[jerry1970]

It's all down to the slowest link in the chain: PC, connection from PC to router (ie. your network card), connection from router to ISP (ie. your modem and subscription), ISP, connection from ISP to larger network. Of course, for a single torrent, it also depends on how many people are up- and downloading.

The things to check are the network card and your subscription, although a network card of even a few years old probably is still fast enough.

I am on cable, and I have a maximum of 2Mb/s download and 500 Kb/s upload. Interesting comparison, by the way: I pay 30 euros / 40 dollars per month for that. How does that compare to other parts of the world? I am in Holland.