Configuring LW ... a question
 

Hello
I have been using LW for a while now and although I have read all the threads on configuring LW, and applied their suggestions, I still have some questions/issues I would like help on.
One problem I have is that when I try to d/l video content, they typically start d/ling at good speeds (even from 1 host alone) but very quickly slow down to 1 or 0 KB/s and remain there.
This also occurs when I am d/ling from many hosts (up to six).
Here are all my details:
Machine:
PowerBook G4
1 GHz PowerPC G4
1 MB L3 cache
768 MB SDRAM
OSX 10.3.8
LimeWire 4.8.1
Internet Connection:
ADSL 600/100
Test Scores - 512/94
Current Configuration:
Speed Section:
Connection Speed - Cable/DSL
Ultrapeer Capabilities - Disabled
OOB Searching - Disabled
Downloads Section:
Max Downloads - 5
Clear Downloads - Auto-clear Enabled
Download Bandwidth - 100%
Uploads Basic Section:
Clear Uploads - Auto-clear Enabled
Upload Bandwidth - 10.94 KB/s
Partial Files - Partial sharing Disabled
Uploads Slots Section:
Uploads per person - 3
Max Upload Slots - 20
Searching Limits Section:
Max Searches - 5
All qualities/All speeds
Advanced Preferencing Section:
Connection Preferencing - 1 file to not be a freeloader
Allow freeloaders always
Advanced Firewall Config Section:
Listening Port - 6346
Router Config. - Use UPnP (Recommended)
Advanced Proxy Section:
Proxy - No Proxy

I think thats eveything!
I would really appreciate it if someone in the know could take a look and suggest the optimal set up for me.

Thanks very much

Amedeo

Try turning partial file sharing back on, and test by downloading one of the free videos from a reliable source like magnetmix.com (The Scene episodes are pretty popular and should fill your max download speed of 64 KB/s). Turn PFS off and try again.

Also, check the sample bug reports to see if your machine can accept incoming connections. If so, setting the OS X firewall to allow gnutella connections on port 6346 should help.

btw--high initial spikes in speed followed quickly by low averages, then another spike 30 or so seconds later might indicate that your bandwidth is being choked--often by ISP controls. Watch the download bandwidth graphs in Tools->Statistics

Thanks Steif,
btw is that as in the teddy bear maker?
Turning the partial sharing on/off didnt really make a difference, ie the speeds remained the same, between 55-75 for the duration of both d/ls, both from 2 sources.
At one point it spiked to 81 which I dont really understand as I thought my theoretical max. was 75!!
I'm sorry but I dont really understand your other 2 suggestions, I'm not particularly in-depth with all this computer stuff.
The result of d/ling from the magnetmix website you suggested was surprising as I did not have the same problem I usually get from d/ling from a Limewire search... high initial and then slows right down!! Dont really understand why that should be the case.
I get this problem even when d/ling a quite popular file (anywhere from 5 - 25+ in the search on LW) held on DSL+ connections....

Your quick check against magnetmix shows that your connection/set-up is OK. Your set-up works when connected to "reliable" sources.

The bad results you saw earlier shows that the hosts you connected to aren't very reliable. Control-click the downloads column, and show "vendor:" you might see a pattern.

As for my other two suggestions--sorry: I don't understand what I'm saying much of the time too. Guess I should pay more attention in English classes.

re the "bug report". In the LimeWire preferences, there's a section called "bug reports." If you go there, there's a button labeled "Sample." Click that and you get a screen showing all the key settings. Look for the line that says "accept incoming" to find out if your setup is set for clear gnutella (LimeWire) connections.

As for the Firewall, there is one built into OS X. LW's help menu->Tip of the Day has a tip on how to set it up.

Thanks again Stief,
In the bug report, the only thing I could find which is close to what you say is:
Acceptor: 1
in the listing thread section.

For the OSX firewall tip, the 'sharing' section which I should go into is shaded and not available to me ?!?!?

I have another query, does it make any difference if i run the same searches again when restarting LW, ie if the d/l is already in my queue and incomplete, does re-searching help? As well, does refreshing searches periodically make any difference. A few times I have done this, it does seem to 'help' connecting to d/ls

Thanks

Double posting will only get you negative attention. In other words don't do it. It's all in the rules

Hello Murasame,
Whats double posting? And how have I done it?

Thanks

Amedeo

Please note the usual polite conventions.

Hi Amedeo (You're welcome) There's a screenshot of the line you need to find in the example bug report at http://www.gnutellaforums.com/showth...=&postid=90500I don't understand this. Perhaps your Sharing Panel in the Apple Menu->OS X Preferences is locked? Search your mac's Help menu for "Firewall" to see how to add a port or turn your firewall off. Re-searching can "seem" to help, but sometimes this can also trigger a bug where LW can get sluggish after a few days. I re-search anyway--more out of curiousity. Currently LW's ability to get alternate sources while downloading is often pretty effective. However, if the sources are bad or few, researching doen't help much.

Ok, so the line in the Bug Report says:
'Received incoming this session: false'

I guess this is really wrong huh?

Am asking the questions now on the Apple forums as to how to access the 'sharing' button in the sys. prefs. in order to fiddle with the firewall...

I suppose the way to change the line to true is to change the firewall settings in sys. prefs.?

Thanks Stief

The built-in Firewall may be properly blocking incoming connections, or the block may be further upstream on your connection. Only an "Admin" user has permission to change most System Preferences on OS X. I assumed you were the Admin user on your machine, because installing LW requires an Admin password.

Home routers allow outgoing connections, but need most ports opened for incoming. School and work connections also usually block "unused" ports by default too. Internet Service Providers may also block/filter certain ports, especially if the ISP is filtering or blocking filesharing.

So, while LW runs best with a clear two-way connection to the internet, it's not "wrong." LW's code does quite a good job of working within many limitations, as you saw with the magnetmix test.