kalg1975
@grouptelecom.net
| Sympatico throttling Bit Torrents now???
Greetings all,
I have been using a bit torrent client for some time now to download. I have never had any issues with download speeds in the almost 8 yrs I have been with sympatico. I was regualrly getting download speeds of well over 100 kb/s.
However, starting on the Sept long weekend, all of my torrent downloads have been essentially capped. The speeds never exceed 30 kb/s. I have tried several different torrent clients to see if this was the issue, and found it was the same for all. I have even tried the enhanced security settings to supposedly avoid ISP throttling and still nothing faster 30 kb/s. This is occuring on all torretns as well...not just poorly seeded ones.
I have run speed tests and they all come out fine and downloading anything other than torrents occurs at normal speeds.
Other ISP's (noteably Rogers) is known to throttle back torrent downloads, claiming bandwidth reasons (which to anyone who knows anything about it, is a crock), I am just wondering if others are experiencing the same issues.
I have placed a few calls to tech support, and couldnt even get someone who knew what a torrent was!!!
Thanks in advance for any help on this folks. |
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Jorge23
join:2007-09-11
Toronto
| No, Bell isn't throttling your torrents. I'm downloading them at great rates. Is it possible that they're throttling your torrents specifically? Maybe, but highly unlikely. Depending on what bit torrent client you're using and if you have a firewall/router installed, you will need to open up some new ports.
If you have a software firewall installed, make sure that your bit torrent is allowed in the application settings. If you're by chance using any version of Zone Alarm, that's most likely your problem right there. Uninstall it and get another firewall. Comodo and Outpost are other good ones. If you have Vista, Pc Tools Firwall Plus is also good. All of them are free.
If you have a router hooked up separately or if it comes with your Bell modem, you'll need to follow the instructions here Port forwarding and open up the ports to your bit client.
Bell techs aren't going to help you speed up your torrents, this is something you'll have to figure out on your own. |
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kalg1975
@grouptelecom.net
| Thanks for the reply.
Like I mentioned I have been using the same exact setup for years now, same OS, same router, same modems, same torrent client with the same setup but suddenly, over the labour day long weekend, my download rates just tanked...and no matter what changes I have tried, nothing seems to be able to get above the 30kb/s.
I have tried several different clients, and ports and port configurations, etc, etc etc. All the "how to's" I have been able to get a hold of. I finally spoke to someone at bell who had an idea of what I was talking about, and yup, they don't throttle anything, so that is one thing ruled out.
Thanks just the same for the reply  I will have to play around a bit more I suppose |
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Deadpool
Go Sens Go
Premium,VIP
join:2001-03-29
Canada | You also have to consider that other ISP's throttle now, so the seeders you're downloading from may be with those respective ISP's, which would cause you to have crappy torrents.
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New season starts October 3rd - GO SENS GO |
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Jorge23
join:2007-09-11
Toronto
| reply to kalg1975
I guess it's something else then, are you sure you didn't install or download any new software?
If you can find the locations of the peers in your bit client and they're all from local locations, something is definitely wrong with your ports. There should be a mix of remote/local locations.
I know there's a slim chance this works, but it's worth a try, restore your computer to a date a little before the problem appeared using system restore. If you haven't installed any new software since then, you won't lose anything. |
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Jorge23
join:2007-09-11
Toronto
| reply to Deadpool
Wouldn't that be more of a gradual thing though? Watching your torrent speeds diminish a little over time if that were the case. For him to be getting max speeds one day and then having it slow down to a halt the next, to me that's a sign that something is directly effecting his downloads. |
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PostAndRun
@bell.ca
| reply to kalg1975
Kalg,
I too have been dicking around with settings since the long weekend, figuring that it was utorrent settings or poor trackers or seeds etc. Now I know I am not alone and realize that I have been wasting precious time. 30 is the speed I am seeing as well. Coincidence that we both have those dl speeds? I think not.
Time to complain or switch to someone else.
Thanks for your post. I just stumbled into this forum by chance, and I'm glad that I did.
Cheers. |
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Prelude76
join:2007-08-30
Barrie, ON
| I dont know why everyone says 'no they dont throttle' like they know the inner working of Bell, when I myself got that magical 30kb/s limit.
That's why I left Bell in first place.
exact same torrents, same trackers, same utorrent settings, used to be fast on Bell, then dropped to 30kbs, and now that I'm on teksavvy, they are fast once again.
so Kalg, you're not alone. perhaps they are throttling only certain users or certain areas, but there definitely is throttling going on.
But this thread will get locked and forgotten just like all the other 'Bell is throttling my torrents' threads. |
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kalg1975
@bell.ca
| Wow, ok well its good to know that i am not going completely nuts. I greatly appreciate all the replies.
I am hesitant to blame other seeders or locations of those seeders. These are very popular files I am trying to download with thousands of seeders. But again, that is not the troubling fact, it was that one day...200 kb/s, next day 30...and never any faster.
I tried the restore as well Jorge, as I was grasping at straws as I had literally installed nothing new in months (with the exception of Microsoft updates) and even after the restore same thing.
