So you want faster downloads…
So you are already set up on uTorrent but it’s taking ages to download.
You are now ready for
THE NEXT LEVEL
It looks like this:
There are a number of tips and tweaks to speed up uTorrent which are listed here. You should definitely adjust the bandwidth settings as suggested by the Speed Guide tests.
However, by far and away the most effective tweak, IMHO, is Port Forwarding.
PORT FORWARDING
Easier than it looks and you will feel like an IT hero when you are done…
Complete instructions for Port Forwarding with, for example, a Linksys WAG160N router are here.
Instructions for tweaking your particular router are here.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL STEP
In addition to the step above, you need to go to your Router’s Firewall settings and uncheck “Block Anonymous Internet Requests.”
Just about everything coming into your uTorrent is an anonymous internet request. Leaving this checked will really slow it down.
New routers come with this checked as a default. So those upgrading their routers typically find their download speeds are killed until they discover this little box and uncheck it.
As long as you have a proper firewall there is no security risk of doing this.
If you do not have a firewall for crying out loud install one NOW (Eg: Comodo).
STILL SLOW?
By now you are probably wondering if your Internet Service Provider is ripping you off with some lousy bandwidth allocation. The easiest way to test that is here: Speedtest.net.
This great site will also let you compare your results to other providers.
Check out these global stats. According to this, at 8.6Mbps my download rate is pretty good for Singapore but pretty poor globally. My upload speeds are almost non-existant.
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