[SOLVED] uTorrent Slow Download Speed

Slow downloads can cause a lot of annoyance. If you’re trying to download from uTorrent but the speed is incredibly slow, don’t panic. Here’s a list of fixes to try.

You may not have to try them all; just work your way down the list until you find the one that works!

Fix 1. Check Your Internet Speed

You can check your current internet speed by searching internet speed test on Google. If your speed score is low, it could be an indication that your internet is the problem. Try the following steps:

• If you have multiple devices connected to the same modem, then it could slow your connection when downloading. Try disconnecting your mobile devices or other computers from the network to see if the download speed increases.
• It’s possible your modem and router have old stuff in them and something is clogging it up. You can restart your modem and router to create a new connection to your internet service provider (ISP) and get everything flowing again.
• If you’re using a wireless connection, try switching to an ethernet cable, which is more stable and consistently faster.

If your speed score is fast, chances are your slow download speed has nothing to do with the internet. Read on and try the fixes below.

Fix 2. Restart Your Computer

If the problem wasn’t your internet, it may be your device. The easiest fix to try would be restarting your computer which will close apps running in the background, reset your desktop environment. So if you haven’t yet, give it a shot.

Fix 3. Configure uTorrent Settings

If you’re running uTorrent Classic (the desktop client), you can try tweaking a few settings to maximum download speed.

1) Open uTorrent and click Options > Preference.

2) Under the General tab, check the box next to Append .!ud to incomplete files and Pre-allocate all files. Then click Apply

3) Go to the Bandwidth tab, then set your Global Upload/Download Rate and Number of Connections as followed:

4) Go to the Queueing tab and set the value as followed. Then, click Apply.

If you’re downloading multiple files at a time, it would take more time for each file to be downloaded because each file you download will take a piece of your bandwidth.

5) Go to the Connection tab, then set the Random port value to 45682 and click Apply.

6) Apply the settings and restart uTorrent to test the issue.

If your download speed is still slow, move on and try the next fix.

Fix 4. Use a VPN

Torrents and file-sharing use massive amounts of bandwidth. While ISPs won’t stop you from using torrents legally, they could throttle torrents and slow them to a crawl of only a few KB/s in order to prevent network congestion and lower bandwidth costs. If this is the problem for you, you can use a VPN, also known as a Virtual Private Network, to bypass Internet throttling.

A good VPN encrypts your data and redirects it through a protected tunnel. In this way, your ISP won’t be able to tell what kind of traffic you’re sending or receiving, and thus can’t interfere with your network.

Some VPN services are free but, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for. Free VPNs are never as good as paid ones; either they’re not as fast or reliable, or they can be forced to share your details with the authorities.

Our favorite VPN is NordVPN. It’s fast and cheap, and – most importantly – it will keep your IP address hidden. Follow the instructions below to see how to use VPN when torrenting. We’ll use NordVPN for this tutorial, but you can use other VPN as well.

1) Download and install NordVPN on your device

2) Set up your account.

3) Click the Quick Connect button on the map to automatically connect to a server that suits your needs.

4) Now you can download securely and anonymously!

Fix 5. Allow uTorrent through Firewall

If your download speed drops to zero, it could be Windows Firewall that is blocking your torrent client. In this case, you can add an exception to the Windows firewall to fix the issue:

1) Open uTorrent.

2) Go to Options> Preferences.

3) Click Connections and check the Add Windows Firewall exception box and then click Apply.

If the box is already checked, or if this didn’t fix the issue, try the fix below.

Fix 6. Update uTorrent

uTorrent updates can eliminate hidden issues and enhance its performance.

1) Open uTorrent.

2) Click Help, then Check for Updates.

3) After the update is finished, open uTorrent to test your issue.

If the problem persists, try the next fix below.

Fix 7. Check for Windows Updates

When is the last time you updated your computer system? If you’re running an older operating system, it could cause issues such as a slow speed when downloading. 

1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key. Then, type windows update and select Windows Update settings. 

2) Click Check for updates, and then wait for Windows to download and install the updates automatically.

3) Restart your computer after the update is complete. Then, check if uTorrent can download properly.

If your issue persists, then move on to the next fix below.

Fix 8. Update Device Drivers

Missing or outdated device drivers can also lead to the download speed slow problem, especially your network adapter driver. So you want to make sure your drivers are up to date.

You can update your device drivers manually if you’re happy to do them one at a time. But this takes quite a while. Or you can update them all with just a couple of clicks with Driver Easy.

Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for it. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to risk downloading and installing the wrong driver, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing.

You can update your drivers automatically with either the FREE or the Pro version of Driver Easy. But with the Pro version it takes just 2 clicks (and you get full support and a 30-day money back guarantee):

1) Download and install Driver Easy.

2) Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.

3) Click the Update button next to the driver you need to automatically download the correct version of that driver, then you can manually install it (you can do this with the FREE version).

Or click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system (this requires the Pro version – you’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All).

4) Restart uTorrent to see if it runs properly now.

If the problem still exists, read on and try the next fix.

Fix 9. Download Files with More Seeders

Apart from your internet speed, your download speed also depends on the number of seeders and peers. Seeders are those who share their file for it to be downloaded and peers are those who download the same file.

If the number of seeders and peers for the torrent file is small, or the seeds go offline temporarily, your download speed will be slow. So you might want to choose files with more seeders when downloading.

Fix 10. Add Trackers

Adding more torrent trackers allows you to add more seeds and peers so your download speed will increase.

1) You can search torrent tracker list in Google to get an updated list of trackers with high uptime and good latency.

2) Right-click on your active downloading torrent and select Properties.

3) Copy the tracker list that you found and paste it to the end of the existing tracker list box. 

IMPORTANT: Protect Your Privacy When Torrenting!

Downloading torrents is perfectly legal, so long as the files you’re downloading aren’t protected under copyright.

Downloading copyrighted shows, movies and music is illegal, and can attract significant penalties. All the major studios actively monitor torrent sites to capture the IP addresses of the people illegally downloading their works. They then contact the associated internet service providers (ISPs) and get them to trace that IP address back to you. In many countries, ISPs are legally obligated to tell the studios who you are. And even in countries where they’re not legally obligated, many ISPs will share your details anyway, simply because it’s easier.

If you plan to download copyrighted material, you should definitely use a VPN so you can’t be tracked and prosecuted. A VPN (which stands for ‘virtual private server’) hides your IP address from prying eyes.

Some VPN services are free but, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for. Free VPNs are never as good as paid ones; either they’re not as fast or reliable, or they can be forced to share your details with the authorities.

Our favorite VPN is NordVPN. It’s fast and cheap, and – most importantly – it will keep your IP address hidden.

Hopefully, this post helped. Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions.

• uTorrent