How to Speed Up Your Downloads on qBittorrent for Windows

If qBittorrent takes ages to download torrent files and the download rate is extremely low, chances are that your internet connection isn't strong enough to assist the torrent client in downloading files faster. If changing your internet connection isn't an option, or you already have a decent connection, you can increase download speed by tweaking some qBittorrent settings.

Below, we'll show you the best settings to configure in the qBittorrent client to speed up your downloads.

1. Basic Tips to Follow Before Optimizing qBittorrent

Before we start optimizing the qBittorrent client, here are some tips you should follow to get the best download speed:

• Make sure you choose a healthy torrent file. Healthy torrent files have a high seeders-to-leechers ratio, meaning the seeders outnumber the leechers. Most torrent websites display this information, so choose the file with the most seeders.
• Disconnect all devices connected to the same internet connection and close any active downloads and processes using your network resources. This step will enable qBittorrent to use maximum bandwidth and download torrent files more quickly.
• Using VPNs and proxy servers can help us bypass the limits put on us by our ISPs while downloading torrents. However, in some cases, using them can result in even slower download speeds. Disable such connections if you are using them.
• The connection speed and stability of Ethernet connections tend to be better than their wireless counterparts. The more stable the network, the longer it will maintain the connection with peers, thereby increasing the download speed. For this reason, if available, use an Ethernet cable to connect to your router.
• DNS servers assigned to you by your ISP aren't always the fastest. Alternatives like Google's public DNS are more stable and provide faster response times. So, change your DNS server to stabilize your connection and get faster speeds.
• Whitelist the qBittorrent client in the Microsoft Defender firewall and temporarily disable third-party antivirus and other security software. This will ensure these security suites do not interfere with the download process.

Having made these basic checks and fixes, you can now tune qBittorrent to deliver the best download speed.

2. Ensure That the Upload and Download Limits Are Set to Infinite

The download limit in the qBittorrent client refers to the maximum rate at which torrents can be downloaded. Having no cap means the client can use all available resources and get as high a download speed as possible. The upload limit, on the other hand, refers to the maximum rate at which downloaded files on your computer are shared with other peers or leechers.

Upload and download rate limits are set to infinity by default, and it's recommended not to tinker with these limits. Most often, users limit the upload rate to save bandwidth and get faster download rates, but the torrent client's choking mechanism compromises download rates when upload rates are limited, making the download process much slower.

So, go to the Tools tab and select Options... Then, go to the Speed tab and set the Upload and Download rate limits to infinity(∞).

In some cases, limiting the download rate to a value slightly higher than what you would like to achieve increases the overall download speed. Therefore, if you have such a figure in mind, limit the download speed by that and see if it makes any difference. If this changes the download rate negatively, don't forget to revert it.

3. Modify Privacy Settings

Go to the BitTorrent tab in the Options window of qBittorrent and make the following changes there:

• Ensure the Enable DHT (decentralized network), Enable Peer Exchange (PeX), and Enable Local Peer Discovery boxes are checked. These features increase the number of torrent sources and improve the stability of torrent downloads.
• In the dropdown menu next to Encryption mode, select Allow Encryption.
• Disable Torrent Queuing and Seeding Limits if they are enabled.
• Check the box beside Automatically add these trackers to new downloads. After that, visit a website with updated torrent trackers, such as torrenttrackerlist, and copy the trackers' list. Then, paste those trackers into the box at the bottom of the BitTorrent tab. Afterward, click Apply and hit OK.

4. Configure the Connection Settings

Here's how to configure qBittorrent's connection settings correctly if you've tweaked them before:

• Select TCP and µTP as your preferred Peer connection protocol.
• Ensure the box beside Use UPnP / NAT-PMP port forwarding from my router is checked.
• Configuring a blocked or closed port in your client will prevent qBittorrent from connecting to all peers, thereby reducing download speed. To ensure that doesn't happen, click on the Random button next to the Port used for incoming connection several times to see which port gives the best download speed.
• The maximum number of connections per torrent is set at 100 by default; try increasing this number to see if it makes a difference.
• If you've been using a proxy server, select None from the dropdown menu next to Type.

5. General Tips for Downloading Files Faster on qBittorrent

The instructions provided so far should have accelerated the download speed of the qBittorrent client already, but for an even faster download, follow these tips:

• Don't download multiple torrent files at the same time. This will then allocate all available bandwidth to downloading a single file, resulting in a faster download.
• qBittorrent allows users to prioritize downloads when more than one torrent file is being downloaded at the same time. Torrent clients can then allocate more resources to prioritized downloads and finish them first. So, prioritize the torrent you want to get downloaded faster.
• The time at which you run the torrent download also has a significant impact on download speed. If you download the torrent when there are more seeders available, you will definitely get a faster download. While there are some exceptions, it's best to download torrents during the daytime in the US.

Speed Up the Download Rate in qBittorrent

Seeing qBittorrent take ages to download a file is not a pleasant experience. We've shown you how to configure the qBittorrent settings to download files faster. Ensure you follow all the preliminary instructions, configure the client settings according to the recommended settings, and follow the recommendations at the end of the article to speed up the download process.

If these settings don't improve your download speed, your ISP might be throttling your connection. In that case, you should either subscribe to a faster internet package or switch your ISP.

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