Using file-sharing software can be scary for those who have never used a file-sharing client before. You might have tried it out once, but found everything was taking forever to download. Maybe you were worried about getting caught by your ISP. With these tips, you will be able to fully experience the wonderful world of file sharing without having to worry about being monitored.
By default, BitTorrent clients use the same range of ports. This has allowed ISPs to throttle any traffic coming through those ports. If you do not want your ISP slowing down your downloads, you will want to change the ports your BitTorrent client uses. Most clients these days allow you to change which ports it uses within the client’s options menu. You can choose any port you want, but it might take a few tries to find a range of ports that are not being throttled. Be sure to continue changing them as time goes on as ISPs will start throttling other ports that show signs of file-sharing traffic.
When using BitTorrent, safety is always a priority. It can be scary not knowing whether a company is monitoring your downloads or not. Installing a program such as Peerblock will allow you to download files safely. Peerblock allows you to block bad IP addresses from monitoring your activity. This is done by using different lists of these known IP addresses. Peerblock comes with a few default lists, but you can also download updated lists from other websites.
If you are not comfortable with the complexity of BitTorrent, there are other, simpler services that provide the same service. One such service is Emule. Emule allows you to search for and download files within the client. Emule is also great for finding hard-to-find files which might be impossible to find on BitTorrent. Similar to BitTorrent, downloads from Emule can also be sped up drastically through some simple steps.
Emule uses a credit system that gives download priority to those who upload files. If you want to increase your download speed, you will have to start uploading as many files as you can. As you upload more files, your download speed will increase.
If you do not want to bother with uploading files, there is a simpler way to increase the speed of your downloads without having to do anything. With Emule, the longer you leave it running, the faster your downloads are. Leave Emule running in the background whenever your computer is on. This way you will not have to wait long when you want to download a file.
It does not matter what type of file-sharing software you are using, there are always ways to make it download files faster. With these tips, you will be able to full enjoy your file-sharing software without any frustrations.
