Stuck on "Connecting to Peers"

[Fabio156 0]

Hello. I just downloaded BitTorrent and added a torrent. It started downloading metadata and stayed on "Connecting to peers".

I tried with other torrents from other sites but I got the same result. I already tried to change VPN, but it still doesn't download.

How can I solve?

Thanks in advance

[Harold Feit 15]

Does it work without the VPN?

Do torrents from http://slackware.com/getslack/torrents.php work or not?

[jakjakwindscribe 0]

Hi,
Not hijacking....nearly exact same problem... so another data point
- no, does not work w/o vpn for me... that's why I signed up for one.
- vpn has endpoints in US and Canada, neither worked for p2p (but email and internet do work)
- comcast subscriber, if that is an issue
- tried several current (mods within the last week) lists of trackers... all of them show timeout or hostname not found
- tried an old completed torrent with and without new tracker list... same situation
- no, slackware torrent using http://tracker1.transamrit.net:8082/announce (1,2,3) shows "offline(timed out)"

is it time to get paranoid????

one more point... all 3 torrents I mentioned above, show 2 peers in the [local peer discovery] line under the Trackers tab... everything else is 0, and no peers connect under the Peers tab.

Edited August 13, 2016 by jakjakwindscribe
additional info

[jakjakwindscribe 0]

annnnnnd, the short answer is "nevermind"... 

Somehow, in a fog, while turning off ads, etc, in the advanced settings, I had checked vpn.dark_mode, which seems to have no description, or help, or any info at all... I assume I was thinking I needed it set in order to run through a vpn.... WRONG.  All is seems to do is prevent you from seeing any connections whether open or through a vpn.

That's why there is a warning not to mess with the advanced settings!!!  Moral: Don't touch "vpn.dark_mode".

sigh, sorry

OTOH, the OP may not have noticed a small yellow triangle at the bottom right of the status bar which indicates no incoming connections and clicking on it will run a network speed and connection test... That may help isolate the problem. 

OR, the box "add windows firewall exception" may not be checked in the Options/connections menu...

[jjmonroe8 0]

Has anyone figured this out yet? Same issue here. Stuck on connecting to peers and I'm not a tech guy so I can't just trouble shoot it myself. DHT is waiting for log in,  IDK what to do. Always worked fine for over a year, Ive changed nothing. What went wrong? Thank you

[jjmonroe8 0]

No one?

 

[jjmonroe8 0]

Then how do I get a refund, because this is useless to me as it sits. Just says connecting to peers for hours and days. Never connects. So just direct me to a link for a refund.

[peterbuttler 0]

Which version you are using right now? and secondly have you updated your client?

Edited September 9, 2016 by peterbuttler

[Harold Feit 15]

If the slackware torrents do not work, you have something in your setup blocking.

If you require the VPN, then the vpn provider you're using is blocking torrenting.

[peterbuttler 0]

Can you please share your screen so that it will be easier to understand the problem.

[jjmonroe8 0]

16 hours ago, Harold Feit said:

If the slackware torrents do not work, you have something in your setup blocking.

If you require the VPN, then the vpn provider you're using is blocking torrenting.

I don't know how to do or what slackware is, and I've tried without my VPN and still nothing. I tried under a hotel wifi while working out of town and still nothing. So I don't think anyone is blocking it. I'll try to figure out how to do a screen shot and post it.

 

[jjmonroe8 0]

[jjmonroe8 0]

[jjmonroe8 0]

[peterbuttler 0]

Not I understand the problem, actually it is from the other end. Please try to download any other torrent from same site or download same torrent from other website. I hope it will work for you.

Edited September 10, 2016 by peterbuttler

[jjmonroe8 0]

I have tried multiple torrents from 3 different sites and they all do this.

[peterbuttler 0]

Please check you port forwarding is enable or not?

Also checkout the guide of bittorrent because sometimes firewall block the ports for torrenting. http://portforward.com/english/applications/port_forwarding/BitTorrent/

[jjmonroe8 0]

I can't thank you enough for your time. I enabled portforward on my router and set BitTorrent to random ports and I am downloading again. Oh after a reboot from the changes of course. Thank you so much

[peterbuttler 0]

Well, No problem you can ask any time about torrenting and P2P websites because it is my favorite subject.

The thing is P2P sharing software or Bittorrent clients require specific port forwards because windows Firewall blocks any suspicious activity or ports which it deems potentially harmful. But you can allow trustworthy ports through router to bypass firewall restrictions. But, do not forget to use the best torrent VPN it will encrypt your peer to peer connection.

 

Here is a complete guide how peer to peer file sharing works. http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/p2p-peer-peer-file-sharing-works/

Edited September 10, 2016 by peterbuttler

[kevin richards 0]

On 9/10/2016 at 2:13 PM, peterbuttler said:

The thing is P2P sharing software or Bittorrent clients require specific port forwards because windows Firewall blocks any suspicious activity or ports which it deems potentially harmful. But you can allow trustworthy ports through router to bypass firewall restrictions. But, do not forget to use the best torrent VPN it will encrypt your peer to peer connection.

My ISP had the VPN blocked and port forwarding didn't work as well. I had to change my ISP to circumvent the issue.