FAQ Downloads are slow although my internet connection is fast

[Silas Mariusz]

Symptoms

• A torrent downloads much more slowly than your internet connection allows.

Cause
Rtorrent 16 does not limit speed unless you set a limit. A torrent downloads only as fast as its peers can send data. Its speed depends on how many seeders it reaches and how quickly they upload. A closed port prevents connections to peers that cannot accept incoming connections themselves.


Resolution

1. Check the torrent's sources. In Quick access, each row shows how many seeders you are connected to and how many the tracker reports, for example 45/186. If the tracker reports only a few seeders, no setting will make the torrent faster.
   
   
2. Check the port. Open Network & NAT and press Check TCP port. The card should read IPv4 TCP port … open. If it reads not reachable, forward that port on your router to the NAS.
   
   
3. Check the speed limits. At the top of Quick access, the line under Download and Upload reads unlimited or limit …. Click the displayed speed to change the limit.
   
   
4. Test the link and disk. Open Performance, select Link and disk under What to test, then press Run test. The result shows the measured speeds of the link and disk and proposes settings. The test changes nothing until you apply a proposal.

Notice & Advise

• When you switch on Turtle mode on the Dashboard, its lower limits apply.
• With a VPN, peers can reach you only through a port provided by the VPN. Forwarding a port on your router does not open that port.

Ref. links:
Rtorrent 16 guide: Ports