I am running Limewire 4.0.8 PRO on Win XP SP2, and I have a 512/128k ADSL connection and I am behind a router with the required ports forwarded. I also have Force IP on. Now my problem is that sometimes when I start Limewire and go to the connection tab, I appear as a Leaf node, and other times I appear as an Ultrapeer. Why am I not an Ultrapeer 100% of the time? No network or software configuration changes have been made between each run of the program.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

LW makes you an Ultrapeer when you have a connection status that LW deems good enough to uphold that status. Namely, you're an Ultrapeer whenever you have a Turbocharged connection.
That is because an Ultrapeer is someone who will devote a small portion of bandwidth (I think that because of that reason, only broadband users may use this feature) to help people who haven't got a good connection to the Gnutella network. If you were an Ultrapeer with a Poor connection status, you wouldn't be the only one to suffer: all those leafs that would be connected (or would be trying to connect) to you would also suffer.
Sooooo, that is why you cna't maintain Ultrapeer mode all the time (unless your connection always is turbocharged)

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iMac G4 OSX 10.3.9
RAM 256MB
LW 4.10.5 Basic
ADSL anything from 3 to 8Mbps/around 1024kbps

"Raise your can of Beer on high
And seal your fate forever
Our best years have passed us by
The Golden Age Of Leather"
-Blue Öyster Cult-

also, if you have a lot of uploads and downloads when starting up, LW will figure you can operate best as a leaf. Once those bandwidth demands are lessened, LW will probably decide the time is right to operate as an Ultrapeer.

So, watch what is happening with your bandwidth to see why sometimes it's best to operate as a leaf, sometimes best as and Ultrapeer.

No good... I am always Turbocharged, even as a Leaf, and my network conditions (including traffic) as Leaf aren't any different from when I am an Ultrapeer. I have tried connecting when there is Zero traffic on my internet connection and still only sometimes do I get to Ultrapeer.

Interesting.
I'd guess there's another factor that also determines ultrapeer status (like other faster/persistent ultrapeers with available slots in your node?).

Actually, you shouldn't see much difference as far as searching, uploading, or downloading when in leaf mode. With 128 kbits (16Kbytes) of upstream bandwidth, it's probably better to run as a leaf, since an Ultrapeer can use 7 or more KB/s just in gnutella traffic.

btw--the tools->statistics is the best way to see LW's bandwidth use

I think the length of your connections are also a factor. If you tend to stay connected for long periods of time you are more likely to be an ultrapeer.

Norm

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I feel a lot more like I do now then I did before.

That's something else I've noticed: Sometimes when I originally connect as a leaf, I come back a while later (not sure how long exactly, never bothered to test it) and I am an Ultrapeer...

That's normal: LW will (at least for the vast majority of cases) establish a better connection to the Gnutella network as more time passes by. It will connect to more "reliable" peers (that seem to be able to stay connected for a while). If it has enough connections to establish you as Ultrapeer, then it will. That's that. I think...

__________________
iMac G4 OSX 10.3.9
RAM 256MB
LW 4.10.5 Basic
ADSL anything from 3 to 8Mbps/around 1024kbps

"Raise your can of Beer on high
And seal your fate forever
Our best years have passed us by
The Golden Age Of Leather"
-Blue Öyster Cult-

After two hours of being connected to the LimeWire network, my client switched from being a Leaf node to an Ultrapeer. I just need to connect for longer...

stats:
same machine, same os, dual boot rather than user accounts, same firewall, ip blocker, same java, everything i can think of is the same!!!! making me nuts!!!!
on my side, when i finally got the port forwarding right in the firewall, lw will consistently be an ultrapeer instantly all day.
on mom n dads side, its not downloading a thing, only sharing (the same paths) and (trying to be) ultrapeering...
now im thinking... its gonna be a real pain in the *** to look this up but... maybe i have different services &/or network components en/disabled.
the only thing i can think of thats different on their side is that its booting off a different ide channel & has a slower drive rpm....tcp/ip settings are the same, but i think ill double check....
ANY ideas are appreciated- ive vowed not to go to sleep till i get it....lol