felix--you're right that the network prefers those with high uptimes, rather than those who just jump on and off the network.

Your ISP should have a "usage" page for your account, so check with the help desk on getting access to it. Mine usually updates a day later, but it's still better than relying on LW's options->statistics->bandwidth.

The ISP data is the best way to monitor your bandwidth, since that's what they would use to decide if you are exceeding their monthly 'limits.'

Once you can see the patterns, you'll be able to adjust your shares/upload slots accordingly