Port Forwarding

Port forwarding is another thing you need to do in order to optimize your download speed.

It is the process that your router or firewall uses to sort the right kind of network data to the right port. Computers and routers use ports as a way to organize network data. Different types of data, such as web sites, file downloads, and online games, are each assigned a port number. By using port forwarding, the router or firewall sends the correct data to the correct place.

A firewall protects the computer by blocking unauthorized information. If a firewall blocked all the incoming and outgoing data, the computer would be unable to access the Internet. When you want some data to go through your firewall, and you want it sent to a specific location, you can set up port forwarding. Port forwarding gives the firewall instructions about which types of data are allowed and how they should be directed.

Information on the Internet is associated with a port. Web pages, for example, are typically assigned port 80. File transfer protocol (FTP), often used for downloading and uploading files, typically uses port 21. Online games may use a number of different port numbers, but often choose numbers in the thousands.

If you have multiple computers on your network, chances are that they do not all need all the data that comes into the network. Port forwarding allows you to send the relevant data to the computer that will use it. If you have a web-server hosting your website, and a second computer hosting an online game, port forwarding will make sure that each computer receives the data it needs, without being bogged down with data intended for the other computer.

In this situation, you would use port forwarding to instruct your router as to which computer is the destination for which data. The port forwarding instructions would send all incoming requests for web pages to the web server. This data would come in to the router at port 80, and the port forwarding instructions route that data to the web server.

The online game server might be set to use port 5500. Any data that comes to the network at port 5500 should be from people trying to play the online game using your computer as a host. The port forwarding information in the router will direct all data coming in using port 5500 to go to the online game hosting computer.

Using port forwarding also serves as another way to protect your computers. People outside your network will only have access to the router or firewall. The router or firewall with port forwarding controls which types of data reach your computers. Any data that does not come to the router with the correct port will not be passed through to the computers inside the network.

Not only does port forwarding keep incoming data flowing to the right computer, but it also helps to protect your network by limiting and controlling outside access. If your network includes a web server, FTP server, or game server, or runs other services that require outside access, port forwarding will help keep your network safe and running smoothly.



How Port Forwarding Works

Port forwarding basically allows an outside computer to connect to a computer in a private local area network. Some commonly done port forwarding includes forwarding port 21 for FTP access, and forwarding port 80 for web servers. To achieve such results, operating systems like the Mac and OS XP and the BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution) will use the pre-installed in the kernel, ipfirewall (ipfw), to conduct port forwarding. Linux on the other hand would add iptables to do port forwarding.

Negative Side of Port Fowarding

There are a few disadvantages or precautions to take with port forwarding. Only one port can be used at a time by one machine. Port forwarding also allows any machine in the world to connect to the forwarded port at will, and thus making the network slightly insecure. The port forwarding technology itself is built in a way so that the destination machine will see the incoming packets as coming from the router rather than the original machine sending out the packets.



by Emely · 0

Number of Seeders and Leechers

Another important thing you should consider is the number of seeders and leechers. You might confuse why it is necessary or maybe what is seeders and leechers?

A seeder is someone who contributes to a torrent. Someone who leaves the torrent running after it completes so that others may download from them as well, thus creating more sources. This is completely configurable by the user. To simplify, seeders are the host of information or the file.

A leecher is someone who downloads files and does not contribute to a seed or does not share any files that they have. Someone that is downloading it from a source without having the full thing done, and then most leechers in the end close the torrent after they get it, but those who don't become seeders. Leechers just grab the information without acknowledging for it.

Before choosing the file (movies, mp3, applications, pc games, etc.) you want to download, first you have to check the number of seeders and number of leechers. It is important to choose files that have many seeders than leechers.

by Emely · 0

Free Internet Speed Test

You need to know first your Internet Speed in order to set the accurate settings for optimal connection. Try to test your bandwidth.

Since peer to peer file sharing (from the word sharing), means "what you receive, you need also to give". You have to change your settings after you determine your optimal connection speed.

Maximum download speed (leech)

Don't be too greedy. Setting your maximum download speed to unlimited will hurt your connection. Just set 80% from the total optimal Internet Speed.

