Many popular BitTorrent clients such as uTorrent, BitComet and Azureus can work right out of the box. Download, install, load a torrent file and it’ll start downloading. If you don’t tweak the configurations, most probably it’ll take you longer to complete downloading the torrent.
Slow to finish downloading a movie or file from torrent is not a big problem. The biggest problem I always encounter when someone in the same network as me downloading a torrent and all of sudden my internet connection has been cut off entirely. I am unable to browse the web, my MSN messenger disconnected and etc. Pinging the router gives me a “Request time out” error message.
This problem happens both in modem and router. To get back the connection, I need to disconnect and reconnect if using modem or restart the router if I am using a router. Restart the router is not a good solution because when the BitTorrent starts downloading when it detects connection, my connection gets killed again.
I’ll share with you how to configure uTorrent, BitComet and Azureus so that internet won’t get disconnected while downloading torrent.
This happens mainly because there is a large number of connections that BitTorrent utilizes is stressing out your router/modem. The default settings in BitTorrent client is normally more connections than cheap modems can handle. Since many of us are actually using the free and cheap modems provided by our ISP, we have to lower the global connections in BitTorrent Client.
For uTorrent
1. Go to Tools -> Preferences (or press CTRL+P) to bring up the preferences options.
2. Click on BitTorrent and set the “Global maximum number of connections:” to a lower number.

For Azureus
1. Go to Tools -> Options (or press CTRL+,) to bring up the options.
2. Go to Mode and select Advanced.

3. Next go to Transfer and set the “Max connections globally” to a lower number.

For BitComet
1. Go to Options -> Preferences (or press CTRL+P) to bring up the preferences options.
2. Go to Advanced -> Connection.
3. Set the “Global maximum connections” to a lower number.

