The link below may be of some help in explaining what an ultrapeer is and if you have a slow connection the odds are you will not connect as an UP. The only advantage I have seen to running as an UP is search results not speed.

The second question may be that you are using your system cash to store data before it is transfered to your hard drive. The spikes you see may be when it is emptying the cash to the hard drive.

__________________










A little common sense goes a long way

Later Grandpa