Help with my router....

[MGKyosuke]

Okay, I've been using BT mostly to see Naruto Fansubs.....but my download times have been less than stelar. Apparently I have to access my router settings and open certain ports. Can someone please help me? Now at the moment, I'm not even sure as to what a router is or if it's different than my modem. How do I access the settings to my router? Do I have a router? What ports do I have to open? Help!

[stos289]

Ok, a router is a device in which it connects two or more computers to a local access network (LAN), thus allowing computers all around a household to connect to the internet through the 56k/dsl/cable modem wirelesly. It also allows the transfer of files between computers and allows freedom to access the internet anywhere. In a router, there is a bulit-in firewall. A firewall is a program which protects a network from outside invaders (hackers). A firewall contains many ports in which different information is passed through. When a router recieves a "message" it checks for any possible threats, and then directs it to the modem. This process causes a longer delay because of the extra precaution. In Bittorrent, the ports 6881 to 6999 are used. To allow the the transfer of information in Bittorrent to increase in speed, you must perform a process known as "Port Forwarding." What this does is it allows all information used by Bittorrent to go directly to the cable modem, and not pass the router first. This allows the download rate of information to increase. This is a basic explanation of networking.

Okay, to find out if you have a router, check if you have a computer in which can access the internet wirelesly. If you do, you most likely have a router, To further confirm this go to "run" on your computer and then type in "cmd" (without the quotes). Once you have the DOS Prompt, type in "ipconfig/all" (again without the quotes). If you see that both of your computers have the same ip address, then you most certainly have a router. Now for the Port Forwarding part. If you could tell me what type of router you have (Linksys, D-Link, etc.) and the model number of the router, I can give you a step by step guide on port forwarding. Hope I could help.

[MGKyosuke]

That definently helps, but I don't think I have a router. I've only got 1 computer and it's not hooked up to the internet wirelessly. I've got what I'm told is a 'splitter'. Lol, the CAT 5 cable goes from my Laptop to it and then the phone line goes from the 'splitter' to the wall jack. I know how to foreward ports through my Windows XP Firewall. Will that have the same effect? But that only lets me foreward one port at a time. Am I going to have to sit there and foreward 100+ ports individually? Lol, that doesn't sound all too exciting.

**I forewarded about 30 of these, but my download rate still doesn't excede 10kB/s. It's even a popular hit. Naruto Ep. 90**

[stos289]

Well, since you don't have a router, the only way to make it faster would be to port forward your XP firewall (like you said). You don't have to to port forward all the ports for Bittorrent. Just port forward 6881 to 6889, those were the orginal ports Bittorrent used untill the range got extended. Another porobem could be the client your using. If you are using a client like Bittornado or Azuerues, make sure that you have the upload rate at maximum. The higher the upload rate, the higher the download rate. That's pretty much all you can do to increase the download speed of highly seeded file. If you have a 56k/DSL, that's pretty much the speeds your going to get. Hope I could help.

P.S: Another big problem is your splitter. I'm guessing that you have a 56k/DSL and are splitting your internet connection with your telphone line. This will also cause Bittorrent (and your computer) to slow down because of the sharing of connection. There is nothing you can do about that.

[MGKyosuke]

Yeah, I'm on DSL. But the the splitter's not ....er...splitting the connection with the telephone line and the computer, just the computer. Just the CAT 5 to the PC, and the phone line to the wall. IF I wanted to open more (All?) the ports individually, would it increase download times? And, yes, I'm on BitTornado. I raise the upload rate to the maximum? Won't that slow anything down?

**EDIT** I never had the upload rate at the maximum before. What about the Max Uploads? Do I touch that?

[stos289]

Well, I'm not really familiar with Bittornado, but if you look at the faq at this (http://bittornado.com/faq.html) page, it should answer your question. For the firewall question, I doubt you would see a significant increase in speed if you port forwarded all of them. Hope I could help.

[MGKyosuke]

Yeah, you did but I was hoping for even higher download rates. 30 kB/s at lease :\

What's a proxy server? My color never goes past yellow and it says if it doesn't, I may be behind one. Is there any way to find out if I am? Is there any way to fix it? i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif

[stos289]

If you look at this (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/p/proxy_server.html) site, it should clear up on what a proxy server is. I don't believe there is realy anyway you can configure your proxy server. Sorry about that.

[MGKyosuke]

NYAH! I have no way to to explain this! I opened ports 6881-6921 and raised my upload rate to the maximum as you recommended. But my download rate is at 2-3kB/s! And it's Ep. 91 of Naruto! That should have plenty of seeds.....i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif

[stos289]

You are sure you don't have any other kind of firewall that your ISP provides? If you don't, then I don't know what to say. The main probelm is probably because of that splitter. Its causing a major decrase in speed for your computer, and Bittorrent itself. You can't do anything about that though. Sorry I couldn't help.

[MGKyosuke]

Well, I don't know if I have any other firewall up. Is there any way to find out?

[stos289]

Well, you could check under "Program Files" and see if you have a software firewall like Norton, McAffe, or Zonealarm. If you don't have another software firewall, then I believe there is nothing else you can do. Hope I could help.

[MGKyosuke]

I've got Norton Antivirus, but I don't know if that comes with a firewall or how to modify it if it does. :\

[LeCKeY]

First change the port that you use for transfurs it might be black listed by the isp second turn off your windows firewall in network connections forward the new ports and you should be ok....

[MGKyosuke]

Okay, what? i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif

Explain this in slow, ardeous detail:

First change the port that you use for transfurs it might be black listed by the isp. What kind of transfers? Black listed by my ISP?

Lol, I'm slow.

[stos289]

Well, if you look at the explanation here (http://azureus.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/PortIsBlacklisted), it should clear it up. I'm not sure how you change the listening ports in Bittornado, so if you don't know how, then I suggest you change to Azureus and do what it says there. This may not solve your problem but it couldn't hurt to try. If you need the site for Azureus, here (http://azureus.sourceforge.net/) it is. If you need anything else, just post and I'll help.

[MGKyosuke]

Okay, I installed Azureus and did what the FAQish thing told me to. But the problem returns to port forewarding. I imputted the new I wanted it to use which was between 49152 and 65535. I opened the port I chose through my Windows XP Firewall, but it still read NAT Error. Nyah! Is it not reading that I foreward these ports? Is it possible that I have another firewall? In progam flies all I see that possibly resembeles one is Norton Antivirus. Is there one built in there? There's got to be some explanation for this...

[stos289]

You are absolutly, positively sure you don't have a router? If you go to Control Panel, and then go to Network Connections, there is no Local Area Connection or anything? You probably have a router and you just don't know it. Get back to me with that and I'll see what I can do.

[MGKyosuke]

Yeah, there's a Local Area Connection.

And thanks for the help you've given me. ^^

[stos289]

Ok, I'm going to have to walk you through on how to find out what type of router you have and how to port forward. If you could contact me on AIM, my screename is stos289. Talk to me there, and I'll see what I can do.