Need help figuring out why soulseek is constantly aborting all my transfers (D/L).

Hi lennjume
the installer does not delete anything, so it won't repair anything. Depending on how your VPN is working there might be everything routet to that VPN gateway to work. As most VPNs does not forward ports Web server applications not aware of such VPN/proxy ways will not be able to talk to the outside world. Maybe your VPN can allow normal work for some apps as well, then you have to configure your VPN to let SLSK alone. For what you describe it will not. I once tried TOR and it's absolutely incompatible with most P2P apps which start directed connects.
Cheers

P.S.: Here's short insight in the coming Portforwarding manual:

P2P-System's like SoulSeekqt
are basically a Server & Client structure at the same time:
-Downloading is asking (as a clientfunction) another SLSK User (functioning as Server in this context) "I want->give me or Queue me"
-Uploading is serving as a Server for other client(s) to Download and/or browse your share
-Seeking is asking (as a clientfunction) all the others to filter your share for the asked expressions
-Browsing someone's share is asking (as a clientfunction) the other one (functioning as Server in this context) "Show me what you got"
-Chat is working via Nir's Server (afaik including buffering absent messages) in a simple clientfunction.

All this works when you are directly connected (god beware!) to the IPv4 Internet.

If you are as most users behind a router (which includes NAT and maybe a firewall as well), then you HAVE TO forward the two needed Ports to your local machine in order to have Soulseekqt (and any server service in general) working like it should (Server & Client at the same time).

If you are (as most OS's come with an already running firewall) protected by your OS Firewall (all Linux since 2008/Windows Vista+/Mac OSX V10.x) then you a) disable it at all [when already behind one like the router or no other local client hacking your OS] or b) create the same Port Forwarding Rules described for the routers.

If you are (one of the few) protected by some intelligent Application Firewalls (e.g. ZoneAlarm, McAfee's Host-Intrusion-Prevention) read the according manual how to enable your soulseekqt.exe/dmg to communicate with your local IP Stack.

All this works will NOT work when you are connected (beware of your ISPs will) to the IPv6 Internet as all IPv4 Applications (like Soulseekqt) could no longer receive demands & Packets.

As all routers/Firewall looks different in their usage/age/firmware, I used two very successfull Firewalls (dd-wrt & IPFire) to demonstrate the general procedure. Your Router is surely not shown here, but the way/names are nearly identical to what I show here

A) get your local machine (with Soulseek on it) a static IP in your IP Range (typical in the 192.168.x.y or 172.168.x.y Range) and remember it. In some routers you could attach a static IP to your MAC (like shown in dd-wrt) and that's it. A lot of Routers provide such a nice feature under lots of different names. In the example I used "MyServerName" as my local machine name (unimportant) with the MAC address: 00:01:02:03:04:05 (very important) and put in the local IP (the one I've chosen to receive all the time) 192.168.1.108 (very important as well). With local IP tools like "ipconfig /all" or "ifconfig" you will see the used local IP Range and the MAC of your LAN/WLAN card.

B) log into your router and search in the manual for "Port forwarding" or "Firewall Rules" or "Destination NAT" or "Webservice". I show in the IPFire Version how to set up two Firewall rules to let the Port 1111 and 1112 als TCP through the generic firewall rule: "drop everything you haven't asked for in the first place". In IPfire I've choosen the local IP 192.168.100.100 so all the Ports have to be forwarded to this IP.
a) the best and safest solution is to forward only what is absolutely needed: Two ports to that one IP ("Port Forwarding" or "Port Range Forwarding" called in dd-wrt)
b) use uPNP only if a) isn't what you could accomplish. In most cases I experienced it did not work the way it should (Windows at first row) or worked from time to time just to fail the next time. Not all routers provide uPnP (original meant for stupid devices with need for the Internet like game consoles or TVs) and often it works buggy. Disabling it is a very good and secure advise! (shown in dd-wrt)
c) if everthing else fails opening the router a big way (and relying on a local Firewall) is using a DMZ (shown in dd-wrt), where you expose your local machine to the Internet the whole way. If that doesn't work the error lies somewhere else (IPv6, local App Firewall, local Firewall hyperactive). Setting up a local firewall is mendatory when exposed to all script kiddies of the world!

C) check the working forwarding in the Soulseekqt integrated Web Checker. When both reports (both ports) are OK you can continue!

Technical Background NAT'ing:
Technically, a port-forwarding is an other term for Destination NAT. Packets that are sent to the firewall are forwarded to a new destination. This process is done completely transparent by the firewall. For setting up the rule, it is required to specify the old and new destination and optionally the source or other constraints for the rule to match.

Technical Background to the Soulseek Protocol:
Details described in here: http://www.museek-plus.org/wiki/SoulseekProtocol

HI,

I think your VPN's IP is blocked or it is not allowing you to use that service. Try to change the VPN client. If this issue is not resolved so I suggest you to change your VPN and try it again. Here are the Fastest VPNs of 2016.