You can try the value “100″ for starters. If your router is able to handle that amount without killing your connection, you can try adding 20 more. Continue until you find the limit.
Alternatively, you can get a better router such as 3Com or Belkin to replace your cheap router provided by your ISP. I’ve also heard that full bridging mode works but it’ll leave your computer more vulnerable to attacks. In this case you’ll need to install a firewall to protect you.
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God Bless you my friend, It is a 2 year problem for me that just got solved!!!!
My problem seems to vary slightly from this in that it’s my nic card that cuts Internet access. My router is still functioning as my iPad and other wireless devices still have Internet access. However I must disable then re-enable my nic card in order to get Internet access on my PC (wired connection). Generally this happens most often when dl multiple torrents so maybe the cause is the same tho?
please help me…
that advice doesn’t work for me…
I have limit my global connection to 50 and my internet still stops…
What should I do???
I am using a MacBook Pro Snow Leopard
Thanks! This has completely solved the problem I have had for a long time. You are real Super Hero for us!
awesome dude – works a treat. i adjusted ‘global connections’ to 100 and ‘max connections per torrent’ to = 20. just experiment to find what suits you
Thanks, I’m going to try this soon.
I try to go on the games, or on my laptop, and the internet is completely killed off. Because when my uncle is home (usually 95% of the time) he has on that stupid Torrent crap on downloading Comic Books and Porn -_____-
thanks everyone..works for me on my utorrent..i lower down the “Global maximum connections=50″ ; max number of connected peers = 20 and i got my internet browsing back to normal.
Thanks so much for this guide. Now I can torrent all day and not just while I am sleeping!
DHT and DDB (Distributed DB) bittorrent options can also cause some routers to choke/stall/crash. As soon as I disabled both of those options in BT and limited the global max connections, I could download torrents while surfing the web. Also setting your global upload and download speeds to 80% of your subscribed internet connection speed will let you surf while torrenting.
Thanks for this guide! really helped me alot!
Thanks buddy. I have had this issue for a couple of weeks. I tried this tweak on my utorrent and it has not crashed for the last two hours – which is a miracle :)
some ISPs are blocking your bittorrent connections to a very stalled position (no login). just like mobile 8 of indonesia. to tackle this problem, you just simply add more trackers to your ongoing torrent activities. it works for me. chitchatid.
i have never thought of this fact “how much can my router take”! the truth is, a siemens SE-361i can take up to 200 connections at a time. downloading at full speed, and still can wath a YT video! this shitt is amazing! thanks mate
@anotherbit
Sounds like your downloads are causing the pages to load slowly – they do on mine when I am full speed. So you could limit your download speeds so you can surf at the same time!
Vicker:
Options>preferences>bandwidth
alas, I’ve tried messing around with bit torrent settings based on this article with little success. web pages still take foreever to load up, even when i set the Global max number connections to zero…
anyone else have a solution for this, please?
I am new for bittorrent, I cannot find “Global maximum connections” setting in bitComet v. 0.70. Could anyone help me? please…Thanks a lot.
Took me a long time before I started looking for a solution to the router cutting out only while downloading via Utorrent. I thought it was my ISP cutting off torrent downloads automatically and it pissed me off LOL
Now I find out that its just a Modem Error from to many connections LOL Shit I just switched to 100 connections and am hoping for the best. It seems that the connection has improved now also.
Thanks very much for the info it makes my life much better, basically allows me to use Utorrent reliably again which is awesome. I’m very happy.
Thank you! I have been trying to figure this out for 2 years lol
Thanks! Your post must be popular, it was 2nd or 3rd from the top when I googled bitcomet slows internet. Thanks for your time in posting this.
thx a lot – it worked straight out on Vista
tnx very very…
You solved the problem for me, THANY YOU very much for information. UTorrent when i updated to V1.8.4 changed all of my settings and could not get Internet Explorer or Outlook express working at same time.
FYI Info you need to change in UTorrent 1.8.4 is in Options > Preferences > Bandwidth
(Changed to, max number of connections = 200, max number of connected peers = 30. works a treat.)
UTorrents info/forum was completely useless.
Thanks a million for that idea. It does work, and since I have a relatively weak connection (1 Mbps is the maximum download speed) I don’t experience any drops in speed. Perhaps I’ll even lower the number of connections further, I’ll see.
I read many many instructions on how to tweak bitcomet so that it wont disconnect my internet. All doesn’t work! But when i follow ur instructions, it works like magic! Now i can surf and download at the same time. My DL speed also improve. Can’t tell u how much grateful i am! Thank you so much!
thanks!! :-*
now, i can go AFK while downloading.. :)
Dog! You rock. I’ve never been able to diagnose this and you nailed it. Also, this never happens when I’m downloading, say, Sabayon Linux and there are only 40 peers connected–total. If happens when I’m downloading swarms like SXSW 2009 and there are 600+ peers connected. That kinda reinforces the Max Connections theory. (And for the haters, hasn’t slowed the D/L speed either. I’m still at rock-solid 90% rated speed which is where I want it.)
I couldn’t figure this out either. I’ve never had a problem for the last 2-3 years but now every time I would get close to 500 or 600 kB/s my connection would crap out. I’ve changed my settings in Utorrent to 100 max connections and its working so far. Although my speed is only at 270-300 now.. I’ll keep trying to add more by 20′s Thank you.
am using bitcomet. doesnt work for me. pls help :-(
thanks alot! i hope this works. i’ve been looking for a way to resolve this issue for 2wks
Thanx man! I guess it was the router after all. Now that you mention it, the problem started to appear since I changed my router. Not only utorrent, but eMule too.
Now that I changed the configuration to 120 it works.
Firewalls are for house wives who don’t know how to use a computer properly.
me gustaria conocer la configuracion para la ultima version de bitcomet (1.05), ya que esta en ingles y no viene muy bien especificado. mE DARIAIS LA VIDA SI LO SOLUCIONAIS . uN SALUDO
I have the same problem with my home network. I have a broadband cable connection ,with cable modem and a Router Asus WL-500G Premium V2, 2 notebooks , one with VISTA Home Premium and one with Windows XP Pro, and 1 Desktop PC whit Win Vista Home Premium. I use Utorrent, and when i start the program ,he kill my internet connection, even if i dow something with 10kb and same value of upload , the internet connection dosen’t work anymore, BUT ONLY ON VISTA OS, on the XP OS the internet connection is working fine, not very good , but fine.So it seams the Vista OS have some problem. I will try to chenge the Utorrent with Bitorrent , to see what happends.
Clearly the guy who posted first is an idiot. Firewalls are for sissy’s who don’t know how to protect their computer.
Had the same problem with my router and usage of uTorrent. I have a three PC\’s at home. Two of them are connected to i-net through Wi-FI, but mine through Ethernet and problems had only on \”Ethernet PC\”. It all started as I have read before it happened to others. Everything was fine till the day when uTorrent started to switch off my i-net. I didn\’t change anything in my system or settings of utorrent, it justed stoped working one fine day. At first I tried to make changes in settings of uTorrent – didn\’t help, then made the latest updates to router, my old one was Edimax BR-6204Wg. As I thought it was a problem in it, I changed it to ASUS WL-520gC, the same problem persisted anyway. Last thing I did and what really helped, just tried to use BitTorrent instead of uTorrent and believe or not, but it HELPED, even without changing any kind of settings showed above, just \”plug\’n\’play\”. The only paradox, that I haven\’t solved yet is that on other systems (both that are connected to same router through Wi-Fi) there haven\’t been any problems at all, even if they use uTorrent and the Edimax router – without any setting changes in uTorrent it worked fine.
Now I have both of those torrents on my PC and still if I try to use uTorrent it brokes down my internet, but BitTorrent works fine. So I would suggest to try switching between different Torrents :) GL
io ho bittorrent come si fa a mettere le connessionii a livello sperò che funzioni non voglio abbandonarlo
io ho bittorrent come si fa a mettere le connessionii
O MY GOOD GOD, you have NO idea how many long hours ive sat by my router trying to work out why it kept cutting me off, works like a charm now, no cutting me off the internet, MY DOWNLOADS actually download haha, i could kiss you!
Does not work for utorrent.
Works for Bitcomet !! thanks!! I lowered ALL those settings to 1 .. the golabls conections. and the TCP connections… now I will push them up bit by bit..
CHEERS
for bittorent works,
thank you
I have the same problem and your help didn’t help if ya get me, I can have the global connections number as 1 and my internet still goes off lol ? o( ‘ ; ‘ )o <(_HELP_!!_)
Thank you for your Great Config
thanks alot
wish u the best
thanks man. That really helped alot.
I’ve been looking for this solution for ages now. thanks for the insight
thanks a lot brother..
Probably, that’s why start the value with 100 first and then keep adding 20 until you get the highest number.
izzit like tis setting will slow down the download speed?
USE DDWRT on your router….
Thank you Raymond for another useful tip. .
I can’t c raymond.cc on these pix, rmb – the pirates, lol
I’m using uTorrent on Windows XP SP2 with a 5 MB internet connection and a D-Link 604 router, having a ‘network’ made of a laptop and a workstation, but i don’t seem to have this problem at all.
It’s true that i use 80% of the default settings provided by uTorrent, but i tweak the rest of 20%…
Just to express my opinion on the last paragraph. I think having an updated firewall nowadays should be a requirement for surfing the web. Anyone without a firewall is not very smart, or is a Linux user :D