11 Kilo BYTES per second

8 bits = 1 byte

So to compare apples to apples, your supposed network speed is:
128 Kilo BYTES/second download
16 Kilo BYTES/second upload

Notice I say "supposed" network speed. Keep in mind these are not 100% guarunteed rates. Your actual rates will vary depending on your distance, quality of the line, etc.

So you are probably sucking up the majority of your upload bandwidth, but have room for download bandwidth.

Keep in mind when you request to download a webpage, it sends the request - yes, on the maxed out upload link, so thats slow. Then the website gets the request and starts to send the page on your plenty of room download link. But after it sends some of the page it asks your computer to verify it got it. Your computer is squeezing out a response, but the upload bandwidth is maxed out from your P2P software.

Further, to put it nontechnical, some broadband connections "share" upload and download. The numbers they provide can be maximum, like if your just download or just uploading, thats the max speed you can get. Once you are transmitting both ways, they "share" the same up/down and you wont see max on either.

IMO your best bet is checkout software such as Netlimiter. It can restrict your upload bandwidth by program. So you restrict your P2P to upload only, say, 5 KB/sec, and then you will have more room for other stuff.

This is exactly your problem.

Computer/Network Technician
CCNA
 
Lloydsev, yes I have:

Some of you didn't really get what I meant - of course I will get slow downloads with a P2P Program when I am downloading from people with slow connections.

It's the INTERNET that becomes slow. To those that do understand, I shall try taking your advise by limiting the Upload Bandwidth on my P2P Program to about 4KB/s, which should leave about 12KB/s for my internet connection.

I was not at home so could not test it at the time. I have just limited it to 4KB/s, and my internet is almost at normal speed.

Thanks to those who suggested reasons + resolutions. :)
 
ok, I didn't fully understand that you understood :) I must have skipped a sentence.

Computer/Network Technician
CCNA
 
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