That AOL firewall may be the reason. See if you can set exceptions in it and if you can, use one for your BT client. Do you pay extra for the AOL firewall? Windows XP has a built in firewall that you can set exceptions for (Start > Control Panel > Windows Firewall > Exceptions > make sure your BT client is in the list and checked). It might be best to disable the AOL firewall and just use the Windows XP firewall. Also use a port(s) between 50,000 and 60,000 and use a client with encryption so your ISP doesn't throttle/limit you. As for letting others seduce your PC, you should be OK if you run up to date Antivirus (Avast is a good free one) and Antispyware (Spybot search and destroy is a good free one) programs and scan regularly.