Dropping Internet connection only when B/T'ing

[iggleart]

I've been B/T'ing for a number of years now, via Comcast and an RCA Model DCM235 Cable Modem. At times I ran as many as 9 torrents at a time (rare), more typically 1 to 3 simultanously, with no problems and could leave them open for days on end padding my ratio.

About 2 years ago, I installed a Netgear 108Mbps Wireless Firewall Router WTG624 v2, did the port forwarding (6881-6889) got out from behind the firewall, running BitTorrent T-0.3.7 (Bit Tornado), and still had no problems for another year.

Without changing anything to my knowledge, around 1 year ago I started sporadically dropping my internet connection almost everytime I joined a torrent. However, I only dropped connection if I joined in a torrent. My speeds (particularly download) stayed quite fast, but my U/P speeds since then have remained pretty low. Occasionally, I can stay connected continously until the D/L completes, but this is the rare exception. I usually have to re-boot the cable modem and wireless router alot during the torrent, until the download is complete. Again, I only lose the connection when I join a torrent. I never lose connection if B/T is not runing.

Besides the hassle of having to reboot the moden and router all the time, this issue is also making it darn near impossible to keep my ratio from dropping. I can't just leave a torrent run and walk away and I let it seed all night or while I'm at work all day. In less than an hour, it'll drop the connection and just sit idle until I return to reboot everything.

Any one have any thoughts on what may be causing this connection drop, or what I can do to stop it?

Thanks in advance for any advice

[U2Lynne]

Have you tried to cap your upload so it doesn't get maxed out?

Try limiting the number of peer connections in BitTornado (Prefs>Advanced>Max Peer Connections set to 20 or 30) My connection used to drop all the time, and since I have limited the peer connections, it hardly ever drops. Also try updating your router's firmware and updating to the latest BitTornado (3.18) www.bittornado.com 3.18 has encryption capability which I've heard fights Comcast's attempts to limit bittorrent activity, particularly uploading after completing a torrent.

[katnapz]

Not sure how much of a hassle this would be to do depending on the location of your router, but without changing anything else, try going wired for a period of time (sounds like you'd only have to do it for an hour or two). Doing just this would test a number of theories that will be posted here, and you could then narrow things down for people to advise you on.
BTW, if you do this, turn the wireless capability in the router OFF during the testing period.

If you use Windows, and depending on how well you understand to set up the built in firewall, you could even (for a short test period) hook your computer straight up to the modem (taking the router out of the picture completely) and see what happens. (Again, without changing anything else)

Both of the above suggestions would probably wipe out 90% of the potiential theories that we'll all tell you to check. Since your problem seems pretty easy for you to replicate, either would seem to be a pretty quick test to do.

[KoolKat]

Also maybe
Start>Control Panel>System>Hardware>Device Manager
Now scroll down to Network adapter and double click.
>Click the Power Managment tab and make sure the box is unticked for turning off to save power>OK
Then
Scroll down to USB Serial Bus Controllers>Expand & do the same as above for the USB Root Hubs.

The 2nd thing i said is probably not it being that you are cable ,but you should have them unticked anyway...it will stop other problems that you may not have yet.So that's a freebie...hehe

K_K

[mooncusser]

You're also using standard ports (6881-6889). ISPs have figured out that they're used for torrenting. Change the port assignment in your client and the forwarding to use something else, say up in the 50,000+ range.

As suggested above, if your client has an encryption option, enable it. If not, switch to utorrent.

[iggleart]

Thanks everyone. I'll try these suggestions and let you know what happens.

Thanks Again.
Iggleart