Inconsistent download speeds

Submitted by feedthecollapse on Sun, 03/13/2016 - 05:56
Forums: 
Soulseek General Discussion

I hadn't updated Soulseek for a while (previously dated from about 2014 or so), but when I updated it to one of the more recent builds, I've found that my download speeds are very inconsistent. It used to be that speeds would maintain fairly steadily (i.e. if averaging around 50 kbps, it generally wouldn't drop below 40), but since the update it seems like the speed will go all over the place (i.e. it could shoot up to 500 kbps, but drop to 5 just as quickly) and often lead to aborted transfers if I'm not actively watching the downloads. The variation in speed doesn't seem to coincide with my non-slsk activity either as I'll watch the speed move up and down with just slsk open.

just wondering if there's a solution to make it more consistent again.

Submitted by sammy123 on Sun, 03/13/2016 - 22:50.

Hello feedthecollapse
you might step back to the older version just to try. The speed might have a lot of issues:
-what SLSK is getting into will come out, so there's nothing in constant.
-it might be you, but it might the sender
-does your router/firewall/ISP is fast enough?

What you describe is called a hickup which is mostly a problem with cache management (local or the sender; mostly local) when the cache manager is always hitting the low water mark and again the high water mark. Maybe Nir did change something there, but as rarely someone has unusual DL/UL values it looks more a local problem. As mentioned local (not router) firewall can cause such an issue very easy.

Best 'd be to switch to the older version just for comparison.

Cheers

Submitted by feedthecollapse on Mon, 03/14/2016 - 03:26.

I found a very old version of NT that is giving me consistent speeds, but I'm not able to revert via windows to a previous version of QT. Are there any links to older versions of QT anywhere?

Submitted by sammy123 on Thu, 03/17/2016 - 03:33.

I guess U mean SoulseekNS (which is no longer supported and uses a different Server/client structure so not comparable). Older Qt versions are surely in Nir's fundus. Which older QT version did you have in use before?
Cheers

Submitted by feedthecollapse on Thu, 03/17/2016 - 06:32.

not sure which. I only recall it being dated somewhere around 2014.