Why does it takes MONTHS to download a file?

[morganchia]

Hi Guys,

I have some questions regarding p2p file-sharing...

I have used Kazaa sometime ago and I was very happy with the performance because the movie, mp3 downloads were extremely fast (I am using 1.5Mbps cable). Typically, I can download a 650MB mpg movie (from the time I search till the time I can view) within 24hrs. For mp3 downloads, the entire ordeal takes only minutes. However, I stopped using when they started charging membership fees.

I then tried emule, edonkey, bit-torrent and sharazaa but I am very disappointed because it takes months to download a single file because the source is either offline or I am in an extremely long queue.

I wonder whether this is a common experience or was it because I don't know how to use the software properly? I'll usually use my PC for about 3hrs daily and I'll off it if I don't see any download happening... Is this ok?

Thanks in advance,

Cheers, MC

[Whistler]

Are you behind a router?

The difference between the ed2k/gnuttela2/fastrack network and the bittorent 'network' imho is that in the former you search for a particular file that could very well be not very popular but on the later you can easily look up files that are very popular. The other thing is in all these 'p2p' apps especially bittorent and ed2k it takes a while to get warmed up be it finding sources or trading data. In summary if your behind router figure it out, if you are wanting unpopular files stop and find popular files, stoping your download half way through will not double your download time it will probably.. i dont know.. quadruple it.

I have a very comparable connection to you and I get movies (700 and 1400 variety) in under a day easily.

In Russia road forks you

[ferrarimodena360]

However, I stopped using when they started charging membership fees.

there you go buddy, i give u a free copy of kazaa, no money involved http://www.filemirrors.com/search.sr...xe&action=Find

try this if u havent dc++ http://dcplusplus.sourceforge.net/

[morganchia]

Hi Whistler,

I don't think I am behind a router as I am directly connected to the ISP through cable unless you are referring to my broadband/cable router. But as far as I know, I constantly see other users downloading my files in shareazaa, hence I guess my network config should be ok...

>>stoping your download half way through will not double your download time it will probably.. i dont know.. quadruple it.

I usually searched for a file and leave it to download while I surf or work on my PC. However, it rarely starts downloading, and even if it does, it'll download a few Kbytes and stop again. Therefore, whenever I finish my work on my PC, I'll shutdown to save electricity since NO file-transfer is going on.

Do you mean I should leave my PC on over-night(or 24x7) so that I can stay(and advance) in the queues?

Thanks :)

[morganchia]

Thanks ferrarimodena360,

I tried Kazaalite before and I remembered I can't find the files (using Kazaalite) I was downloading with Kazaa before. I can find those files with Shareazaa, just can't download or take months to download... sigh

[sitech]

Hi Whistler,

I usually searched for a file and leave it to download while I surf or work on my PC. However, it rarely starts downloading, and even if it does, it'll download a few Kbytes and stop again. Therefore, whenever I finish my work on my PC, I'll shutdown to save electricity since NO file-transfer is going on.

Do you mean I should leave my PC on over-night(or 24x7) so that I can stay(and advance) in the queues?

Thanks :)

I'm just going to say OMG.

As far as i know, if you quit, you have to start from the end of the queue again! No wonder it is taking so so long.

Btw, with the computer screen off, the computer doesn't use that much more than a lightbulb anyway, so its hardly worth doing at all.

[maartendc]

Pff, I don't leave my pc on all night, and I still can download files pretty quicly using bittorrent or Ares. Shareaza is a different matter however. I hardly use it anymore because of the queues.

[moneoa]

Hi Whistler,

I don't think I am behind a router as I am directly connected to the ISP through cable unless you are referring to my broadband/cable router.

Brother man, you said your not behind a router except your cable router lol

This is part of whats killing your speeds, you need to go into your router setup page and
forward the appropriate ports. It would still work if you did not, just poorly
Good luck and hope you figure it out :fire

On a side note if you liked Kazaa try ares its pretty much the way kazaa was in its glory

[tackdaddy]

you gotta be doing something wrong.

[Spurge]

Well, maybe if more people shared thier files the wait time wouldn't be such a problem.

[morganchia]

Thanks moneoa, I tried Ares last night and yes it is the same as Kazaa but seems like the downloads are slightly lesser as I was unable to find as many videos as i used to.

I would like to use shareazaa if possible because I can find most(if not all) the downloads i require through shareazaa. And shareazaa is also a bittorrent client as well isnt it? I'll try to "forward" the ports in my router setup and see how it goes with shareazaa.

But I have this issue with shareazaa is that it reserves the space for the entire file before the download completes and this wastes alot of diskspace. For example, if i am downloading a file 1GB size, once shareazaa starts downloading the file, it'll create the FULL 1 GB file in my disk even if the download is only partial. How do you get around this problem?

Thanks again.

[black_magiic]

That always pissed me off about shareza especially on my old computer with a ten gig harddrive

[notbob]

But I have this issue with shareazaa is that it reserves the space for the entire file before the download completes and this wastes alot of diskspace. For example, if i am downloading a file 1GB size, once shareazaa starts downloading the file, it'll create the FULL 1 GB file in my disk even if the download is only partial. How do you get around this problem?

Thanks again.

what do you think edonkey/emule does?

oh yeah-- that exact same thing

some people are too impatient/lazy to use p2p

i think tower records is more your speed

when you get something for free, does it make sense to whine about how fast?

[morganchia]

some people are too impatient/lazy to use p2p
i think tower records is more your speed
when you get something for free, does it make sense to whine about how fast?

I am not asking for sympathy just asking if there are better ideas to get the work done in a _better_ way. I am sure there are many people out in the same predicament as myself.

Thanks for your _insightful_ comment, but i would appreciate you keep your 2cents worth to yourself.

[Hardware]

if you want superfast downloads you shoudl try out ProxyShare