Maximum upload speed (seeds)

What you have receive, you need also to give. If you use your Maximum upload speed, there won’t be not enough space left for the files you are downloading. So you have to cap your upload speed. Try to give 60% of your total bandwidth to avoid slow download speed.

Maximum connected peers per torrent

upload speed * 1.3

Maximum upload slots

1 + (upload speed / 6)

by Emely · 2

Boost Your Download Speed

I have tried different torrent software to download my favorite movies, mp3, pc games, applications and many others. They were almost similar in terms of their speed. But I have some tips and guide that might help increase your download speed using uTorrent.

Open your Torrent Search Engine (uTorrent) click to download

Stpe 1: Options>Preferences>Network

  1. Click on ‘Port used for incomming connections’, enter any port number. It is best to use a port number above 10000. I use 51646 port number which I observe faster.
  2. UNCHECKED "Randomize port each time utorrent starts". If you have a router, leave this unchecked. If you do not have a router or a firewall, and want extra security,check this option.
  3. For Windows Xp or later only UNCHECKED the "Enable UPnP port mapping. I leave this unchecked because I have experienced it slowing down speeds. It is not needed if you manually port forward.
  4. If your OS is Windows XP SP2 or later, UNCHECKED "Add utorrent to Windows Firewall exceptions" (do this only if you have windows firewall disabled)
  5. Global Maximum upload rate (kb/s): [0: unlimited]: 22 (for 256k connection)
  6. Protocol Encryption: ENABLED. I would recommend everyone to enable this. This can help increase speeds with many ISPs.
  7. CHECKED allow incoming Legacy Connections:

Step 2: Options>Preferences>Torrents
  1. Global Maximum Number of Connections: 130 (for 256k connection)This number should not be set too low or the number of connections made to your torrents will be limited. Setting it too high may cause too much bandwidth to be used and can cause slowdowns.
  2. Maximum Number of connected peers per torrent: 70 (for 256k connection)If you see that the peers connected to a specific torrent are exactly this number, or very close, increase this number to improve speeds.
  3. Number of upload slots per torrent: 3 (for 256k connection)This depends on how much you want to upload to other users. Do not set too low or it may affect download speeds.
  4. Use additional upload slots if upload speed <90%: CHECKED
  5. Maximum number of active torrents: 2 (for 256k connection)
  6. Maximum number of active downloads: 1 (for 256k connection)
  7. Enable DHT Network: CHECKEDThis is recommended to be checked to improve speeds. More people will be available for sharing if this is checked.
  8. CHECKED the "enable DHT for new torrents
  9. Enable Peer Exchange: CHECKED
  10. Enable scrapping: CHECKED
  11. Pre-allocate all files: CHECKED
  12. Append .!ut to incomplete files: UNCHECKED

by Emely · 0

Top Torrent Search Engines

Here are the list of most popular torrent search engines. You can search and download free movies, mp3, dvd, applications and many more.

1. Mininova.org

Mininova is the successor to Supernova, one of the original big torrent databases on the entire Web. This torrent search engine is the most commonly use and widely provide complete downlable files.

2. Isohunt

Isohunt is also consider as another comprehensive search engine.

3. Demonoid

Demonoid is definately the best torrent search engines. However to download torrent files indexed by Demonoid, you are required to have an account. The account, although free to create, is not owned by everyone out there. The registrations are open only for some time and you require an invitation to get into Demonoid. If you manage to get an account you will see why this is one of the best.

4. The Pirate Bay

The Pirate Bay tracks the largest number of torrents. One of the best engines that provides various seeders for any type of files, from movies, mp3, karaoke, applications and manymore.

by Emely · 2

What is Peer to Peer Networking

A peer-to-peer networking sometimes refer to as P2P network which allows computer hardware and software to function without the need for special server devices. P2P is an alternative to client-server network design.

P2P technology can also be found in other places. Microsoft Windows XP (starting with Service Pack 1), for example, contains a component called "Windows Peer-to-Peer Networking." P2P is especially popular in homes where an expensive, decidated server computer is neither necessary nor practical.

P2P is a popular technology for file sharing software applications. This technology helps the P2P client applications upload and download files over the P2P network services faster ever.


by Emely · 0