They don't provide the speed I'm paying for.
They don't provide the speed I'm paying for.
I've started a modest torrenting project, just sharing what I've learned. I used an old 2010 HP machine that my grandmother lent me, and it's running smoothly until Comcast began throttling my connection unexpectedly. I'm paying for 900 Mbps, but on average we get 300-500 Mbps. Recently, speeds dropped to 100, then 200, which isn't ideal. My torrents are still fast at around 7 kbps according to QBittorrent. I tried contacting Comcast, but the call was unproductive—after a few attempts, they told me to wait for a tech visit or a replacement. They suggested a modem replacement at an Xfinity store, which is about 45 minutes away. Right now, I can't torrent effectively and feel frustrated because they don’t seem to be addressing the issue properly.
I believe the torrent includes seeders who can share additional files beyond what you're downloading. Also, I’m sure your ISP isn’t slowing your connection because of peer-to-peer activity.
It's common for this file to have many seeders because it's widely used. If there were no seeds, I'd switch to another source. I've also checked other torrents from the same provider, where they mentioned the torrent quality is solid and downloaded earlier versions in the series.
1) When sharing copyrighted content, they’re operating within their legal boundaries as outlined in the DMCA guidelines. Cox recently received a $1 billion settlement for failing to stop piracy.
2) After Net Neutrality was removed, Comcast regained the ability to slow down services. Bittorrent might choose to throttle it if they dislike the service. Previously, Comcast had throttled BitTorrent and Netflix traffic, but Netflix paid them to stop doing so.
3) During the pandemic, cable providers faced network congestion problems. When bandwidth is limited, speeds drop. While you can complain about their outdated infrastructure, many still struggle to find support in certain regions.
4) Signal quality issues often stem from your modem or router settings. Since I haven’t used Comcast equipment recently, I can’t pinpoint the exact location of their gateway data. If you have a separate modem, it connects via 192.168.100.1. Deviations from expected performance may result in slower internet or complete disconnection.
Torrents depend on other users to provide data for the group of downloaders. If those users restrict their upload rates or connections, your download speeds will vary widely. To accurately assess your ISP's performance, perform several speed tests from different devices connected directly to the modem. I prefer speedtest.net, fast.com, and https://www.dslreports.com/speedtest to ensure consistency across tests. Share your results.