Well, well well-- I went and got a new router (Linksys BFSR 41 v2) to test drive, but much as I hoped to see an improvement--couldn't. As a true Ultrapeer, the number of Current Hosts fluctuated in the low 50's.

Since hiding connection view, the number seemed to fluctuate in the high 50's, going up to 64 for a moment or two, but also down to the high forties. Thanks for the tip . . . I'll take the router back and save a few bucks.

So, can't repeat et voilà's stability as an ultrapeer behind a router: it's not the router nor the DNS lookups. Plenty of bandwidth, processor power. Looks like life as a leaf is not leeching since uploads actually are better, searches are fine, and downloads work quite well. I can always connect directly when the family doesn't need the net and run as an UP then.

I'm out of ideas what else to try since Windows is not an option

+1 that. trap, you are pretty essential to this forum. there's not too many people who really understand limewire and find the time to give advice to the newcomers.

steif, regarding the router: you sure it's the newest firmware? don't bother getting a pc. i have a linksys too on a athlonXP 1500, but voila's g3 imac somehow seems to do better. my firmware is pretty old.

thanks for the heads-up on the firmware osu uma: it was a few versions behind (now up to 1.44.2, Dec 13 2002) and a pain to set up through the ibook. Still--interesting.

2.9.11 has now been an UP connected to 46-52 hosts for 1/2 an hour: Seems to be working. I couldn't find a changelog, but maybe some parameter has changed with the new version?

et voilà--would you mind saying which Linksys and firmware you used?

linksys BEFSR41 with firmware
1.44.2, Dec 13 2002, it's easy to upgrade with MacTFTP Client.

merci et voilà--the that's the set-up I've now been using (MacTFTP was easy; wading through the windows jargon to get there was not!), and have been running as an UP most of the last 24 hours. Still a few problems lurking, but 2.9.11 is a major success re UP connections as far as I can see.

I still haven't seen a steady 58-64 hosts though: with 2.9.11 I'm noticing ~40 this AM (IP forced), ~34 this PM (IP unforced). Running with UP's in the 30's only uses about 10-20% of my CPU, so is quite civilized. Some hosts have been connected for >3hrs.

I wonder if the UP parameters changed with this last release, or whether the number of ultrapeer connects to other ultrapeers depends on network demands.

(did see some impossible connection rates in stats once that knocked out my internet services)

(btw I'm mapping a separate port to each computer for LW. How do you get multiple clients to connect without conflict?)

That idea already occured to me. What about if you are in another pane of the GUI (Searches) would it still lookup hosts ?

Stief,

This is probably a wild horse, but have you any idea what the TCP/IP MTU is on your Mac, and what it is set on your Linksys router ? If you have an ADSL line, your router's MTU might be a bit smaller than 1500 (maybe 1480 or so). Just try changing the MTU on your mac for a short time to 1450 or so and see it it makes a difference.

à Stief: you're fowarding the port to your machine in http://192.168.1.1/Forward.htm ? I've had no problems with that. Don't forget to check the TCP and UDP protocols. Then in Limewire I go in Advanced and and change the to port (in Port and Firewall) you've determined before. Also note that disabling OS X built in firewall is a good idea, because it slows down the mac, plus you're behind a router wich is the best firewall you can buy. (anyway I'll never enable a firewall or add an antivirus software to a mac, it's a total waste of $$$ and processor).

À +

Thanks et merci guys! Your suggestions really help cut down the trial-and-error solo approach! Hope this helps others and is not too off-topic

Erik--I read somewhere about setting the MTU for Macs, so I'll hunt that up again and post back. Worth a try. My cable connection is capped at 1 Mbit/sec up and down.

à et voilà--yes, except I use http://192.168.59.1/Forward.htm. Since I set for Static IP WAN, I also set each internal IP in the Advanced->Static Routing pane (this was recommended by tech support for my previous software). I wonder about setting the hop count. As much as possible, I tend to leave everything at default. I've tried the firewall on (open to 6346) and off without noticing much difference, so I tend to leave it on (laptop goes to work every day).

Current hosts still show high 30's this AM with cpu% usually in the 20's. With IP's unforced, the iMac G4 is connected to me as a leaf, so that works (but really messes up the stats if files are transferred!). Hiding Connections does seem to help too, but curiously, LW will sometimes disappear in Process Viewer's list when I view connections.

In the Forwarding pane I didn't touch the UPnP or Port Triggering , but here's how it looks for the record

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