How to Speed Up Torrent Downloads
BitTorrents are a type of file sharing medium, allowing users to connect to other users and download pieces of a file directly from other uses. It has largely replaced other peer to peer services, such as the old Napster and Kazaa as the choice method of sharing and downloading files anonymously. BitTorrents are often used to share very large amounts of data, so finding ways to increase download speed is important to limit wait time before data can be utilized.
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Instructions
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Use a good bittorrent client. Bittorrents require the use of bittorrent client program in order to run the torrent files, and not all bittorrent clients are created equal. Testing a few different clients can help you find the one that works best for your computer. µTorrent, BitComet, BitTornado and Azureus are some popular clients.
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Maximize your bittorrent client's settings for download speed. A bittorrent client will have preference setting where the user can set things like maximum download speed, maximum upload speed, and number of simultaneous uploads and downloads. By limiting the amount of bandwidth you commit to uploading, you can achieve better download speeds.
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Stop other processes on your network that are hogging bandwidth. If you use a LAN or wireless network to connect to the internet, make sure other computers on the LAN are not downloading or uploading large files, which will slow down the network. If you use wireless, make sure your computer is getting a good signal--for laptops move to an area close to your router or with less obstruction between you and your internet source.
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Use a bittorrent accelerator program. Bittorrent accelerators are extra programs that facilitate faster download speeds by connecting to more peers faster, or downloading multiple portions of a file from the same peer. Bittorrent Download Accelerator is one popular program, which works with many of the more popular bittorrent clients.
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Get a faster Internet connection. If your internet connection itself is slow, there's no way to increase your bittorrent download speed beyond the maximum amount that your connection will allow. If you use a 56 modem, upgrade to DSL or cable, and if you currently use DSL or cable, look into a service with higher megabits per second in download speeds. Competition between data transfer services often means you can save money by switching to a better service, since they often offer very good promotional deals.
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Tips & Warnings
Bittorrents are often used as a fairly anonymous way to illegally share copyrighted files over the internet. Be warned that bittorrents are not immune to being tracked, and are best used to share large freeware files.
