Yep. In LW go tools > options > advanced > firewall config.
You'll see what I mean when you see the page.

Hmmm....it kinda worked....now I'm getting up to 9kbps, but averages around 5kbps....anymore ideas?

I am now using uTorrent's port, 29087, but there's no change.....still about 5kbps average.....

There's a heap of info about how to set up your LW for best performance in the thread below.
Configuring LW for best performance

You'll need to do a speed test & find out your download/upload speed in KB/s. You can do a speed test here (scroll down the page to find more test sites for other countries). Then follow the advice in the thread above for how to set up your LW.
http://www.dslreports.com/speedtest?more=1

If I were you, I'd call your ISP (painful I know) & ask if they've started using traffic shaping for p2p apps. If you were getting 80 KB/s (I know you said kbps but I'm guessing you meant KB/s as that's how LW measures speed) before then such a sudden drop just sounds very suss.

Well, I've messed around with random port numbers, and got to a point where I am getting 16KB/s average on all my downloads, but I know my connection can do more than this....is it really msy ISP's fault?

Given that you've got a 2.5mbps connection speed, excellent or turbo LW connection, no firewall then I don't know what else it could really be.

Did you try the optimising tips? What do you have your LW speed set at (cable/dsl, T1, T3)?

Lots of ISPs do use traffic shaping when it comes to p2p, they justify it by saying that people who use p2p are hogging bandwidth. Do you know anyone else who uses ihug & LW? If so, do they get a decent download speed?

Hehe, most of my friends (much like me), are broadband noobs. Laugh at us - we are in New Zealand, where broadband is pretty much like cavemen seeing cars for the first time lol.

Anyhow, after 6 minutes of waiting, a 'customer representative' told me it must be because of limewire itself - but I don't get it - limewire was just fine last month, and it hasnt been touched until yesterday???

I can't say for sure what your ISP are doing. But when download speed drops so dramatically ( & there's nothing obviously wrong with your LW - connection's good & you're not firewalled) it is often because of the ISP shaping bandwidth.

You haven't changed any hardware, have you? Has anything changed since LW was working well? Anything at all? What version of Java & LW are you using (in LW if you go help > about LW, it will tell you)? Have you updated to a new version of LW recently?

Hmmm...changed hardware? Yes, a couple, upgrading from a Pentium 4 2.8GHz to a Pentium D 930 3GHz and from an X300 to an X800Pro, and replacing a burned CRT monitor to an LCD monitor.

My LW version is 4.8.1 PRO
and my JAVA is 1.5.0_01

I'd be a bit hesitant to tell you to update your Java (don't think it would help anyway) as 4.8.1 is quite an old version & some LW versions behave very strangely with different Java versions. Let me ask a guru.

Like I said, I don't know that this would make a diff anyway... your connection & firewall status are fine. I'm still thinking it's your ISP. I'll get back to you...

The magnet link site is just that, an arguably normal download site except that instead of downloading thru your browser it downloads through the gnutella network via LW. With a 2.5 Mbps connection you should be getting over 200 KB/s if downloading a magnet link thru the site birdy suggested. So why isn't it? Obviously the site isn't to blame. LW isn't to blame because others who used 4.8.1 in the past had downlded magnet links over 200 KB/s. So somewhere along the way your speeds are being affected. It's either a line issue, an ISP issue, a connection device issue (perhaps the data isn't parsing properly due to your device ... eg: dropping packets. Or the device isn't designed to cater for such speeds), or something about your setup on your computer is stopping you from receiving good speeds.

1. What brand & model of modem/router do you have?

2. Have you done a speed test? Choose nearest location for a speed test & only have your browser open: http://www.t1shopper.com/tools/speedtest/

3. Are you using other p2p sharing programs at the same time as LimeWire?

4. Are you sharing the connection with other computers & if yes, are they also downlding at the same time you're using LW?

5. What speed setting to you have LW set to. (a) Go to LW's menu bar, Tools > Options > Speed & tell us which connection type it's set to.
(b) Tools > Options > Downloads & tell us what bandwidth it's set to.
(c) Tools > Options > Uploads > Basic & tell us what bandwidth it's set to.
(d) Tools > Options > Uploads > Slots & is there at least one slot available or is it set to zero?

If you're using Windows XP with SP2, then I suggest you apply the following patch: MS & 3rd party patches

I also previously used iHug until iinet bought up their Australian interests, after which we upgraded to broadband. But then I was using dial up with iHug.