Tried the different ports (low and high) with no difference in speeds. I am basically stumped on this. Other programs work fine; such as multi player games, file downloads (non p2p) and general web browsing. I suppose the next thing to try would be a different p2p network, any suggestions? Obvioulsy I am not interested in a pay site since I am only testing here so please limit the suggestions to the basic / free ones. Thanks.

You can try another Gnutella client out to see if it has the same problems.
There's an issue if you're still getting a False bug test report for incoming. I don't know what it is but if you correctly configured your firewall & forwarded a port on your modem/router then it shouldn't give that report of False. Are you sure your XP FW is disabled?

Quote: "A not properly configured router explains the bad search results though. With OOB enabled servents deliver replies directly to the query originator -- and they get stuck at the router. The few results he receives come from legacy clients that do not support OOB."

And from Stief: "I'm guessing the same might apply to downloads, where the packets are dying at the router if the router doesn't support Universal Plug-and-Play, and the users have that option selected in their advanced setup."

I have a suspicion you will definitely need to forward a port. I do not understand why this should be an issue now & wasn't before. I gave instructions earlier I think on port forwarding.

My bug report now gives a 'true' reading, since I took out my router (earlier post) so that issue has already been pinned down in my case. I am still not using the router and wont use it until the source of my D/L problem is found. I again tried a re installation of lime wire; this time I totally wiped everything to do with it by using the uninstall that comes with the program, used Norton after that to wipe all lime wire files from my HDD and then used registry mechanic to wipe it from the registry. Upon a restart after that I down loaded and re installed the program and with fingers crossed gave it another go. Unfortunately my results have not changed.

Despite what the isp people from the front desk told you (often they don't know), there's a chance you're being filtered by a p2p filter program that targets p2p apps or specifically LW. This might not be the case but it would certainly explain your sudden turn around in fortunes using LW.

(Sorry I missed you earlier mentioning you had a True report to incoming.)

I'm a bit short on ideas now about what to try. The problem is only affecting your use of LW.

Is there any way around that, short of changing my ISP?

Just a thought, Is anyone that has the L/W Pro version having this problem? It was suggested to me that due to RIAA and similar agencies investigations into P2P networks that LW may be capping the free versions in an effort to get more people to pay for the premium version. Hope I am wrong but thought it should be asked.

The answer to what is causing the file transfer slowdown is easy, the fix may not be. The Internet is being flooded with bogus or false “HOSTS”. These ”hosts” are doing several things to disrupt P2P sharing, 1st is to flood net with false or corrupt files, (I’ve seen this myself, & will explain how later) 2nd is to position there “hosts” on the net in such a way that the P2P data flows though their server. In this way they are able identify those “addresses” sharing files and to slow down, miss direct, delay and interrupt data to those addresses. These false hosts must be well financed as I’ve found many operating from T1 and T3 connections, but also cable and DSL. I know that they are frauds because I was able to browse their shared files. These “hosts” often shared in excess of three thousand files. With many copies of the same titled song by the same artist with only minor variation in listing or the file size.

I learned this because for many years I’ve have been using WinMX.
WinMX doesn’t show the address where you’re getting the file from, just a screen name. But I could always ”browse” that person’s files list, and then decided if that is where I wanted to get the file. This method worked well for avoiding corrupt files. And once I started transferring a file, I got it. Be it several days later. Files often started to transfer at 40+k/s and would end days later at .6k/s. Also with WinMX you could see your bandwidth being flooded with static. Making file searches a waste of my time. Changing my port setting helped for a day or so, but when a week passed with no transfers either way, I switch to LineWire.

This was great, but for only a week or so. And with no other changes to my system my file transfer crashed. My system configuration is no slouch. I’m running XP Pro with sp2, with Zone Alarm (free) though a Linksys router to Verizon DSL tested to over 600k/s. I have 1gig of RAM and two 200 gigabits hard drives. When I first switched to LimeWire I was able to download four files simultaneously each at speeds exceeding 45k/s, Today I’m luckily if I can get one file at speeds exceeding 4k/s.

Two more things, My ISP is “Verizon DSL”. They refused to be bullied by the file sharing Gestapo, so when ordered to hand over clients names. They went to court and won. So then I was told that Verizon doesn’t filter their service. I believe. Also I learned this from a source that I trust.

Lastly, I believe that the bogus “hosts” are masking their addresses. This is just an observation in an area I’m not well versed in. However when I checked the addresses of forty some files. I observed every address was different, BUT the extension was almost always the same. (Nine time out of ten) (204.95.128.6:6349 - 68.6.219.47:6349 - 24.210.88.77:6349 – xxx.xx.xxx.xx:6349 – 172.155.27.193:6349 – 292.14.455.66:6349 – est.) Just a coincident? I think not!

I have heard of bogus ultrapeers before. Ultrapeers are people you connect thru when connecting to the gnutella network. Not sure what the best way to by-pass them. Try deleting & adding new connections on the connection page perhaps or blocking those hosts that do this. Need to be sure though before you block them!!!

Also see this New Gnutella attack underway? 3-2005

Errr, now I am really confused. Just out of stubbornness I tried down loading from LW again today and there is a noticable improvement. I downloaded one file at 150 KBps, quite an improvement over 0-1 ps. While I am quite pleased that the 'problem' has been rectified....I didn't change anything today to cause the fix.... The only logical answer I can come up with is that there was a problem with the LW network that was found and fixed today..anyone else have similar results today?
I still want to thank LOTR, Steif and everyone else that posted helpful information on this thread. I have learned quite a bit from this thread alone regarding set up, tweaks and fixes and appreciate the time and research that was put in to help find problems.

Interesting: that reinforces LOTR's mention of bogus Ultrapeers.

Every time you connect (or leave LW running for long periods of time, you likely connect to different Ultapeers, so maybe yo are now connected free of the blockers. Still, I'm doubtful there are UP's that can channel AND restrict downloads from sources like magnetmix.

With a dynamic distributed network like gnutella that has no central controlling servers, it's very difficult to say.

Maybe your discussions with your ISP finally trickled through to the right person

Anyways--cheers.