I am not trying to cook up a conspiracy or anything, just found it odd that no matter what I did...30 always came up the magic number on several different torrent clients (utorrent, azerus, bit torrent, etc).
Alas, thanks all for the input, it is greatly appreciated. |
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kalg1975
@bell.ca
| Oh one other question, to the two folks that mentioned the same problem (if you happen upon this thread again) what area of the country are you in...myself I am in ottawa, S end...just curious if perhaps it is a localized event.
Thanks again. |
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TSI Martin
Bilingual Tech Support
Premium
join:2006-02-23
Chatham, ON | you are using something to protect you (peerguardian) right... you wouldn't want to get swampped for nothing would you? |
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Reimer
join:2006-08-14
Toronto, ON
| reply to Prelude76
said by Prelude76  :I dont know why everyone says 'no they dont throttle' like they know the inner working of Bell, when I myself got that magical 30kb/s limit. That's why I left Bell in first place. exact same torrents, same trackers, same utorrent settings, used to be fast on Bell, then dropped to 30kbs, and now that I'm on teksavvy, they are fast once again. so Kalg, you're not alone. perhaps they are throttling only certain users or certain areas, but there definitely is throttling going on. But this thread will get locked and forgotten just like all the other 'Bell is throttling my torrents' threads. I don't really know whether Bell is actually throttling or not since I've experienced no such thing on my own line and I'm a fairly heavy user.
But you can't compare a torrent on one day and then try the same torrent on another and say it's the same thing. It's not. |
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rizzler
join:2004-07-07
canada | I am also a very heavy torrent user...I havent had any problem with my torrents. I am on a private torrent site..invites only and always have the same speed. |
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Prelude76
join:2007-08-30
Barrie, ON
1 edit | i realize torrent speeds go up and down, depending on the day, on phase of moon, whatever. But when some torrents like EZTV torrents on mininova with 1,000+ seeds stop at 30kb/s on the dot for days (while my uploades where still normal, in 80 to 90 range), something fishy was definitely going on. I tried different ports, even throwing it on FTP port 25, and still no luck.
All I know is those same torrents came back to their full speeds after leaving Bell.
I'm in Barrie area, by the way.
I should note that our Bell Business at work running full tilt in uTorrent, 350+ kb/s. never slows down.
So something is going on, but it could be experimental, and perhaps on a user basis or area basis. |
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Glen1
These Are The Good Ol' Days.
Premium,MVM
join:2002-05-24
GTA Canada | Try using your Bell Business Internet ID at home and see if there is a difference. You will be able to log on as it is the same network. See if you are throttled then.
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My Canada includes Quebec. |
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Deadpool
Go Sens Go
Premium,VIP
join:2001-03-29
Canada
 ·Bell Sympatico
| reply to kalg1975
said by kalg1975 :
Oh one other question, to the two folks that mentioned the same problem (if you happen upon this thread again) what area of the country are you in...myself I am in ottawa, S end...just curious if perhaps it is a localized event.
Thanks again.
I'm in Ottawa as well and I was downloading at 520 kBps last night.
--
New season starts October 3rd - GO SENS GO |
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kalg1975
@grouptelecom.net
| reply to Glen1
Morning All,
8 years with Sympatico, and I was never aware I even had a Bell Buisness Interenet ID. I will have to hunt that down.
At this point I would settle for an honest answer from bell really. Again, not trying to be an alarmist or anything, and I know the default position on tech help boards for someone with an uncommon problem is that they must be doing something wrong.
However, in this case, as I have said NOTHING changed...just the day. I have been downloading torrents for years, never had any issues and no I don't think bell is targetting me specifically, however it simply appears like there is a cap at 30 kb/s.
However since I appear to be in the vast minority on this one, and bell is denying that any throttling is going on (which still is a possibility) I think I am hosed...and I just committed to a new contract too...brilliant. |
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Glen1
These Are The Good Ol' Days.
Premium,MVM
join:2002-05-24
GTA Canada
·Bell Sympatico
| There obviously are different types of Business services, I am assuming you are on a PPPoE based service. That would enable you to troubleshoot whether the issue is on your line or associated with the user ID or IP assigned. Keep track of the assigned IP before you disconnect with the Sympatico IP and see if it changes when you use the Business ID. I have used Teksavvy test IDs, in the past, to try to find an issue on my line. I would get a completely different IP with the Teksavvy Id on my line at home...just a few ideas to assist. You could also go into the newest forum and ask for "one on one" help. PM me for "what to ask".
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My Canada includes Quebec. |
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rescin
@bell.ca | reply to kalg1975
Yup, they're throttling BT, (occurs for me from 5pm-midnight). I doubt anyone is going to publicly admit it though. I'm leaving in a few weeks over to TekSav.
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jpabboud
join:2005-12-12
Montreal, QC
1 edit | reply to Deadpool
said by Deadpool :I'm in Ottawa as well and I was downloading at 520 kBps last night. Maybe we need to put those rumors to rest, can someone setup a tracker with say a 100 Meg file to download ?
We could post it here and all the users on DSLR could seed (at near the max upload speed) during those hours. |
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