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How to Speed up Torrents Download Article Easy ways to increase your torrent speed, like closing background programs Co-authored by Luigi Oppido and Jack Lloyd
Last Updated: May 29, 2025 Tested
Download Article
Getting Faster Downloads
|
Tweaking uTorrent and BitTorrent
|
Video
|
Q&A
|
Tips
|
Warnings
|Show more|Show less X
This article was co-authored by Luigi Oppido and by wikiHow staff writer, Jack Lloyd. Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years. The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. This article has been viewed 1,561,846 times.
This wikiHow teaches you how to increase the download speed of a torrent. Torrent download speeds can be increased by practicing basic Internet speed habits, though you can also modify your torrent client's settings in order to speed up some torrents. Keep in mind that if the torrent doesn't have enough seeds to complete its download, there isn't much that you can do.
Quick Tips
Pick torrents with enough seeds.
Exit background services and programs as you torrent.
Download just 1 torrent at a time.
Prioritize a particular torrent you want more quickly.
Don't download other files while torrenting.
Torrent when other people in your household aren't using the internet.
Plug in an ethernet cable while you torrent.
Steps
Part 1 Part 1 of 2:
Getting Faster Downloads
Download Article
1 Select torrents with enough seeds. Torrents with fewer "seeds" (uploaders) than "leeches" (downloaders) will take significantly longer to download than in the inverse.[1]X Expert Source Luigi OppidoComputer & Tech SpecialistExpert Interview
If a torrent has few to no seeds, you won't be able to download the whole torrent.
2 Close background services and programs when downloading. Running any programs—especially those which take up large amounts of bandwidth, such as streaming services—while attempting to download torrents will invariably slow down your download rates.[2]XResearch source Advertisement
3 Try downloading one torrent at a time. In the event that you're running into issues with torrent speed while downloading multiple torrents, try pausing all but one. This will allocate the bandwidth that the other two torrents were using to the one that isn't paused.[3]XResearch source
You can pause a torrent by right-clicking it and clicking Pause.
4 Prioritize a specific torrent. If you're downloading more than one torrent, you can set its priority to "High" in order to cause it to download faster than the other torrents in your queue:
Right-click a torrent.
Hover your mouse over Bandwidth Allocation.
Click High
5 Avoid downloading other files when downloading a torrent. Again, running streaming programs and file-sharing programs other than your torrent client will prevent your torrents from downloading in a timely fashion.
If you share an Internet connection with one or more people, try to download your torrent when you know that they aren't downloading or streaming.
6 Download during periods of low activity. This goes for both inside of your house and in general: try to download late at night or early in the morning during a period where you know that anyone else on your Internet connection isn't also downloading or streaming.
7 Connect your computer to your router via Ethernet. Using an Ethernet cable to connect your computer to your router will ensure that there aren't any hiccups in your download speed.[4]XResearch source
If this isn't an option for you, bring your computer as close to your router (or vice versa) as possible.
8 Use a VPN when downloading torrents. If your ISP is throttling your Internet speed because they don't approve of you downloading torrents, using a VPN will help you circumvent the restrictions.[5]XResearch source
Keep in mind that torrenting illegal files can result in your IP address being blacklisted (among other criminal charges).
Advertisement Part 2 Part 2 of 2:
Tweaking uTorrent and BitTorrent
Download Article
1 Open uTorrent or BitTorrent. These are the two most popular torrent clients.
If you don't have uTorrent, you can download and install it from https://www.utorrent.com/.
If you don't have BitTorrent, you can download and install it from https://www.bittorrent.com/.
2 Click Options. It's in the upper-left side of the window. A drop-down menu will appear.
3 Click Preferences. This option is at the top of the drop-down menu. Doing so opens the Preferences window.
4 Prevent torrent standby. This will ensure that your computer doesn't enter Standby mode if you're actively downloading torrents:
Click the General tab.
Check the "Prevent standby if there are active torrents" box.
Click Apply
5 Enable UPnP. UPnP is a connection type which allows your torrent access to the correct port(s) in your router:[6]XResearch source
Click the Connection tab.
Check the "Enable UPnP port mapping" box.
Click Apply
6 Optimize the upload and download capacities. This will ensure that you aren't spending too much bandwidth on uploading while allowing you to download an unlimited amount:
Click the Bandwidth tab.
Find the "Maximum upload rate" heading near the top of the window.
Type 500 into the text box to the right of the "Maximum upload rate" heading.
Make sure that the "Global Rate Limit Options" text box has "0" in it.
Click Apply
7 Change the number of possible connections. This will help keep your torrenting profile in good standing with the community while maximizing your download speeds:[7]XResearch source
Set your "Global maximum connections" text field to 150.
Set the "Maximum connections per torrent" text field to 100.
Set the "Upload slots per torrent" text field to 3-5.
8 Change the number of maximum ongoing downloads. To do so:
Click the Queueing tab.
Increase the number in the "Maximum number of active downloads" text box.
Click Apply
9 Click OK. It's at the bottom of the window. Your settings will be saved; from now on, your downloaded torrents will use your optimized settings.
