Android Fun: Turbo-Charging Tips for the Vuze App

Android Fun: Turbo-Charging Tips for the Vuze App

If you’re a long-term Android user, you’re no stranger to Vuze. It’s probably one of the best torrent clients out there. Oh, you may know it as Azureus in the old days, but it’s the same company and the product is much improved since then.

And, while Vuze’s PC and Mac (laptop)-based client is already well-known, many people don’t know that there is a Vuze Torrent Downloader for Android devices, and that this client can also be tweaked. But, many people still have trouble getting the most out of their client. If you’re one of them, here’s how to speed up the Vuze mobile app and your downloads.

Get Your Port Right

Testing your port isn’t all that difficult. The built in test located at “Help>NAT/Firewall test” will help you do this. Before using this test, make sure you disable blocklists as the Vuze server is on some of the blocklists out there.

Click on “help,” then scroll down to “NAT/Firewall Test.” The test is going to show both the TCP and UDP port already chosen for Vuze as the default. They should be the same.

You don’t have to change any of the port settings just yet. Just test them by pressing – you guessed it – “test.”

When the test comes back “OK,” you know you’re good. Now, if you failed the test, there are a few things you can do to fix things. Set your port to a good one – avoid the 6881 to 6999 range. This is the range originally used by many bittorent clients and its one that ISPs are still sensitive to. The safest range is probably 49160 to 65534 as this range should avoid ISP blocks and conflicts with other programs. No one hangs out here.

If you want to know, for sure, which ports are OK, type in “netstat -a >c:\log.txt” at the good old command prompt (Windows users only). This will run a check to see which ports are being used and which ones aren’t. When you get the results, just set port settings to avoid the ports being used already.

From within Vuze app, go to Tools>Options>Connections and then check the “incoming TCP” and “UDP listen port.” They should be the same number. If they aren’t change one.

Use Port Forwarding

A firewall will block incoming data requests unless an exception is made. This is the job of a firewall, but it’s a little annoying when you’re trying to share files with other people. But, rather than shut off your firewall, you can work around it. You can use port forwarding to let the data – you have two choices.

The first choice is to use UPnP. This is the easiest method, but it does have some possible security issues. UPnP allows any program to create port mapping through your router without consent of the administrator. However, the downside is that your computer may be more vulnerable to attack.

Your other option is to manually forward the port. This is harder, but it’s more secure.

First, disable UpnP in your client and your router. Then, set up a static IP address. Set permissions for Vuze so that both TCp and UDP communications are allowed. That’s It. You’re done.

Adjust Internal Settings For Optimal Speed

One of the most significant changes you can make to Vuze app is to cap the upload speed. This will affect your seeding, but it will improve your downloads. In Vuze, the more upload you give, the more download you get from other peers. But, if your upload is too high, or unlimited, it’s going to negatively affect the rate at which you can download – you simply run out of “pipe” from your ISP.

In general, you can decrease your upload speed to 80 percent of your max without negatively affecting download speeds.

When you make the change, do a speed test at either testmy.net or speedtest.net. Testmy.net will give you a lot more detailed information about your upload speed and what’s going on with your connection.

Beware that some ISPs fake the upload and download speeds. For example, if your ISP has some type of “turbo” mode or option, or “speedboost,” what happens with these services is that the ISP  boosts your speed for the first 10MB down and the first 5MB up. Naturally, that skews your results to make them look better than they really are. Once the boost is gone, you’ve got lame slow speeds. So, another speed test you can do is to simply do a file transfer and time it.

Colleen Cruz’s head has always worked well with technology. Whether reconstructing a computer from scraps or putting new software to the test, she enjoys blogging about her insights and experience to help others maximize their tech potential.