BT download speeds permanently dropped from 300k to 20k!

[cannonball13]

Hey guys, I'm hoping that someone may have some words of wisdom that may be able to help me out.

Here's the situation. I have a cable connection that's 1.5Mb/384k during the day, and 3Mb/384k during the night.

For the last year I've been using BT and getting consistent download speeds of about 170k/s during the day, and 350k/s at night, and uploads of up to 40k/s.

However, as of a few days ago, I cant get anything to download on BT at over 20k/s, and thats if I am lucky!

I have tried various torrents, tried running them for hours and even days, nothing helps. Most of them just tick along at about 4-5k/s download, and the same for upload.

If I queue up 3 or 4 torrents, and im lucky, I get a cumulative download speed of about 20k/s, and an upload of 6k/s.

To make things even more complicated, when downloading 3 or 4 torrents, even though the cumulative download speed never exceeds around 20ish k, it maxes out my connection. What I mean is that I can no longer surf the web, and instant messengers sign out!!!

When im not using BT, the connection works fine and speeds on http and ftp downloads are just fine and dandy.

Here is what I have eliminated so far as causes:
1) Viruses, Trojans and possible software conflicts: Reinstalled the OS and duplicated the problem without installing any additional software
2) Netlimiter, Software Firewall or peerguardian issue: have tried a fresh install of windows without any of them installed
3) Am not using a router so thats not an issue
4) Windows XP (SP1) firewall is disabled
5) Had the ISP check my line and modem, they gave both a clean bill of help.
6) Network card: hooked up the cable modem via USB
7) BT client: usually use BitComet but have tried Azureus and uTorrent as well.
8) have tried limiting my upload but that hasnt helped either
9) there have been no hardware changes
10) its not the torrents either, ive tried torrents with 50 seeders and no leechers!


Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!

PS: One more thing. Just once yesterday, all of a sudden my download speeds shot up to 300k/s. I had 3 torrents running, one at 200k/s and the other two at 50each. The speed stayed consistent at 300k/s for about 20minutes at which time the internet connection just dropped. Downloads speeds when to zero, instant messengers signed out, absolutely no network activity. A few minutes later the internet started working again, and the download speeds once again went back to under 20k/s.

Oh, and for that short duration that the downloads were going at 300kbps, the uploads went up to about 30kbps as well.

I am extremely perplexed.

Any suggestions?

[isus]

It could be traffic shaping at your ISP.

[Mels_Smileys45]

Seems like you have covered most of the bases there. Have you by chance tried a speed check, I think pc pit stop still has one, to see if your isp has capped you? Sometimes they can be very coy about such things and its hard to get any real help from some providers. Some even try and block BT traffic.

[cannonball13]

Ive run a variety of speed tests, and the results are perfect. Its only BT download speeds that are affected.

I've been thinking along the lines of my ISP capping BT downloads somehow, but that doesnt fit in with two things:

1) The downloads did go up to 300k/s that once
2) if the BT downloads are just capped, why does that max out my connection overall?

Ive been wracking my head and I know this is a stretch, but is there any chance that my IP could have ended up on a peerguardian blocklist or some such thing? Any way to confirm that?

The slow downloads wouldnt be that bad if I could at least leave them running and still use the internet!

[Mels_Smileys45]

Theres no telling what the PG numbnuts will block. I say its just bad luck or something. Just kidding, sorry, I have no clue.

[jona100]

you rarely ever get your full bandwidth speed with BT; only a few files give you that, I have a 2Mbit line and only get the full speed on 'snospmiS' episodes.

[cannonball13]

Yeah I realize you dont always get full speed on BT, but if you read my full post you would know that this problem is quite different.

Slow download speeds I can live with, but slow download speeds and an otherwise unusable connection to go with it when using BT? Obviously something is wrong!

Cheers for the reply though.

[Auggie2k]

Maybe the ISP has blocked the BT ports, that's the only reason I can think of. Who and where is your ISP provider?

[cannonball13]

Im in Poland, the ISP is astercity.
I'm going to try and see if I can get in touch with someone else on the same ISP and see if they can reproduce this problem.

What I dont understand however, is that if the BT ports are blocked or capped:
1) why do the occasional downloads go faster and why does the connection then crash in such a strange manner
2) why would the rest of my connection max out or die when using BT?

As far as I know these things dont fit into the picture of blocked BT ports.

I hope Im not coming across as being difficult, im just extremely frustrated. If it cant be fixed ill accept that, but only once I figure out whats going on.

I do appreciate you guys taking the time out to try and help!

PS: Im going to run Emule overnight and see how that works. Havent used it in a few weeks and im curious to see if its been affected by this problem as well.

[Auggie2k]

Check out the results with similar ISP users and report back to us. It is strange behavior alright. Has there been any noticable changes with your computer, software or hardware? Maybe are there loose or damaged cables, modems, aerials? Just trying to cover all grounds here.

[cannonball13]

Yeah Im going to try and get results from other users on the same ISP, but it might be a little tricky since im not really a local and dont know many people here.

There have been no hardware or software changes, and I had the guy from the cable company come around earlier today and check the cables etc, and he gave the installation a clean bill of health.

I'll keep you guys posted as I get any new information, though it might not be until after the weekend.
Thanks again!

[Greylin]

Have you tried changing the ports on your BT client? I also think that if you had downloaded at around 200kB/s for a while and then it dropped it could be because of the peers that you are connecting to now have less upload bandwith than the ones you connected to in the past. Just a thought.

[cannonball13]

Ive tried various random ports with no luck.

I'd agree with you on the peers if it wasnt for the other factors. That is 1)the way the connection died, and 2) the fact that even if i let the downloads run slowly it makes the internet connection unusable.

Besides, ive tried so many different torrents and left them running for so long, you'd think at least one of them would go over 20k!

Nah, it seems like more of a 'connection' issue. Im reaching here since Im not too tech savvy when it comes to the inner workings of the BT protocol, but I think either im having trouble connecting to peers, or the connection to them drops when I try to transfer data.

[boogiedan]

cHECK DIS..
Im on NTL BBand in the UK
was on 1meg sevice
then basically they sent over last 2 months 2(i have 2 say ignorned em) 2 Letter..
basically they cut off mi connection for 6 days solid
then they send an Engineer round to my house 2 fit a new modem etc..
Basically they FORCED me on to the 512k Service because of my constant high d/l u/l addiction
anyhows check dis..
i run Bitcomet 0.6 yeah an untill they dropped me i was gettin amazing speed's
right now anyhow's im same cant get above 20 or 30kMAX tried all LAST U GOTTA CHEK THIS>>
no bull every hour or even less my connection just drop's DEAD...
Then i have to turn off pc fully wait 2 mins -unplug modem, wait 30sec's -plug back in THEN..
boot up xp again to even surf a webpage never mind torrenting(ive noticed approx120meg i get then DEAD!
Pls has any1 else had this with NTL uk ..
Also is there anyway around this...
am i right thinking they've Capped me(is that the word or wotever)
cheer's all

[shawners]

Try making your upload speed set for 20kbs even if your getting 6kbs upload, make sure its set correctly and change your ports to above 30000, and set arange of 20ports open for your router. and make sure your client.exe has access to the net.. ANd keep away from public torrent sites, speeds will always be up and down since people drop soon as the file finishes.