Torrents start off nicely and then slow down to a crawl -- just started happening out of the blue

pky2016

This just started to happen (maybe a week ago or so.) When I try to download a torrent, it starts off nicely at about 100-200 kB/s but then slows down to a crawl, something like 1.2 kB/s or even less in about 10 seconds and stays that way.

I'm using uTorrent 3.2.1 in a VM running Windows 7. I use PIA as a paid VPN service.

I want to point out that I haven't changed anything in this configuration (it runs in a VM, I don't use it for anything other than torrents.)

I tried opening the port used in uTorrent for TCP and UDP in Windows Firewall (although it used to work just fine without me doing it.) I then tried rebooting the VM. The same story... I then went and started a download for one of the recent movies with thousands of seeders. Those usually go very fast. That didn't help to retain fast download speed as it used to do before.

Moreover, I have a second VPN service (from a competitor) and the same story seems to happen there as well.

Any idea what's going on? Can my VPN somehow block it? I'm lost....

rden

Had same thing, also while downloading at under 1k (on a 1 gig connection) even the web browser wouldn't respond.

The trick is to reduce the global maximum number of connections
Preferences -> Bandwidth
Global maximum number of connections:
Maximum number of connected peers per torrent:

I set mine to 50/25 respectively (waaaay less than the default 500/100) with only 1 torrent active at a time - it lifted my d/l rate from under 1k (effectively zero) up to 300k - 1MB.
Play round with the numbers to suit - not too high.  The speed does go up and down a lot but overall 1000 X  faster.  I'm still fiddling the numbers, but so far 50/25 ain't bad.

Theory is something like: PIA and/or your router and/or your computer, trying to keep track of 500 people yelling down a little pipe is already hard enough, on top of that some that start whispering / stuttering and the whole thing backs up even more: those are the ones that really kill the throughput (still happens even with the reduced numbers - but the effect is less and shorter - percentages game).

BTW: I'm also running Simple DNSCrypt - supposed to help with ISP detecting torrent traffic and throttling it - whatever, doesn't seem to hurt traffic any so I'll leave it on.

nikigmi

Boys, this is the desired download speed....

Incredible_Hulk

All I wanted to do was rush to watch the file I hade waited a lifetime to downloaded just now, but I know how frustrated I was searching for answers and getting nowhere.  Just screaming at my file download GOOOO! GOOOO!!!  #!$%  **$$÷ and %=#$!!!.  You get the picture.  So I decided to take the time to make an account sign up, password, username, email address blah bla blah. Then type this on my phone with my large sausage fingers.  Hope it's wirth it, hope it helps you.

I've had the same prob. Using Flud on my Android.  Downloads at 300-600 kb/sec. Right up to 99.5% of the file downloaded.  Then it plummets alllll theeee wayyyy downnn toooo a crawwwllll......  4kb/sec.

I closed all apps and restarted my phone.  And then.... Drum roll please.  Wallah!  Back in business.  Speeds back up to 500k+.

sneazzy95

If you download all these files at the same time, it will take a lifetime to be downloaded 
I suggest you to download one or two files at a time.

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