Leggo my torrento

November 4, 2008 10:02 PM

Why have my torrent downloads suddenly stopped? Is it my ISP? If yes, are they allowed to do that?

So I was about 70 percent into a large torrent download when my download cut out. I recently switched to utorrent 1.8.1. I used to use BitTornado all the time on the same computer/isp so I tried downloading some torrents using bittornado again. No dice. uTorrent shows lots of available peers (200+). It connects to none.

This doesn't seem like a throttling, but a complete pulling of the torrent plug. Yes, I read this question. I don't see how it could be my router because I had no problems until the other day, when it just stopped cold. Internet is working fine otherwise.

I have an "unlimited" plan from a local, smallfry isp in a small, isolated Canadian community. Can they legally block my service in this way if that is what is happening? I can't see it being anything else.

And yes, I see the irony in asking if I have legal recourse when, in all probability, I'm illegally downloading files.

posted by Brodiggitty to computers & internet (16 comments total)

Where were you downloading the torrent from? Because some sites block certain torrent clients, particularly with utorrent.
posted by puke & cry at 10:14 PM on November 4, 2008

some sites block certain torrent clients

Bit Tornado worked last week and utorrent worked until I hit 70%. Now both have suddenly stopped. I don't think that could be the problem. I can't see thepiratebay.org blocking anything, but correct me if I'm wrong.
posted by Brodiggitty at 10:22 PM on November 4, 2008

What's your download/upload ratio at the tracker? Some sites will block leechers as well as some clients by default because they allow users to report false upload statistics. Are you running the most recent version of utorrent?

If that's all fine, you could always call your ISP, tell them you were downloading a linux ISO via bitorrent (perfectly legal) but it stopped working and did they have anything to do with it? If they did block you, they already know about your use, and if not, you aren't admitting to doing anything wrong.
posted by bizwank at 10:26 PM on November 4, 2008

Your ISP can do anything they put in their terms and conditions. There's probably a clause in there somewhere that says "we reserve the right to cancel your service for any reason whatsoever" or somesuch.

Try using a different port.
posted by Solomon at 10:28 PM on November 4, 2008

Yeah, I would try switching ports.
posted by puke & cry at 10:30 PM on November 4, 2008

Switching ports could help if you're using the default bittorrent port, but I believe utorrent uses a random port each time. Do you have protocol encryption enabled in your client? Try allowing only encrypted connections ("forced"). Also, can you download anything at all through your connection (via http/ftp)? Maybe you hit some sort of unadvertised limit and were turned off. The ISP I worked at had an unlimited use policy, but the top ten downloaders each month still were told to curtail their usage or find another ISP. Probably something else you could find out by calling them.
posted by bizwank at 10:34 PM on November 4, 2008

utorrent only uses a random port if you specify it during setup.
posted by puke & cry at 10:37 PM on November 4, 2008

Does this work with other torrents? Try downloading Ubuntu, since I doubt they'd be banning uTorrent. Also, make sure you have your upspeed at an appropriate rate (80% of the amount you get at speedtest.net is usually appropriate). If it's really low, it could get you kicked out from some trackers.

Also, about the port. You wouldn't want to pick 6881-6999, even though the protocal suggests those ports. Those are the ports the ISPs look for. If you have UPNP on your router enabled (probably unsafe, but it's convenient), make sure it's enabled uTorrent's settings. If you don't have it enabled, open the port inside your router's settings. PortForward.com should explain the procedure if you don't know how.
posted by mccarty.tim at 10:57 PM on November 4, 2008

The thing is, a bunch of torrent sites banned older clients so even if it worked a week ago, you never know.
posted by puke & cry at 11:00 PM on November 4, 2008

PS: Also make sure any software firewalls (Windows' own, or any you installed) allow uTorrent to send traffic through.

After trying all that, if you're convinced your connection won't go through, say that you were trying to download Open Office or Ubuntu, and that you would like to know if they are throttling or banning bit torrent connections. You'll also know if it's about bandwidth if you call them.

Encryption is also worth trying. See the other comments.
posted by mccarty.tim at 11:02 PM on November 4, 2008

What OS are you using? I had a problem like this under Vista and it happend it be that Vista doesn't handle sparse files well. I went here to fix my problem.
posted by lilkeith07 at 11:29 PM on November 4, 2008

It rather depends on what ISP you're using. Check this list for known ISPs that throttle or block torrent traffic, though your small one may not be on the list - but does it get service from a larger upstream one? I know Bell has been nailed lately for throttling its wholesale DSL resellers' customers too.

One possible fix is to force protocol encryption and use non-standard ports, but that's a lot less successful than it used to be - the filtering (sandvine) equipment has got a lot cleverer, and some ISPs just filter all encrypted traffic now. Worth a punt though - piratebay and ubuntu servers don't enforce quotas or otherwise restrict client access, so it has to be your router or ISP.

One other option is to get an account with a private VPN torrent-friendly provider; that will prevent the ISP from seeing anything other than the VPN traffic itself, and VPNs are used too much in business to be throttled by most ISPs.

There's almost certainly something in the T&C that says they can block or degrade traffic that is 'harmful to the ISP or the experience of other users' - and most ISPs define as harmful any quantity of traffic that's more than a granny's web-browsing. Yes, it's misleading to advertise a connection package as unlimited when it really isn't - but most of them have a small note saying something like (terms and conditions apply) or (fair use policy enforced). Short of suing them for false advertising, there's not much you can do.
posted by ArkhanJG at 12:05 AM on November 5, 2008

Also try to downgrade utorrent - I know of a few trackers that are blocking 1.8.1, apparently they think there's a vulnerability in it. I don't know if they're correct, but the tracker you're using may think so.
posted by DreamerFi at 4:47 AM on November 5, 2008

ok, just woke up. I'm going to try some of these things and report back. utracker does have a random port option but it wasn't turned on. I'm using XP.

Wait- I just adjusted my bandwith allocation from med to high and i just connected to a seed.
I also randomized my port (15 minutes ago), but I'm pretty sure it was the bandwidth that was the problem. Wish I'd controlled my variables.
Thanks everybody!
posted by Brodiggitty at 6:57 AM on November 5, 2008

If none of the other great suggestions above work, a friend was able to get torrents working again by calling his ISP and acting clueless about why his VPN no longer worked (VPN being more arguable then torrents.)

He says they were blocking specific ports and the complaint got them to open them all.
posted by oblio_one at 8:47 AM on November 5, 2008

OK, This still isn't working if there is still anyone out there. I tried port forwarding. This changed a red "wrong way" sign at the bottom of my uTorrent window to a yellow caution sign. After doing the port test through uTorrent (Options>Speed guide> test port button), it still says the port is blocked. I'm using a port in the 16000s.

No Ubuntu won't download. No, it's not the firewall. No, I'm not using vista. I havn't tried downgrading utorrent but when BitTornado stopped working at the same time in the same way, I was pretty sure it wasn't the program.

I can still download tiny chunks of files. For instance, I set up a single song torrent to download the other night. 24 hours later I had 24.1% of a <4mb file. I'm also uploading the tiny chunks I do have. I'm occasionally connecting, but only to one person at a time. What would cause this?
posted by Brodiggitty at 8:52 PM on November 14, 2008