You may have to close and re-open uTorrent or BitTorrent before the settings will be implemented fully.[8]X Expert Source Luigi OppidoComputer & Tech SpecialistExpert Interview
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Community Q&A
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Question Why do torrents stall at 99.5%? Community Answer Torrent downloads the file through many seeders. As such, the file is split into many parts. It takes some time to merge those parts to a single file. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 17 Helpful 80
Question What is the metadata that is downloaded? Community Answer Metadata are small files that tell your system what the torrent contains. You can think of metadata as a summary of what files are going to be downloaded. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 2 Helpful 11
Question Why does the download sometimes stall at "Queued"? Community Answer You may need to change the number of torrents that can be active at the same time in your settings. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 8 Helpful 28
See more answers Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Submit Advertisement
Video
Tips
Many ISPs monitor accounts for illegal activity, including illegal downloading of torrents. You can avoid this by sticking to legal downloads and, in some cases, using a VPN. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 2
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement
Warnings
Downloading torrents for paid entertainment or products constitutes piracy, which is illegal in most places. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
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References
↑ Luigi Oppido. Computer & Tech Specialist. Expert Interview
↑ Luigi Oppido. Computer & Tech Specialist. Expert Interview
About This Article
Co-authored by: Luigi Oppido Computer & Tech Specialist This article was co-authored by Luigi Oppido and by wikiHow staff writer, Jack Lloyd. Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years. This article has been viewed 1,561,846 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 33Updated: May 29, 2025 Views: 1,561,846 Categories: Torrents In other languages Spanish Italian Chinese Russian German French Indonesian Hindi Arabic Vietnamese Thai Turkish Korean Japanese
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Reader Success Stories
Mahir Erbulan
Nov 12, 2017
"I wanted to download and crack games with torrents, it worked and made my torrent download speed quicker!" Rated this article:
More reader stories Hide reader stories Share your story
Is this article up to date?
Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Luigi Oppido Computer & Tech Specialist Click a star to vote Co-authors: 33Updated: May 29, 2025 Views: 1,561,846
Mahir Erbulan
Nov 12, 2017
"I wanted to download and crack games with torrents, it worked and made my torrent download speed quicker!" Rated this article:
Shobhit Umrao
May 23, 2017
"Clear explanation with pictures was really helpful." Rated this article:
Anonymous
Jun 16, 2016
"Thank you! Sped them up a lot."
Ndoliv Nda Wabba
Jun 27, 2016
"It works. Many thanks!" Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories
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Download Article Easy ways to increase your torrent speed, like closing background programs Co-authored by Luigi Oppido and Jack Lloyd 
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Co-authored by: Luigi Oppido Computer & Tech Specialist This article was co-authored by Luigi Oppido and by wikiHow staff writer, Jack Lloyd. Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years. This article has been viewed 1,561,846 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 33 Updated: May 29, 2025 Views: 1,561,846 Categories: Torrents In other languages Spanish Italian Chinese Russian German French Indonesian Hindi Arabic Vietnamese Thai Turkish Korean Japanese 
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489 
1 Select torrents with enough seeds. Torrents with fewer "seeds" (uploaders) than "leeches" (downloaders) will take significantly longer to download than in the inverse.[1] 
2 Close background services and programs when downloading. Running any programs—especially those which take up large amounts of bandwidth, such as streaming services—while attempting to download torrents will invariably slow down your download rates.[2] Advertisement 
3 Try downloading one torrent at a time. In the event that you're running into issues with torrent speed while downloading multiple torrents, try pausing all but one. This will allocate the bandwidth that the other two torrents were using to the one that isn't paused.[3] 
4 Prioritize a specific torrent. If you're downloading more than one torrent, you can set its priority to "High" in order to cause it to download faster than the other torrents in your queue: 
5 Avoid downloading other files when downloading a torrent. Again, running streaming programs and file-sharing programs other than your torrent client will prevent your torrents from downloading in a timely fashion. 
6 Download during periods of low activity. This goes for both inside of your house and in general: try to download late at night or early in the morning during a period where you know that anyone else on your Internet connection isn't also downloading or streaming. 
7 Connect your computer to your router via Ethernet. Using an Ethernet cable to connect your computer to your router will ensure that there aren't any hiccups in your download speed.[4] 
8 Use a VPN when downloading torrents. If your ISP is throttling your Internet speed because they don't approve of you downloading torrents, using a VPN will help you circumvent the restrictions.[5] 
1 Open uTorrent or BitTorrent. These are the two most popular torrent clients. 
2 Click Options. It's in the upper-left side of the window. A drop-down menu will appear. 
3 Click Preferences. This option is at the top of the drop-down menu. Doing so opens the Preferences window. 
4 Prevent torrent standby. This will ensure that your computer doesn't enter Standby mode if you're actively downloading torrents: 
5 Enable UPnP. UPnP is a connection type which allows your torrent access to the correct port(s) in your router:[6] 
6 Optimize the upload and download capacities. This will ensure that you aren't spending too much bandwidth on uploading while allowing you to download an unlimited amount: 
7 Change the number of possible connections. This will help keep your torrenting profile in good standing with the community while maximizing your download speeds:[7] 
8 Change the number of maximum ongoing downloads. To do so: 
9 Click OK. It's at the bottom of the window. Your settings will be saved; from now on, your downloaded torrents will use your optimized settings. 
Community Answer Torrent downloads the file through many seeders. As such, the file is split into many parts. It takes some time to merge those parts to a single file. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 17 Helpful 80 
Community Answer Metadata are small files that tell your system what the torrent contains. You can think of metadata as a summary of what files are going to be downloaded. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 2 Helpful 11 