There are a thousand suggestions available on fine tuning the speed on WinMx. None of them EXPLAINED anything, so I'm going to try. I explain the whole process first, then after the 56K explanation I give the numbers for other download speeds.
Let's start with 56k dialup...
(There are slower connections, but the settings can't be lowered)
A 56k connection(small "k") is actually 5.6K/s in transfer speed(large "K"). Nobody actually GETS 5.6K/s out of a 56k line. A good transfer speed would be about 4.6K or even gusts of 4.8K sometimes. Maybe you remember seeing those numbers when you downloaded things.
When you Upload (send/share files, like nice people) a 56k line usually doesn't send faster than about 3.1K(They CALL it a 33k upload, but it falls a bit short too)
Quick Test!!!!
"K" = 1000... How fast is a 4.8K/s connection?_____________
How fast is a 3.1K/s upload? ______________
Answers..... 4,800 and 3,100
These are the two numbers for the settings in the Bandwidth Throttle!!!(for 56k folks)
You can have one download at 4.8K/s or fourteen trickling in at 0.34K/s. You can also SHARE one file at 3.1K/s or irritate ten people with 0.31K/s feeds.(Thank you for sharing)
Now it's off to the "Settings" control...
Click the "Settings" button in the top right of WinMx. HARK! A window opens!
Click on "Internet Connection" and make sure you have the right speed for your connection ticked. Be honest... people can tell as soon as a connection is made. If you say you're fast and you aren't, people get upset, and the same if you say you'r slow, but actually you have high-speed. I might have room(bandwidth) to send to a slow connection but not a fast one. If you say you are fast and I only have a few minutes, I'll get upset because you download so slowly.
THERE IS NO NEED TO ADJUST THE TCP AND UDP SETTINGS. That's detailed stuff... leave it for the semi-pros. Next, click on the "WinMX Peer Network".
You can choose the connection area you want, but you'll automatically connect to the nearest/fastest-answering server anyways. For a 56k connection, the "Allocated Bandwidth" is 7KB/s Out 10.5KB/s In. Faster connections like Cable and DSL would have higher settings. Next up is "Incoming Msgs & Privacy"...
You should always accept messages. Plain and simple... unless you are being a jerk somehow (Like not SHARING files)(Thank you for sharing) It's a good way to learn things and most folk are pretty decent. I totally ignore the "Please Start Me..." messages.
Next setting...click the tiny box beside "File Transfers" and pick "Queuing". THIS is where you control how many people can connect to you at once and how many you can download from at once.(One or two fast, or 14 slow streams...) For 56k, "Total Maximum Downloads" should be 3 (2 would be faster). "Maximum Downloads Per User", well... it doesn't make sense to have more downloads than you have connections...so... 3 (2 would be faster). This means you can have three downloads running at the same time (2 would be faster) It keeps you from getting bogged down with too many downloads running at once, all too slow.
Max Total Uploads should be at 2 for a 56k user That way two people can get files from you(thank you for SHARING!) at the same time. You can start more by hand if you want. Any more slows everything down again. Maximum Uploads Per User is set at 5 on my 'puter. If you want more than 5 of my files at a sitting you'll have to load them later. Next we move right on to "Bandwidth Throttle"
Think of this like the nozzle on a hose.. open lots - get lotsa water... open a bit - water trickles... This is where we put those numbers from earlier.
For 56k, you download at about 4.8K/s (4800) so that's where you "Limit incoming bandwidth". Tick the small box and type in 4800 in the window. You can even set it at 5000 if you're brave. Setting it too high is like getting a drink from a fire-hose, though. Too much extra and your computer starts trying to work faster than the connection... it gets backed up, and everything slows down. "Outgoing Bandwidth" works the same way. For a 56k connection it's about 3.1K/s (3100), so clcik the small box and type 3100 in the window. It can't be set lower than 2000 even if you have a slower connection.
Lower down is the "Throttle Process Interval". Try it at 50ms. If That seems to slow you down, try 100, then 150...etc., but 50ms should work well. This is how often your computer/fire-hose sends out a spurt. A new spurt every 50 milliseconds might be too fast for slower connections, but it works fine for me. For slow connections 250 milliseconds per "spurt" might keep things smoother.
That's it! You've done it! You've changed the settings, and you've understood WHY you set them where you did.
Click the "Close" button on the bottom left and you're ready to rock!
Oh... and.... Thank you for sharing!
A Ps from TEC.
THANX Anon for words of wisdom -
Assist yourself by NOT BLOCKING INCOMING messages..I often see incomplete files others have that I can and WOULD COMPLETE but CAN'T organise them to que up file 4 transfer.....I have a policy of NOT starting requests except to COMPLETE existing files thus making extra sources available for transfering. ABUSERS get CANCELLED !
CHEERS - SHARE 2 ENJOY & LEARN !
TEC@NZ
FASTER CONNECTIONS
The explanation above is the same for EVERY connection. The difference is in the two "Limit Bandwidth" choices.
128k ISDN about 12.2K/s or 12,200 incoming and SHARE files at 7.5K/s or 7,500 outgoing.(Thank you for sharing) You could also probabaly share with more than just two people. Four would be good at this speed.
HIGH SPEED
For DSL and CABLE it gets a bit more complex but you probably know the speed for your fastest download from one person or your fastest upload to somebody. My lousy CPU limits my sharing to 13.4K/s no matter what I do. It's the best my ol' computer can handle, so my Outbound setting is.... yes, 13400. I share with up to 4 people at a time so it's still pretty quick.
Downloading is a different story. Open your download as high as it will go (100,000,000). You'll get it as fast as they can send it.
MONTHLY BANDWIDTH CHARGES
A lot of IP's are cheaping out and limiting us to 5 gigabytes per month Upload and 5 gigabytes per month Download. If you go over, you pay more. The effect is, you can't go over 14.00K/s or you'll be billed extra by the end of the month. If you had a perfect connection 24 hours a day for 31 days at 14.00K/s you'd be just under the 5-Gig limit. That's something to think about if you have an IP like mine and you leave your computer on day and night(I don't). If you set your limits at 14000 you won't break your limit, but it kinda takes away the reason for high-speed connections. If you spend less hours online, you can download faster. For 12 hours a day 28000, 6 hours is 56000 and so on.
FUTURE ADVANCES IN SPEED ?
One of the big problems with WinMx is "Queuing". I've seen listings with over 2000 people waiting. Not only is that stupid but it's a strain on the overall network. Every few minutes a signal is sent to check the connection, find your new place in the line-up, and a signal is sent back for the same reasons... The result is, a LOT of bandwidth going up in smoke because of the "maintenance chatter". I would suggest a limit of 9 or less in queue at any one time. If someone has the bandwidth to feed 100 people at a time, fine, but they should still have less than 10 in waiting.
"TRADE" WITH ME
If you see the word "TRADE" in anyone downloading from you, disconnect them
