I have just moved to Bangkok and purchased a smartzone card.

I often use torrents for totally legal purposes such as downloading unlicensed, free software.

For almost the first week I was able to download with no problem but torrents now appear to have ground to a halt.

Is this likely to be a permanent state of affairs and is there anything I can do about it?

Downloading unlicensed free software from torrents seems like a novel idea, why not just grab it from either the developers website or from one of the various freeware/shareware sites.

This would eliminate any torrenting issues.

Well for starters you could try reading the dozens of open threads discussing isps blocking torrents already.

Smartzone IS blocking for sure! I can run a program for about 10min before it cuts the feed.

Downloading unlicensed free software from torrents seems like a novel idea, why not just grab it from either the developers website or from one of the various freeware/shareware sites.

This would eliminate any torrenting issues.

So says someone who's never tried to download a Linux iso on an internet connection in Thailand. (at least without a download manager.)

That would be my suggestion. If you can find an ftp: or http: link to a download that isn't a torrent, use something like "Free download manager" to do the download.

That or switch to an ISP that doesn't block torrents. (or at least doesn't block torrents if you're not running them at full speed...)

Downloading unlicensed free software from torrents seems like a novel idea, why not just grab it from either the developers website or from one of the various freeware/shareware sites.

This would eliminate any torrenting issues.

So says someone who's never tried to download a Linux iso on an internet connection in Thailand. (at least without a download manager.)

My bad, I didn't realise you had intimate knowledge of what I download.

As for using a DL manager, yeah I do........ and ??

Just for shits and giggles Im dropping Mandriva 2010 (using a DL manager)....... looks like I should the 4.2gb .iso in about 53 minutes.

have fun with a torrents.

Downloading unlicensed free software from torrents seems like a novel idea, why not just grab it from either the developers website or from one of the various freeware/shareware sites.

This would eliminate any torrenting issues.

So says someone who's never tried to download a Linux iso on an internet connection in Thailand. (at least without a download manager.)

My bad, I didn't realise you had intimate knowledge of what I download.

As for using a DL manager, yeah I do........ and ??

Just for shits and giggles Im dropping Mandriva 2010 (using a DL manager)....... looks like I should the 4.2gb .iso in about 53 minutes.

have fun with a torrents.

I use torrents because they automatically run a checksum and refetch any part of the file that fails - even with a download manager, I had to download MSOffice about 3 times before it passed it's startup checks and would actually install.

Addmittedly, only where I get the link to the torrent file on the developer's website. (Most Linux distros have the option to download by torrent - after all it saves the developer money in that they don't have to provide as much bandwidth to someone downloading using a torrent).

It's more that you didn't suggest a download manager to the OP. If he's just trying to download a Linux ISO using the regular download function in Firefox or IE, in Thailand, it's a recipe for tearing your hair out.

I use torrents because they automatically run a checksum and refetch any part of the file that fails - even with a download manager, I had to download MSOffice about 3 times before it passed it's startup checks and would actually install.

It's more that you didn't suggest a download manager to the OP. If he's just trying to download a Linux ISO using the regular download function in Firefox or IE, in Thailand, it's a recipe for tearing your hair out.

Yeah I agree on the need for a download manager, IT wont let me install one on my work PC, drives me bonkers !!

Downloading unlicensed free software from torrents seems like a novel idea, why not just grab it from either the developers website or from one of the various freeware/shareware sites.

This would eliminate any torrenting issues.

It is definitely not a novel idea, but widely used in the world of development.

Why: Torrents are the optimal solution to reduce the bandwidth for the uploader.

Please don't suggest "solutions" like Megashare, which only work well and reasonably fast on paid accounts, and in all likeliness are used for illegal purposes in a much higher percentage than Torrents.

Downloading unlicensed free software from torrents seems like a novel idea, why not just grab it from either the developers website or from one of the various freeware/shareware sites.

This would eliminate any torrenting issues.

It is definitely not a novel idea, but widely used in the world of development.

Why: Torrents are the optimal solution to reduce the bandwidth for the uploader.

Please don't suggest "solutions" like Megashare, which only work well and reasonably fast on paid accounts, and in all likeliness are used for illegal purposes in a much higher percentage than Torrents.

For 10bht a day I would much rather max out my connection instead of stuffing around with torrents.

Lots of discussion here.

Downloading unlicensed free software from torrents seems like a novel idea, why not just grab it from either the developers website or from one of the various freeware/shareware sites.

This would eliminate any torrenting issues.

It is definitely not a novel idea, but widely used in the world of development.

Why: Torrents are the optimal solution to reduce the bandwidth for the uploader.

Please don't suggest "solutions" like Megashare, which only work well and reasonably fast on paid accounts, and in all likeliness are used for illegal purposes in a much higher percentage than Torrents.

For 10bht a day I would much rather max out my connection instead of stuffing around with torrents.

+1.

I spend approx 1bt per gb for rapidshare, my daily average is 15gb.

Spoonman, its not only the money. For me Torrents are first of all a very effective and bandwidth-saving way of exchange, and second, in some ways, a way of life. Give and take. Yin and Yang. And it ain't rocket-science either. Another issue: Once you have reached the seed status (if all is well set up this is usually after uploading about 110%, your partners should have the file. With ftp or other means, they just start downloading. So, with Torrents the results arrive earlier at the destination, and the coding and debugging process can start earlier ....

Tell me what software you need and I'll tell you what are the best choices and where to get it for free (no illegal copies, no torrents)

with Torrents the results arrive earlier at the destination, and the coding and debugging process can start earlier ....

I 100% certain I can pull a movie down quicker from RS than you can from a torrent (in Thailand)

with Torrents the results arrive earlier at the destination, and the coding and debugging process can start earlier ....

I 100% certain I can pull a movie down quicker from RS than you can from a torrent (in Thailand)

Maybe, but thats not my point.

Imagine I edit code that needs to be fed to collaborators.

With ftp. I upload to the server, alert my partners, and they download. Time it takes is the time it takes for my upload. and the download time it takes them.

With Torrents. once I have seeded about 110 to 120%, most leechers have the file then already.

As said before, Torrents is a way of sharing (giving and taking), there is no place in it for people who are only interested to leech (receive, download).